Gibson L-00 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1933)
1
/
of
12
Couldn't load pickup availability
Item #11125
Gibson L-00 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1933), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 488 (FON), black lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is a very well-preserved example of a rare and early version of the 14-fret L-00, Gibson's most popular Depression era flat top. While the L-00 stood at the bottom of the company's guitar line when new, it was still a very well-designed guitar and offered great value in sound. The FON code on the neck block indicates this example was built in early 1933 when the list price was down to a rock-bottom $25.00, without the case. This was the worst period of the depression and even Gibson needed to make guitars as affordable as possible.
The finish is black lacquer overall, with single-ply white celluloid binding around the top and a three-ply sound hole ring. The pickguard is also white celluloid, giving a nice "tuxedo" effect lending a classy look to this budget guitar. The fairly slim "V" profile neck has a more rounded spine than some and an unusual feature; it is built with a raised cantilevered fingerboard like an arch-top guitar. Gibson did this only very briefly in this period, for reasons lost to history. Some players feel this adds a slightly different sonic character, though it's hard to quantify.
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 just a honey; great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh.
The neck is fitted with an unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face and unplated brass strip tuners. The original small rectangular rosewood bridge does not have the reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps added later. The bracing is a very light and slim "X" pattern giving this featherweight guitar an extremely lively sound. These 1933-era black L-00's with the raised fingerboard are much rarer than the standard sunburst examples, and some connoisseurs seek them out for both their visual and sonic appeal. This is a superb example, very clean, structurally excellent and a very fine player. Many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops have been heavily used and often amateurishly repaired while this one has sailed through eight decades still intact and singing.
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.).
This is a nice and relatively clean example of this rare Gibson showing some fairly minor wear but still looking sharp. The original thin ebony finish has a some light typical checking and shows minor edge wear, dings, dents and scrapes over the instruments. There is only really notable wear down to the wood on the lower soundhole rim and a spot just behind the back pickguard edge that has been touched in somewhat.
The back has some scuffing and dinging but not too much belt buckle wear. There is some wear-through to the wood on the lower back edge. The neck is quite clean, free of the common wear through and capo dinks, with just some very minor dings and dents. The headstock has just small chips and dings, the original strip tuners are still intact. In the distant past the tuner buttons painted white, probably to enhance the "tuxedo" effect. A previous owner added the initials "AJ" added to the truss rod cover, charmingly but somewhat amateurishly.
The guitar is completely crack free, which is somewhat miraculous for one of these lightly built guitars, especially now 90 years on. The top is in fine shape, with some gentle arching but not the heavier bulge distortion these often suffer. The neck been neatly reset, the original bridge looks to have been cleanly reglued lowered a bit a long time back; it has a new bone saddle. The ebony nut is original. Internally the very delicate braces are intact, the original maple bridge plate has had a slim maple cap added over the pin holes for reinforcement.
This guitar has had a super neat and period correct refret with little subsequent play wear. The action is very comfortable and this is a fine playing instrument, very responsive with a powerful singing tone. Overall a charming example of this rare and especially cool L-00 variation. It includes a modern HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
View full details
This is a very well-preserved example of a rare and early version of the 14-fret L-00, Gibson's most popular Depression era flat top. While the L-00 stood at the bottom of the company's guitar line when new, it was still a very well-designed guitar and offered great value in sound. The FON code on the neck block indicates this example was built in early 1933 when the list price was down to a rock-bottom $25.00, without the case. This was the worst period of the depression and even Gibson needed to make guitars as affordable as possible.
The finish is black lacquer overall, with single-ply white celluloid binding around the top and a three-ply sound hole ring. The pickguard is also white celluloid, giving a nice "tuxedo" effect lending a classy look to this budget guitar. The fairly slim "V" profile neck has a more rounded spine than some and an unusual feature; it is built with a raised cantilevered fingerboard like an arch-top guitar. Gibson did this only very briefly in this period, for reasons lost to history. Some players feel this adds a slightly different sonic character, though it's hard to quantify.
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 just a honey; great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh.
The neck is fitted with an unbound, dot inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face and unplated brass strip tuners. The original small rectangular rosewood bridge does not have the reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps added later. The bracing is a very light and slim "X" pattern giving this featherweight guitar an extremely lively sound. These 1933-era black L-00's with the raised fingerboard are much rarer than the standard sunburst examples, and some connoisseurs seek them out for both their visual and sonic appeal. This is a superb example, very clean, structurally excellent and a very fine player. Many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops have been heavily used and often amateurishly repaired while this one has sailed through eight decades still intact and singing.
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.).
This is a nice and relatively clean example of this rare Gibson showing some fairly minor wear but still looking sharp. The original thin ebony finish has a some light typical checking and shows minor edge wear, dings, dents and scrapes over the instruments. There is only really notable wear down to the wood on the lower soundhole rim and a spot just behind the back pickguard edge that has been touched in somewhat.
The back has some scuffing and dinging but not too much belt buckle wear. There is some wear-through to the wood on the lower back edge. The neck is quite clean, free of the common wear through and capo dinks, with just some very minor dings and dents. The headstock has just small chips and dings, the original strip tuners are still intact. In the distant past the tuner buttons painted white, probably to enhance the "tuxedo" effect. A previous owner added the initials "AJ" added to the truss rod cover, charmingly but somewhat amateurishly.
The guitar is completely crack free, which is somewhat miraculous for one of these lightly built guitars, especially now 90 years on. The top is in fine shape, with some gentle arching but not the heavier bulge distortion these often suffer. The neck been neatly reset, the original bridge looks to have been cleanly reglued lowered a bit a long time back; it has a new bone saddle. The ebony nut is original. Internally the very delicate braces are intact, the original maple bridge plate has had a slim maple cap added over the pin holes for reinforcement.
This guitar has had a super neat and period correct refret with little subsequent play wear. The action is very comfortable and this is a fine playing instrument, very responsive with a powerful singing tone. Overall a charming example of this rare and especially cool L-00 variation. It includes a modern HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
