1953 Gibson BR-9 Lap Steel

Did you know that Gibson made more BR-9 lap steels than every other model that they offered...combined, up until that point. We have been chasing BR-9s for a long time and the earlier, the better. This one is from 1953. The electronics are all original and function as they should. The pots have been cleaned and work without crackling. Output from the stock wide-oval pickup is healthy and has that growl and sweetness that we're all chasing.

The tuners have been changed, so has the output jack mounting plate. The handrest/pickup cover has missing corners and the usual cracks we see so often on BR-9 models. It still works as it should and is stable and doesn't cave in under hand pressure while playing. There is a chunk of wood missing from the headstock. We think that the metal nut probably collapsed at some point, lifting this flap of wood and finish off of the headstock. The body has plenty of wear and tear, corners that are rounded over, and dings throughout.  It's 70 years old and has had a hard life, but it's a terrific sounding steel. We have priced it much lower than clean examples sell for because of the cosmetic damage. We consider this one to be "player's grade".