1942 Gibson Banner J-45 made by Kalamazoo Girls- Player Condition

This 1942 Gibson Banner J-45 carries factory order number 907, meaning it is from the very first official J-45 production batch. It has been played and played and played and shows appropriate wear, but it sounds just great. You've probably heard of the "Rosie the Riveter" women who built aircraft during WWII — well, this wartime Banner J-45 was made by Gibson's "Kalamazoo Girls." When the boys were sent off to war, women stepped in at Gibson and built guitars at the Kalamazoo, Michigan factory between 1942 and 1945. These women made the famous original Banner guitars, which featured the "Only a Gibson Is Good Enough" logo on the headstock. These instruments are considered among the best Gibson ever produced and are highly collectible in any condition.

In Good Company A couple of strums on this beauty and you can see how Buddy Holly, Scotty Moore, and generations of great players from Kacey Musgraves to Tom Morello fell in love with these incredible vintage instruments. And this is no replica — it is the 100% real deal that tone hounds across the globe are looking for.

The Details

• Built by Gibson, Kalamazoo, MI, 1942
• Factory order number: 907 — from the very first official J-45 production batch
• From the Marvin Rosenberg Collection

Condition

• Likely needs a neck reset
• Circular patch, probably fixing a spot where a volume pot was once installed
• Three small filled holes around the soundhole, probably from a former soundhole pickup
• Rectangular patch extending toward the bottom of the guitar from the treble bridge wing
• Significant finish wear and tear, as expected for the instrument's age and playing history
• Frets are nearly dressed to the board; new owner may elect a refret
• Binding was broken and repaired with the original piece, upper treble side of the top
• Solid pickguard crack along the top edge of the guard

The Marvin Rosenberg Collection This guitar comes from the collection of Marvin Rosenberg — patriarch, attorney, corporate counsel, competitive sports car racer, and lifelong lover of folk and Americana music. For decades, Marvin showed up to jam sessions and bluegrass venues with friends, and that same passion shaped his instrument collection. He sought out player-grade instruments — vintage pieces with real, honest wear from a life of actual use — over pristine collector-shelf pieces, assembling a personal collection of guitars, mandolins and banjos meant to be enjoyed rather than admired behind glass. Each piece was a tool of a passionate musician, chosen with the discerning eye of someone who understood exactly what made it special.

* The information presented here was collected from the estate of Marvin Rosenberg and independent research. It is accurate to the best of our ability.