Gibson L-4 Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1934)
1
/
of
4
Couldn't load pickup availability
Item #6936
Gibson L-4 Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1934), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black - red line hard shell case.
This lovely L-4 dates to the early 1930's, a transitional time for the model as it evolved from its original 1910's oval hole format to the "modern" F-hole form it would eventually take. This is a 16" archtop with a carved top and back, single bound, with a bound dot-inlaid fingerboard and pearl Gibson headstock logo. Around this time the L-4, which had at one point been the second in line Gibson guitar (below the L-5) at $150 was downpriced to a $100 midline instrument, with the new F-hole L-7 taking its old place. The roundhole archtop is generally perceived as a bit of a hybrid instrument, with a sound that has some of the character of both flattop and archtop guitars. This is a very good sounding and playing L-4, with a surprising amount of power and a well-modulated tone.
Overall length is 40 1/4 in. (102.2 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 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.). Very nice overall; there is some general wear and tear but no major damage or repair. The guitar is all original except the pickguard is missing and one of the original riveted Grover tuning pegs was replaced at some point with a 1940's Kluson. The most notable wear is a spot on either side of the neck around the 11th fret, where there is some wood worn away a bit up to the binding; it's a strange way for a neck to be worn into and we suspect the guitar sat in a non-padded stand for some years, or something similar. This is not too distracting when played, but can be clearly felt. The rest of then neck finish up to about the fifth fret shows some more typical wear to the back and treble side, down to the wood from play.
Overall the rest of the finish is pretty clean; there are small dings and pick scratches to the top and some wear to the headstock edges. Structurally this guitar is in very fine shape with an excellent neck angle and no top sag. There is a very small (less than 1/2") crack from the back,side joint into the treble side by the neck heel, solidly repaired but visible with no overfinish. There is some wear to the original frets but nothing that impedes playability. The guitar sounds wonderful and is simply the loudest of these L-4's we have ever had, complete with a nice OHSC. Excellent - Condition.
View full details
This lovely L-4 dates to the early 1930's, a transitional time for the model as it evolved from its original 1910's oval hole format to the "modern" F-hole form it would eventually take. This is a 16" archtop with a carved top and back, single bound, with a bound dot-inlaid fingerboard and pearl Gibson headstock logo. Around this time the L-4, which had at one point been the second in line Gibson guitar (below the L-5) at $150 was downpriced to a $100 midline instrument, with the new F-hole L-7 taking its old place. The roundhole archtop is generally perceived as a bit of a hybrid instrument, with a sound that has some of the character of both flattop and archtop guitars. This is a very good sounding and playing L-4, with a surprising amount of power and a well-modulated tone.
Overall length is 40 1/4 in. (102.2 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 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.). Very nice overall; there is some general wear and tear but no major damage or repair. The guitar is all original except the pickguard is missing and one of the original riveted Grover tuning pegs was replaced at some point with a 1940's Kluson. The most notable wear is a spot on either side of the neck around the 11th fret, where there is some wood worn away a bit up to the binding; it's a strange way for a neck to be worn into and we suspect the guitar sat in a non-padded stand for some years, or something similar. This is not too distracting when played, but can be clearly felt. The rest of then neck finish up to about the fifth fret shows some more typical wear to the back and treble side, down to the wood from play.
Overall the rest of the finish is pretty clean; there are small dings and pick scratches to the top and some wear to the headstock edges. Structurally this guitar is in very fine shape with an excellent neck angle and no top sag. There is a very small (less than 1/2") crack from the back,side joint into the treble side by the neck heel, solidly repaired but visible with no overfinish. There is some wear to the original frets but nothing that impedes playability. The guitar sounds wonderful and is simply the loudest of these L-4's we have ever had, complete with a nice OHSC. Excellent - Condition.
