Gibson L-0 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1941), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 425G-39, black lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This well worn "Tuxedo" finish Gibson L-0 is an 85 year old veteran guitar showing wear and tear but sounding fabulous. The sister L-0 and L-00 guitars were Gibson's most popular Depression-era flat tops, designed to be affordable to almost anyone. 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 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 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 late example was built in 1941, not long before the model was discontinued for the last time. It carries an ink-stamped Factory Order Number (FON) on the neckblock with a "G" suffix confirming the year.
The finish is solid black lacquer overall, the defining 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 ornamented with a white celluloid pickguard completing the cool "tuxedo" look; this is rare in this period, most have a tortoise celluloid guard. The neck has a fairly slim round profile, surprisingly modern feeling and very comfortable compared to the earlier "V" shape. This is topped with an unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face.
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 somewhat worn-in but nice playing example; in the words of the old Timex commercial it "took a likkin' and kept on tikkin".
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 with some evidence of heavy use but less than many. The original black lacquer finish shows some light typical checking and general wear with dings, scratches and scrapes; most heavily the back of the neck is worn down to the wood over much of its length, with a few tiny dings. Both sides of the soundhole rim are worn down to the wood with some touchup on the treble side edge with pick marks to the top mostly above and behind the soundhole and above the fingerboard extension.
There is one small well-sealed grain split to the spruce top near the edge of the lower treble bout in a deep scrape; no cleats were added under the top but there is some topical touchup. The back several grain cracks of varying lengths, all sealed and most cleated, with some minimal touchup. The top side/rim on the lower bass bout has a multiple split from an old impact well sealed and a smaller split sealed up on the upper bass bout, the black finish tends to make these repairs relatively inconspicuous.
The rosewood bridge is a repro with some noticeable touch-up just along the edges and a fairly high bone saddle. Internally the thin maple bridge plate and all the very light bracing remain intact, there is evidence of old brace regluing with a small patch added to the center of the bridgeplate. A 3-point K&K pickup was added under the bridgeplate, wired not to the expected endpin jack but a standard jack mounted below it in the lower side.
The neck was neck re-set and refretted with the correct style wire; there is some noticeable divoting to the fingerboard in the lower positions. The original ebony nut is intact. The white Gibson logo on the headstock face is still nicely legible; The tuners are modern repros of the Kluson strips Gibson used in the 1950s. There was a strap button added and removed from the heel, with touch-up to the finish. This is an excellent playing guitar, featherweight with a chunky, more-powerful-than-some sound. We always love these "Basic Black" Gibsons and this one has a great sound and a cool vibe. It is housed in a later HSC. Overall Very Good Condition.
