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Gibson Country Western Value Guide (1956 to 1978)
A Gibson Country Western is the natural-top version of the Southern Jumbo that Gibson built from 1956 to 1978. The money is in the early round-shouldered guitars, which dealers listed from about $6,500 to $9,000. Square-shouldered examples from 1962 on mostly listed between about $1,200 and $5,000, with repairs, pickups and cracks taking the price down fast. Call or text (440) 219-3607 or text us photos.
What a Gibson Country Western is
Gibson took its sunburst Southern Jumbo, left the top natural, and sold the result as the Country Western. It is a dreadnought with a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a rosewood bridge and a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. A natural top ambers with age, and fine weather checking is normal in the dealer listings.
You will see several names for the same guitar. "Country Western" is the original model name. "SJN" stands for Southern Jumbo Natural, and it is the short name dealers and price guides use. From 1962 the label read "SJN Country Western." The sources do not agree on the year the SJN name began, and some put it as early as 1960. For a seller, the name matters less than the shoulders, the bridge and the condition.
Most references date the first guitars to 1956, though a few dealers sell a 1955 as a first-year example. Production ended in 1978, when Gibson discontinued the original run of the Southern Jumbo along with it. For the sunburst original and its earlier history, see our Southern Jumbo identification guide. This page covers the natural-top model only.
Round shoulder or square shoulder, by year
Shoulder shape is the first thing a buyer checks, and it splits the market. Gibson built the Country Western with round, sloped shoulders for roughly the first six years, then switched to square shoulders in 1962. Dealers and collectors prefer the round-shouldered guitars, and one dealer calls the 1962 changes the "less-desirable" ones. Keep that in mind: it is one dealer's view, but the listing prices back it up.
Years | Body | Bridge and saddle | Pickguard | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1956 to 1961 | Round, sloped shoulders | Rosewood bridge, fixed saddle on early examples | Earlier style, not the three-point guard | A later-style pickguard or adjustable saddle may be a replacement |
About 1962 to 1968 | Square shoulders | Rosewood bridge with an adjustable saddle, the setup dealers describe on 1963 to 1968 guitars | Large three-point tortoise guard | Lifted bridge, neck angle, cracks near the pickguard |
1969 to 1978 | Square shoulders | Bridge changed from a "belly up" to a "belly down" shape in 1969 | Check against the year | Original bridge shape, pickguard cracks, any pickup install |
The adjustable saddle shows up around 1962. A Russo Music listing for a 1955 guitar says the adjustable bridge and square shoulders arrived together in 1962, and 12fret lists an adjustable bridge among the square-shouldered features. If you have a round-shouldered guitar with an adjustable saddle, it may be a replacement, so send us a close photo of the bridge. If you have a square-shouldered guitar, check that the saddle is the original ceramic piece. Cream City Music noted a replacement rosewood bridge with a non-adjustable bone saddle on a 1964 listing and called it non-original.
The tuners are Kluson Deluxe on the 1960s examples we found in listings. Changed tuners show as filled or enlarged holes on the headstock.
Dating your Country Western
The serial number on the neck block and the model label inside the guitar tell you more than the headstock does. Treat a serial as a starting point, since it may give a window rather than an exact year. Use our Gibson serial number lookup and our guide to dating a Gibson acoustic from the 1930s to the 1970s. Then match the shoulders, bridge and pickguard to the table above. A guitar whose serial says 1964 and whose body has round shoulders is a red flag.
Originality issues that move the price
Natural tops show everything. There is no sunburst to hide repairs, so dealers describe every crack and touch-up in the listing. These are the issues that came up most in the listings we read.
Lifting bridge and bridge plate. A bridge pulling off the top is the most common flag. Elderly Instruments sold a 1967 that needed a bridge reglue. A Skinner auction lot from about 1970 noted "bridge lifting." A 1955 at Russo Music had its lifted bridge reglued. One dealer's 1956 was sold as 100 percent original with a bridge plate reinforcement added and nothing else done. Ask whether a bridge plate has been replaced or reinforced.
Neck reset. Elderly's 1967 needed one and was sold as-is. A 1960 at GP Guitars had one done, along with a refret and a modified bridge, and still listed at $7,000, because it was a round-shouldered guitar from the early years.
Top and body cracks. A 1968 at Cream City Music had large cracks professionally repaired and cleated, including one running the length of the body, and listed at $1,199. Dealers are fair about repaired cracks, but each one costs money. A 1956 with no cracks, no breaks and no repair history listed at $9,000.
Refinish. A natural top that has been refinished or heavily overcoated loses much of its value. See how much refinishing reduces vintage guitar value.
