This 1968 Gibson F-25 Folk Singer in a rare sunburst finish has been my primary tool of guitar expression for 28 years running, and it's been lovingly maintained all that time. The tone is a dry midrange across the board, with uniquely expressive and sustaining trebles. It trades some of the woolly, warm harmonic blend and snappy trebles some F-25s accrue with age, for enhanced volume, clarity, and note separation attained through some modifications. Overall, it's a very lively guitar that demonstrates the benefits of the 12-fret design. The wide neck is great for anyone used to playing a classical. It allows for bendier bends, legato lines with minimal to no dissipation of volume en route, even tapping. 

It shows some play and age wear—scuffs, nicks, crazing, buckle rash— but has been assessed as stable for 20 years running. Acquired in 1994, it was taken in 1998 to a repairman and archtop builder for a repair typical of aging '60s Gibson acoustics (bridge plate coming unglued). At that time, he took the liberty of "fixing Gibson's original design flaws", most notably by rebracing the X-brace on the top so it's now located in a more acoustically optimal location closer to the soundhole. He also refretted it with tall frets for clarity, and refinished the neck. The frets do show light wear now, too. In 2002 a soundhole to lower fretboard crack was patched and stabilized. It has had annual set-ups, and as of late 2022, was outfitted with a K&K pickup, and the saddle was recut for intonation (F-25s infamously featured a straight saddle like their classical guitar referent, with the expected results). The tuners are original, while the bridge may have been updated prior to my ownership. The pickguard decals were removed before my watch for a clean all-wood look to the front.

Price includes a custom-fit carbon fiber Hoffee case (valued around $1,350).

Sound sample: https://soundcloud.com/branyoner/ynsll8oftm58

Video introduction: https://vimeo.com/807265488