Gibson L-0 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1939), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # EG-4378, black lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
The L-0 and L-00 sister guitars have maintained a place as Gibson's most popular Depression-era flat tops, then and now. These two sometimes nearly identical models are often confused with each other; Occasionally it seems even Gibson was not always sure which was which! The L-0 was originally introduced in 1926 but discontinued in the early 1930s in favor of the L-00, but the model name was revived later in the decade as this ebony-finished guitar. The L-0 was now ranked under the sunburst-top L-00 which, earlier in the decade, it had been ranked above. Welcome to the dizzying world of pre-war Gibson catalogs!
In 1937 the L-0 designation re-appeared at the bottom of the flat-top line at the rock-bottom price of $25 (plus case). "A Genuine Gibson at $25" trumpeted the catalog. It indeed offered a great value in sound and playability, essentially the same instrument as the now-$30 L-00 but with the more forgiving solid ebony finish overall. This example was built in 1939 and carries its die-stamped FON (factory order number) on the back of the headstock instead of inked on the neckblock, a quirk of this period.
The finish is solid black overall, the trademark of the 1937-42 L-0. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around both body edges and a simple 3-ply W/B/W soundhole ring. The top is also ornamented with a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard. The neck has a fairly slim "V" profile neck with an unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. Soon after this one was made the neck shape was changed to a slimmer, rounded profile; this guitar shows the evolution towards that with a slightly softer "V" than earlier models. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face. The original rosewood bridge does not have any reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps.
This model was a working-class standard of the day, a professional grade guitar at a price affordable to blues players, Hillbilly string bands, and many other itinerant musicians as well as Gibson's intended student customers. Each one of these guitars has its own character and this one is great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh. This is a worn-in but nice example; many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops have been heavily used and often amateurishly repaired while this one shows only some moderate wear and modest repair and remains its excellent player.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
While showing some wear and repair this 85+ year old L-0 remains largely original and has less evidence of heavy use than many. The largely original black lacquer finish shows typical broad checking and general wear with dings, checks and scrapes but no large areas of loss. The lower part of the soundhole rim is worn down to the wood, with more pick marks to the top above and behind the soundhole and above the fingerboard extension.
The back has some deeper scratches and what look like shallow areas of strap burn but no major buckle wear. The back of the neck was heavily worn down to the wood and at some point long ago given a clear lacquer overspray from the headstock base to the heel. This is now partially worn through again with feelable capo wear spots into the wood from the first to fifth fret area. There are several round dinks to the lower back of the headstock, probably from an old strap buckle. The white Gibson logo on the headstock face has some fade but is still legible.
There is one small well-sealed grain split to the spruce top from the treble side of the fingerboard to the soundhole rim; no cleats were added under the top there. The back has one long grain crack above the centerline; this is also neatly sealed up without cleating. The back side/rim area on the lower treble bout has a longer split sealed up long ago with some discreet overfinish; this is not conspicuous.
The bridge was re-attached some time back with light touch-up just along the edges. Internally the thin maple bridge plate and all the very light bracing remain original and unaltered. The neck was neck re-set recently and refretted with the correct style wire; there is some noticeable divoting to the fingerboard in the first position. The original ebony nut was shimmed slightly.
The tuners are modern repros of the period Kluson strips Gibson used at this time. There was never a strap button added. This is an excellent playing guitar, featherweight with a chunky, sweeter-than-some sound. We always love these "Basic Black" Gibsons and this one has a great vibe. It is housed in a later HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.
