Description: Gibson Jumbo flat top guitar
Available: 1934 to 1936.
Collectibility Rating: A.
Production: (no pre-1937 production numbers available)
General Comments: The beginnings of Gibson's 16" flattop guitar line. The 1934 Jumbo was Gibson's attempt to compete with Martin's "D" series of guitars (introduced in 1932). An excellent guitar, one I am most impressed with. The Jumbo was only made for three years and was then replaced by the J-35. The differences between the two models is subtle - the Jumbo has a pearl "Gibson" logo (the J-35's is silkscreened), slight body size and bracing differences, neck binding (1935 only), and tuner differences. Please email me if you have a Gibson Jumbo for sale!

Another related model is the Gibson Advance Jumbo. A similar guitar but with fancier trim and rosewood back and sides.

If you need to figure out the exact year of your Gibson Jumbo guitar, use the FON Factory Order Number. This is located inside the body's sound hole on the neck block. See the Gibson Serial Number Info web page for help determining the exact year.

If you have a vintage Gibson Jumbo guitar for sale, please contact me at cfh@provide.net

1934 Gibson Jumbo guitar introduction specs:

$60 retail list price, 16" wide body, 10.25" long body, 4.5" deep, round shoulder dreadnought body shape, mahogany back and sides, sides NOT tapered, 3.75" soundhole (slightly smaller than a J-35), bound top and back, rectangular bridge, rosewood fingerboard, dot fingerboard inlays, pearl logo, retangle bridge with no bolts (hence no pearl dots), 1 1/8" below the soundhole "X" bracing at 100 degrees with three tone bars, scalloped top braces, fire striped celluloid pickguard, unbound 1.75" wide "V" shaped mahogany neck with a pointed French heel, 24.75" scale length, pearl "Gibson" peghead logo, nickel plated Grover G-98 tuners, sunburst finish on top and back and sides (top sunburst is "small", with the yellow covering about 1/4 of the top). Seen FONs include 256, 437, 908, 911.

1935 Gibson Jumbo guitar specs:

neck binding added, increased yellow portion of sunburst to "medium" sized, covering about 1/3 of the top. Soundhole increased in size very slightly.

Gibson Jumbo guitar discontinued 1936 and replaced by the Gibson Trojan/Jumbo 35 (J-35). Differences between the J-35/Trojan and the Jumbo were minor. Bracing and body shape was slightly different, but very minor.

	Jumbo	1936 J-35
Back	Sunburst	Solid brown color
Peghead	Pearl Gibson logo	White Silkscreen logo
Tuners	Grover G-98	3-on-a-strip tuners
Sides	Not tapered	tapered