Gibson L-C Century of Progress Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1939), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # EG-4383, sunburst lacquer finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with pearloid fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is a beautiful and very late example of one of Gibson's most distinctive small-body flat top guitars, the L-C "Century of Progress", with an interesting provenance to boot. This model also qualifies as one of Gibson's most unusual acoustic guitar designs, as well as one of the most visually striking flattop guitars of any era. Built with a 14 3/4" curly maple body topped out by flashy pearloid ornamentation on the neck, the Century is visually somewhat reminiscent of a 1920's tenor banjo, and a distinctive sounding guitar in its own right. The maple back and sides give the L-C a crisp powerful sound perfectly suited to fingerpicking and ragtime, while when played with a pick the guitar is both loud and bright enough to play rhythm in a small dance combo.
The body is single bound top and back, with golden sunburst on all surfaces. The softly V-shaped mahogany neck is also subtly sunbursted. Tuners are individual plastic-button Kluson openbacks, the pearloid fingerboard is bound in black and white ivoroid. Pearl diamonds are set in rosewood blocks in the celluloid fingerboard creating a dramatic three color visual scheme for the neck which nicely offsets the dark sunburst top. The soundhole ring is 3-ply, the pickguard is Gibson's striking pre-war firestripe tortoise celluloid. This guitar lacks the pearloid-covered headstock used on earlier production Century models, and instead sports a pearl Gibson logo above an elongated diamond, a leftover veneer design from the discontinued L-75.
This very late example of the Century is from the end of the production run and shows a larger sunburst area on the top typical of the late '30's. The model had been originally introduced for the "Century of Progress" exhibition in Chicago in 1933, and was only made up until 1939-48 shipped out that year, with a few stragglers in 1940. When new the L-C saw use with a number of Hillbilly and Radio Cowboy acts of the 1930's, including the Girls of the Golden West and Mainer's Mountaineers. This particular guitar was a personal instrument of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, and comes with a certificate attesting to that, some Wilco picks and a label from the band's touring company. Recently the band let some instruments go, and we were thrilled to grab this one as the Century is one of our all-time favorite Gibsons. For any era or style of play this is a totally distinctive guitar, both visually and sonically.
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 5/8 in. (37.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 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 guitar is in delightfully original condition, even down to small and usually lost details like the saddle, bridgepins and endpin. There is some pickwear to the top (mostly near the soundhole) and slight edgewear to the fingerboard but the rest of the finish is very clean for a pre-WWII guitar with only small dings and dents. Remarkable there is only one crack repair; this is on the lower bass bout area of the back where the nominally one-piece maple back had a seam that has been neatly resealed. This guitar also plays extremely well, with an original bridge that may have been lowered just a touch and excellent neck angle. One of the nicest Century Models we have had, obviously coming from a very good home and ready to go back out into the world. Includes a newer HSC with the wilco inventory tag on the base. Excellent - Condition.
