Gibson Black Special #4 Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1937)
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Item # 7841
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Gibson Black Special #4 Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1937), Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Gibson issued a number of fretted oddities in the 1930s, but the "Black Special" arch-top guitars like this one are still largely unexplained. There are a number of shipment records for guitars designated as such, but no catalog information appears to have been published and the whys and wherefores are lost. This guitar is basically a 16" L-50 devoid of its sunburst finish and trim, finished in gleaming black overall with white single binding and a silkscreened logo. The top is carved, the back flatm and the guitar is all solid wood; the hardware is the same as the full-line Gibsons.
The neck is the "V" profile typical of 1930s Gibson lower-end guitars. The opaque finish likely allowed Gibson to use up whatever cosmetically flawed wood they had and then sell these "Specials" to dealers at a very low cost, still a major advantage in the late Depression period. Whatever its origins, this is a fine-playing and sounding guitar, better than many other period instruments and a very good quality pre-war carved top despite its "black sheep" trim.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is a very nice original guitar, with some light wear but no serious finish loss, damage, or repair. It also plays and sounds very well; a fine example of what Gibson could offer in the pre-WWII era in a budget carved-top guitar. Includes a slightly later period (1940s) HSC with some hinge and latch issues. Excellent - Condition.
Gibson issued a number of fretted oddities in the 1930s, but the "Black Special" arch-top guitars like this one are still largely unexplained. There are a number of shipment records for guitars designated as such, but no catalog information appears to have been published and the whys and wherefores are lost. This guitar is basically a 16" L-50 devoid of its sunburst finish and trim, finished in gleaming black overall with white single binding and a silkscreened logo. The top is carved, the back flatm and the guitar is all solid wood; the hardware is the same as the full-line Gibsons.
The neck is the "V" profile typical of 1930s Gibson lower-end guitars. The opaque finish likely allowed Gibson to use up whatever cosmetically flawed wood they had and then sell these "Specials" to dealers at a very low cost, still a major advantage in the late Depression period. Whatever its origins, this is a fine-playing and sounding guitar, better than many other period instruments and a very good quality pre-war carved top despite its "black sheep" trim.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is a very nice original guitar, with some light wear but no serious finish loss, damage, or repair. It also plays and sounds very well; a fine example of what Gibson could offer in the pre-WWII era in a budget carved-top guitar. Includes a slightly later period (1940s) HSC with some hinge and latch issues. Excellent - Condition.