Gibson L-00 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1936)
1
/
of
14
Couldn't load pickup availability
Item #13894
Gibson L-00 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1936), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, black lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is a particularly cool looking black-finished mid-1930s L-00, a fairly rare variant of this perennial favorite design. The L-0/L-00 family were Gibson's most popular Depression era flat top in the 1930's and are still favorites today. While these models stood at the bottom of the company's guitar line in the 1930s, they are very well-designed instruments and still offer great value in sound. This example was built in 1936 (when the list price was $27.50, without the case) and while it shows some wear and repair it still survives in nicely playable condition.
The overall black finish is a less common feature on mid-1930s L-series guitars. Try as we may we cannot discern the Factory Order Number on this guitar's neck block, but we CAN tell you it was #35 in the batch! This guitar is identical to another we had recently that dated to 1936, recorded as part of a large triple batch of L-00s late in the year. Technically the 1936 L-00 was only offered in sunburst, but black ones do exist. The next year Gibson's catalog revived the L-0 designation for a black-finished version *without* back binding, offered at only $25. So, technically is this an early example of the "new" L-0, but with a bound back? Perhaps! The later 1930s L-0 DID gain back binding, but by that point had a different neck profile from the shallow "V" on this guitar, plus pearl dots on the bridge. Sometimes it seems like in this period even Gibson themselves were not exactly sure of what they were making and selling!
At any rate this guitar's trim is fairly plain, but it nicely sets off the ebony look. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around the top and back edges, the ebony finished top carries a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard and a three-ply sound hole ring. The back and sides are also finished in black as is the fairly slim "V" profile neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face and simple strip tuners. The original rosewood bridge does not have the reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps.
Whatever its official designation 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 is a great sounding one suitable for both finger- and flat-picking styles with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh. Many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops have been heavily used and often amateurishly repaired; this one has some work done but still looks and sounds very nice.
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 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This ebony-finished L-00 shows some mostly older repair work but remains not only cool to look at but a pleasure to play. The original black lacquer finish overall shows some light typical checking and general play wear but no large areas of loss; the top has a few deeper scrapes and dinks. There are dings, dents and scrapes overall, the top has light pick wear as usual to the lower lip of the soundhole rim, but less than many. The back of the neck has minor wear to the wood in the lower positions and some very small feelable small dings along the spine.
There is a notable spruce grain split repair to the top behind the bridge, running from behind the A string through to the back edge. This is fully sealed and cleated with a full-length strip beneath and only very minor touch up on the top. There are a couple of smaller splits in the area behind the bridge, also neatly sealed up but visible. The top center seam has been resealed at the back end as well. There are three neat grain splits off the bottom edge of the fingerboard extension, only the center seam one appears visible from the inside.
The original rosewood bridge was lowered slightly and reglued; the saddle was also lowered, the ebony nut appears original. Internally the original small maple bridgeplate shows some wear to the pin holes and glue residue along the front edge. Despite the crack repairs the top is in very solid shape with only light arching behind the bridge. The guitar currently sports openback Kluson-style reissue machines installed with no enlargement of the holes.
The neck does not appear to have been reset, or if so it was a very neat job. The original small-wire frets have been crowned down a bit in the lower positions and there is light wear to the fingerboard but nothing that affects playability. The action is very comfortable and this is a fine playing and sounding instrument, an example of the L-00 at its most dramatic looking with its ebony-and-firestripe look. It resides in a 1970s era Japanese HSC, functional if not an exact fit. Overall Very Good + Condition.
View full details
This is a particularly cool looking black-finished mid-1930s L-00, a fairly rare variant of this perennial favorite design. The L-0/L-00 family were Gibson's most popular Depression era flat top in the 1930's and are still favorites today. While these models stood at the bottom of the company's guitar line in the 1930s, they are very well-designed instruments and still offer great value in sound. This example was built in 1936 (when the list price was $27.50, without the case) and while it shows some wear and repair it still survives in nicely playable condition.
The overall black finish is a less common feature on mid-1930s L-series guitars. Try as we may we cannot discern the Factory Order Number on this guitar's neck block, but we CAN tell you it was #35 in the batch! This guitar is identical to another we had recently that dated to 1936, recorded as part of a large triple batch of L-00s late in the year. Technically the 1936 L-00 was only offered in sunburst, but black ones do exist. The next year Gibson's catalog revived the L-0 designation for a black-finished version *without* back binding, offered at only $25. So, technically is this an early example of the "new" L-0, but with a bound back? Perhaps! The later 1930s L-0 DID gain back binding, but by that point had a different neck profile from the shallow "V" on this guitar, plus pearl dots on the bridge. Sometimes it seems like in this period even Gibson themselves were not exactly sure of what they were making and selling!
At any rate this guitar's trim is fairly plain, but it nicely sets off the ebony look. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around the top and back edges, the ebony finished top carries a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard and a three-ply sound hole ring. The back and sides are also finished in black as is the fairly slim "V" profile neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face and simple strip tuners. The original rosewood bridge does not have the reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps.
Whatever its official designation 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 is a great sounding one suitable for both finger- and flat-picking styles with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh. Many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops have been heavily used and often amateurishly repaired; this one has some work done but still looks and sounds very nice.
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 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This ebony-finished L-00 shows some mostly older repair work but remains not only cool to look at but a pleasure to play. The original black lacquer finish overall shows some light typical checking and general play wear but no large areas of loss; the top has a few deeper scrapes and dinks. There are dings, dents and scrapes overall, the top has light pick wear as usual to the lower lip of the soundhole rim, but less than many. The back of the neck has minor wear to the wood in the lower positions and some very small feelable small dings along the spine.
There is a notable spruce grain split repair to the top behind the bridge, running from behind the A string through to the back edge. This is fully sealed and cleated with a full-length strip beneath and only very minor touch up on the top. There are a couple of smaller splits in the area behind the bridge, also neatly sealed up but visible. The top center seam has been resealed at the back end as well. There are three neat grain splits off the bottom edge of the fingerboard extension, only the center seam one appears visible from the inside.
The original rosewood bridge was lowered slightly and reglued; the saddle was also lowered, the ebony nut appears original. Internally the original small maple bridgeplate shows some wear to the pin holes and glue residue along the front edge. Despite the crack repairs the top is in very solid shape with only light arching behind the bridge. The guitar currently sports openback Kluson-style reissue machines installed with no enlargement of the holes.
The neck does not appear to have been reset, or if so it was a very neat job. The original small-wire frets have been crowned down a bit in the lower positions and there is light wear to the fingerboard but nothing that affects playability. The action is very comfortable and this is a fine playing and sounding instrument, an example of the L-00 at its most dramatic looking with its ebony-and-firestripe look. It resides in a 1970s era Japanese HSC, functional if not an exact fit. Overall Very Good + Condition.