Pickups. This is a common one on a model players liked. A 1965 at Cream City had a DeArmond pickup added, the soundhole cut square to fit it, and changed tuners and nut. It listed at $2,199. A c.1965 guitar on Gbase with an LR Baggs pickup and repaired top cracks listed at $2,200.
Pickguard and parts. A 1957 at Angel City had replaced tuners and a later-1960s-style pickguard that was not original, and the dealer said so in the listing.
What a Gibson Country Western is worth
These are asking or listed prices from dealers. Every listing below is now marked sold or out of stock, and none of the dealers published the final sale price. We could not reach a sold-price source such as an auction result or a price guide for this model, so treat these numbers as where dealers priced the guitars, not what buyers paid. Our broader vintage Gibson acoustic value guide covers the larger picture.
1955 to 1961, round shoulders. GP Guitars listed a 1956 that was 100 percent original, with no cracks and no repair history, at $9,000. It listed a 1960 at $7,000 despite a neck reset, refret and modified bridge. Russo Music listed a 1955 with its original case and a repaired bridge and bass-side crack at $6,999.99. Angel City Guitars listed a 1957 with replaced tuners and a non-original pickguard at $6,499. Those four put the early range at about $6,500 to $9,000 asking, and the top of it went to the clean, untouched guitar.
1962 to 1968, square shoulders. LA Vintage Gear listed a 1963 at $4,299. Cream City Music listed a 1964, original-owner, with no refinish and a worn but usable bridge, at $4,999. At the lower end, Elderly Instruments sold a 1967 that needed a neck reset and bridge reglue at $2,750, a Gbase listing for a c.1965 with repaired cracks and an added pickup sat at $2,200, and Cream City listed the pickup-modified 1965 at $2,199 and the crack-repaired 1968 at $1,199. A clean, original square-shouldered guitar sits near the top of that spread, and a modified or repaired one near the bottom.
1969 to 1978. We could not find a clean 1970s example with a published dealer price, so we are not giving a range. The one data point is a Skinner auction lot from about 1970, with high action, a lifting bridge and a cracked pickguard, estimated at $1,000 to $1,500 in 2021. That is an estimate, not a sale price. If you own a 1970s guitar, the free appraisal is the way to get a real number.
Edgewater's cash offer usually lands about 20% under that market figure, and less for refinished or modified examples. Condition and originality move the number, so the accurate answer for yours is a free appraisal. You can also try the quick check at what's my guitar worth.
How to sell your Country Western to Edgewater
Edgewater bought a Gibson Country Western in late September 2026, and it has since sold. Send photos of the front and back, the shoulders, the headstock, the bridge and saddle from the side, the pickguard, and the serial number and label inside the soundhole. Tell us about any pickup install, crack repair or neck reset up front. We ask anyway, and it saves a round of emails.
A customer review from Matt Clark: "Gavin was super helpful and fast in getting me a real world estimate for my vintage Gibson. I recommend using Edgewater."
Start a free estimate or see our sell your Gibson page. We buy nationwide, cover shipping and pay the same day the guitar arrives and checks out. Local in-person closes in Ohio are preferred. Call or text (440) 219-3607 or text us photos.
Frequently asked questions
What years did Gibson make the Country Western?
Most references date it from 1956 to 1978. A few dealers call a handful of guitars 1955. It was the natural-finish version of the Southern Jumbo and was discontinued in 1978 along with the original run of that model.
What is the difference between a Country Western and an SJN?
They are the same guitar. SJN stands for Southern Jumbo Natural. The name on the label read "Country Western" at first and "SJN Country Western" from 1962, and sources differ on exactly when the SJN name began.
Is a round-shouldered Country Western worth more than a square-shouldered one?
Yes, on the listings we found. Round-shouldered guitars from 1955 to 1961 listed at about $6,500 to $9,000, while square-shouldered guitars from 1962 on mostly listed between about $1,200 and $5,000. Condition and repairs account for much of the gap inside that range.
How do I tell if my Country Western has its original bridge?
Look at the bridge shape, the saddle and the surrounding top. A 1962 to 1968 guitar should have a rosewood bridge with an adjustable saddle. Since 1969 the bridge shape changed to a "belly down" style. A different bridge shape, a plastic-looking replacement or glue lines around the base all suggest a replacement. Send us a close photo from above and from the side.
Does a neck reset or a repaired crack ruin the value?
No, but each one lowers it. A 1960 with a neck reset still listed at $7,000, and a 1968 with large repaired cracks listed at $1,199, so the year and the type of repair both matter. Refinish and pickup installs hurt more than a clean reset or a cleated crack.
How do I get an offer on my Country Western?
Send photos through the free estimate form linked above, or call or text (440) 219-3607. Include the serial number and tell us about any repairs, pickups or refinish.
By Stephen Pedone, co-owner of Edgewater Guitars. Last updated: October 2026.
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