1957 Gibson CF100E  (FON no. U1903 – 5 ).

Gibson CF-100`s were only available between 1950 and 1959 and it was the first Gibson flat top with a cutaway (in a Florentine design).  The body dimensions are the same as Gibson the LG series. It has scalloped top braces and tall, thin back braces .This is a well made guitar in all solid wood with a x-braced and gorgeous Cremona sunburst spruce top with back, sides and neck of Honduras mahogany.

The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard has white bindings and  is in nice condition with new frets, 14 frets to the body and a total of  20. The scale is 24 ¾”. The pearloid  inlays on the fretboard is similar to trapezoids on the Les Pauls. The Gibson logo on the head is made in pearl with a crown logo and includes the original Kluson tuners. Nut width: 43 mm.

Nice bindings on fretboard, body top and body back. Original Brazilian bell bridge.

Acoustically the sound is a little more soft than Gibson LG-2`s, so it is good working both for strumming and fingerpicking.

This one is in nice crack-free condition, the finish is original and very nice except for some wear on the soundhole and marks from a belt on the back. The original owner in Maryland took good care of this guitar.

The second owner in Denmark put in a Headway undersaddle pick up, that sound great. The original Gibson P-90 singlecoil pick up sounds fat, more electric and jazzy, but the pizzo sounds very acoustic and together they can mix to a signal that has more fatness than the usual pizzo sound. They have each their own plug, the original on the side and the pizzo at the end.

The original two potentiometers for volume and tone and their electronis has been taken out of the top and the holes has been nicely closed and finished so it is hard to see where they where, but they can easy be placed back to original again if wanted.

The electric CF-100E is a way better guitar than the plywood, ladder braced J-160e. There where two versions. The “E” stands for electric and means there is a Gibson P-90 pickup mounted close to the fretboard. Only 117 of these guitars shipped from the Gibson factory in 1957, making this guitar a rare one.

More than 1.000 Euro was spent on this guitar to make it ready to play on stage with a band. The pickups work perfectly and the fretboard  is very nice with low action and perfect tuning. A new case that fits very well comes with the guitar. The original electronics, bridgebone and endpin comes with the guitar.

Price Euro 3.800