Gibson L-3 Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1925), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 78566, red sunburst varnish finish, birch back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a lightly worn in but nice playing example of Gibson's original 1910-20s small-body archtops, the L-3. It was built in early 1925, just as the "Loar Era" was ending at Gibson. This L-3 was an older design, the company's mid-line archtop guitar and the fanciest model built on the small 13 3/4" carved-top chassis. It was priced at $100; well under the 16" $150.00 L-4 but in the mid-1920's that was still a lot of money for a guitar; a pearl trimmed, Brazilian rosewood Martin 00-42 could be had for just $10 more!
The L-3 features a daintier rounded bout body than its higher priced Gibson siblings but is a fairly showy guitar nonetheless. The single-bound top is finished in a rich dark red sunburst, the single multiply inlaid sound hole ring has a herringbone center layer. The L-3 carries the same basic set of then-new hardware as the larger L-4 with an adjustable ebony bridge, "wrap-under" trapeze tailpiece and raised celluloid pickguard. Another noticeable difference from the L-4 is a smaller round sound hole instead of a wide oval.
As "Master Loar" went around the factory many instruments beyond the Master Models benefitted from his sometimes pedantic presence; the carved spruce top on this '25 is a bit more thinly worked giving it a bigger, more open sound than most earlier examples. The neck has the brand-new adjustable truss rod with a slimmer, more smoothed out "V" profile than used before and the Loar-designed "snakehead" headstock used only in this period. The logo reads only "Gibson" not "The Gibson" likely as there was simply not enough space on the face for the larger inlay! Never a common model, as the '20s went on the L-3 become pretty much forgotten and would finally be phased out as the Depression hit.
This is a fairly rare instrument; in 1925 Gibson switched to producing primarily banjos at the expense of mandolins and guitars, a trend which would reverse itself after 1930 but too late to save the L-3. These smaller-bodied, round hole, carved-top guitars have a bright and barky sound with plenty of volume; this Loar-era L-3 is somewhat more open and richer toned than some we have had and sounds closer to a "normal" guitar! This diminutive round bout archtop may seem an eccentric design today but remains a charming reminder of the Gibson company's earlier periods, before the 1930s changed everything.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1/4 in. (616 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This guitar shows some general wear but remains original and , for one of these a very nice player. The original finish has some fade to the deep red sunburst top but maintains a nice rich appearance. There are mostly minor dings, dents and scrapes overall, with a couple of heavier "Cade lid bites" to the top. The finish is only lightly worn on the back of the neck.
The top has a repaired grain split off the each outer edge below the fingerboard extension, well sealed but visible. A grain split to the top just above the center seam has been sealed, solidly but visibly. The back has one long repaired grain split below the center seam line running all the way from the back edge to the front edge, again solidly but visibly sealed with no added finish. A very small split on the rim just below the tailpiece has been similarly repaired.
The original pickguard must have rotted out long ago; there is a small patched hole in the top where another was fitted and the patch of fingerboard binding in that area has been replaced. There is no pickguard currently fitted. The lovely engraved-plate Waverly tuners are the originals, as are the adjustable ebony bridge and string-over tailpiece. The bridge saddle has been re-worked a bit and the "Turn-over" Hawaiian section originally on the underside was removed.
The older style wire frets appear original, or the guitar was last refretted long ago; these have been crowned down; they are low but still playable. A chip in the fingerboard was repaired long ago below the second fret. While not the cleanest of these we have had this is good playing and sounding Loar-era small-body Gibson archtop, complete with the worn-but-solid OHSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.
