Part 2: “Bob Dylan: The Fate of the J-50”
Introduction
Hello. I’m Inoue, the store manager at Advance Guitars.
Lately, I’ve had more opportunities to write articles for music magazines.
As I’ve written more and more, I’ve gradually accumulated a list of topics I’d like to explore in greater depth—things I couldn’t fully cover in my articles.
Also, as I interact with customers every day and observe guitars themselves,
I often find myself pausing to wonder, “How does this actually work?”
Is there a way I can talk about the questions and insights I have in those moments in a more free-form way?
That’s how I started my “Solo Talk Series” on YouTube.
In this series, I cover a wide range of topics related to acoustic guitars, focusing primarily on things I personally find “interesting.”
In this article, I’ve summarized the series while adding details that are hard to convey through video alone.
I hope you’ll enjoy exploring the world of acoustic guitars from a slightly new perspective.
Part 2: “Bob Dylan’s J-50: Where Did It Go?”
Where Did Bob Dylan’s J-50 Disappear To? We Unravel the Mystery Through Testimonies from Those Involved
In this installment, I’d like to talk about Bob Dylan’s J-50.
It’s a legendary instrument among legendary instruments.
I think Bob Dylan is the first name that comes to mind when thinking of “iconic musicians who used the J-50.”
In some cases, he’s even cited as the representative musician for the J-45—specifically the natural finish version.
The J-50 he used.
Its features include:
・Script logo
・Rectangular bridge
・Long saddle
・3-ply body cell binding
・Post-war Kluson octagonal tuners Open-back design (presumed)
That’s the gist of it.
Given the combination of the script logo and rectangular bridge, the year of manufacture is narrowed down to 1946–1947.
1947 was a transitional period when the Script and Modern logos coexisted, but whether due to Dylan’s influence or the originally low production numbers, these models are rarely seen.
That said, 1946 models aren’t particularly common either.
However, if I had to choose between the two, I’d have to say it’s highly likely this is a 1946 model, which predates the transitional period.
People often ask, “Where did this J-50 go?” I’ve researched this as thoroughly as possible.
Here’s the source I referred to:
“BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day ※1”
※1 A book by Peter McKenzie, the son of Eve and Mac McKenzie, who owned the apartment Bob Dylan frequently visited starting around 1961
“A Freewheelin’ Time *2”
*2 An autobiography by Suze Rotolo, who was Bob Dylan’s girlfriend.
She is the woman pictured on the cover of the *Freewheelin’* album.
Unfortunately, no firsthand information has surfaced.
Therefore, we have no choice but to rely on the writings—essentially memoirs and recollections—of people who were close to him at the time.
In *BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day* ※1, Peter McKenzie notes that Bob Dylan’s J-50 was owned by his former girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, in 1964, and that Suze Rotolo later stated it was “stolen from her apartment in New York.”
Suzi Rotolo’s own account of this can be found in her autobiography, *A Freewheelin’ Time* ※2.
It is sometimes said that Bob Dylan’s J-50 was destroyed in a fire; first, regarding why it is said to have been destroyed, it appears that a fire did indeed occur.
A fire broke out at her apartment in October 1965, and the circumstances at the time are described as follows:
“Bob’s old Gibson guitar was nowhere to be found. The green coat that I had bought in Italy and was wearing on the *Freewheelin’* album cover was somewhere in the pile of black, stinking clothing in the bedroom.”
While the coat she wore on the *Freewheelin’* album cover was charred black, the text states that Bob’s Gibson guitar was “nowhere to be found.”
(Bob’s old Gibson guitar was nowhere to be found.)
Based on his guitar’s history and Peter Mackenzie’s account, it’s safe to say that the Gibson guitar she owned at that time was undoubtedly a J-50.
So, “Why does Suze Rotolo believe Bob’s J-50 was stolen?”
The reason becomes clear when you read her autobiography.
She had met an eccentric actor around that time and had given him a key to her apartment; she harbored suspicions about the fire that occurred later, wondering, “Although the cause is said to be faulty wiring—a common issue in old buildings—perhaps he was involved.”
Since the J-50 was not found after the fire, she speculates that the actor might have taken it.
Of course, this remains purely speculation on her part, and there is no way to confirm whether the guitar was destroyed in the fire, stolen, or is still somewhere else for some other reason.
Finally, the punchline to this story is that Bob Dylan himself probably doesn’t care about any of this at all. Once he used it as a tool and gave it to his girlfriend, he likely didn’t care what happened to it afterward. That, at least, is what I imagine his attitude to be.
Author: Inoue, Manager of Advance Guitars – Vintage Guitar Expert
An expert who has been playing instruments since childhood and is involved in the appraisal and sale of over several thousand vintage guitars. He maintains strong connections with collectors and dealers overseas. Guided by the belief that “the history of a guitar can change based on a single color or stamp,” he strives to provide detailed and passionate commentary.
Qualifications and Achievements: 8 years as a musical instrument appraiser; contributor and supervising editor for Guitar Magazine and other publications
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