The perfect dream beater. Actually the best guitar I ever played was a 39 J 35 that makes this guitar look pampered. It was expertly put back together with some (1/3?) top replaced with wood from an old reclaimed Gibson, more cracks than this, and three or four foot long side cracks and as many back cracks. It also had a 5"x5" patch in the upper bout bass side, right there where you have to look at it. Ten years ago a decent 39 J 35 would have been $12-15K. This one was $7500 and remains the one I should have bought, though I'd never paid more than $2k before. I think about that guitar all the time.