1956 Gibson J-160E Jumbo Acoustic Lefty Left-Handed Conversion Sunburst Finish w/HSC

1956 Gibson J-160E Jumbo Acoustic In Sunburst Finish

This Guitar Is Located At IVG Burbank

In Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)

Finish Shows Checking And Cosmetic Play Wear Throughout, Including Various Visible Dings, Marks And Scratches 

Professionally Converted To Left-Handed, Including Drilling New Holes For Top-Mounted Electronics, Plugging Previous Holes, New Nut, Added Side Dots, Bridge Reset And Nitrocellulose Lacquer Refinish In Sunburst

Several Small Repaired Cracks On Back Beneath Finish

Made In Kalamazoo, MI

Sloped-Shoulder Jumbo Body With Mahogany Back And Sides And Spruce Top 

Original Single-Coil Pickup

Mahogany Neck With Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard And Trapezoid Inlays

Rosewood Bridge With Adjustable Plastic Saddle

Previously Refretted, Frets In Very Good Condition Showing Some Play Wear

24.75" Scale Length

1 11/16" Nut Width

Neck Depth At 1st Fret: 0.93"

Neck Depth At 10th Fret: 1.04"

Weighs 5lbs 2oz

Comes As Shown With Non-Original Hard Shell Case

The 1956 J-160E from Gibson is a distinctive early acoustic-electric guitar that blends traditional flattop design with electric functionality. It features a laminated spruce top with mahogany back and sides, a round-shoulder body shape, and a comfortable mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard.

What makes the J-160E unique is its built-in P-90 pickup mounted at the end of the fingerboard, giving it a warm yet slightly gritty amplified tone more reminiscent of an electric guitar than a purely acoustic instrument. Unplugged, it has a mellow, somewhat subdued acoustic voice due to its laminated construction.

Known for its association with The Beatles—particularly John Lennon and George Harrison—the 1956 J-160E has become an iconic model, valued as much for its historical significance as for its unique tonal character.