{"product_id":"gibson-lg-2-banner-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1943-4-10920","title":"Gibson LG-2 Banner Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1943-4)","description":"Gibson LG-2 Banner Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1943-4), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 2673-1, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany body; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a nice example of the celebrated \"Banner\" Gibson LG-2's built during WWII, so-called for the headstock decal reading \"Only A Gibson is Good Enough\". These are not only usually very fine instruments but a distinct part of Gibson history, primarily made by the \"Kalamazoo Gals\", Gibson's mostly female work force of the wartime period. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe long-lived \"LG\" series of small-bodied Gibson flattops replaced the earlier L-00 style instruments during the war, although production of both styles seems to overlap a bit. The main difference is the LG's wider-waisted but slightly smaller body, more like a classical guitar in shape. The LG-2 was the middle model of an eventual three-instrument line with the externally identical but ladder-braced LG-1 below it and the natural-finish LG-3 above.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Gibson Factory Order Number (FON) 2673-1 on the heelblock identifies this guitar as a 1943 or 1944 model, based on recent research. In this Wartime period specifications of individual Gibson flat tops vary greatly, dictated by both production restrictions in place at the time and the limited materials available. This particular guitar has a sunburst-finished mahogany top as well as mahogany back, sides and neck. This is typical of the mid-war period, when Gibson ran short of spruce (which was heavily used in the aircraft industry) and substituted mahogany on a somewhat random basis. The decoration is plain with a single bound top and back and simple 3-ply soundhole rosette. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe neck DOES mount the standard adjustable truss rod, often deleted on these as metal was severely rationed. The neck has a deep profile with just a hint of a soft \"V\" spine, somewhat unusual and not as bulky as some of these wartime guitars. Possibly the blank was slimmed just a bit as it was getting an adjustable rod. The headstock bears the gold script Gibson logo over the \"Only a Gibson is Good Enough\" banner decal. The tuners are slim flat-plate Klusons with riveted gears specific to this period, designed to use a minimum of metal. This guitar also has the square poplar neck block in use at the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This is a great playing, wonderful sounding instrument that has some wear and repair but survived nearly 80 years in fine playing condition. Each of these Gibsons has a unique character, dictated but what was available during the difficult years when they were built. This one has a powerful if slightly tighter-than-some sound thanks to the mahogany top, and is a more friendly player than many with its slightly less bulky neck.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 39 5\/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 14 1\/8 in. (35.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 3\/8 in. (11.1 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.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis guitar shows some general wear and repair but for its age remains relatively clean and original overall, with some carefully completed repairs. The finish has light checking mostly on the top and some dings, dents and scrapes overall, the deepest a couple of scratches to the top hear the upper waist and deep dings on the lower rim. There is some wear to the wood on the lower lip of the soundhole, and the very forward tip of the pickguard is broken off. The back has some light cord burn and a rather inexplicable refinished spot about the size of a silver dollar near the upper waist with no commensurate damage or indication of why this was done. The back of the neck has some noticeable capo dings, but none are very deep. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe top shows several repaired cracks. There is a small grain split running under the bridge between the A and D strings, visible on either side. Another runs forward from the bridge under the B string. The area between the soundhole and fingerboard end shows three neatly sealed grain splits, evenly spaced on either side of the board and in the center. All these are neatly and solidly sealed with no added finish. The back is crack-free, there is one small bash on the lower side below the neck heel, again solidly sealed without any finish added. The top edge of the headstock has a repaired chip above the D string tuner. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe rosewood bridge looks like a repro, with some scarring around it where the old one lifted off. The small maple bridge plate appears original; the original bolt holes can still be seen in it, but the bolts are long gone. Internally the guitar has a decent amount of glue splashed about, a lot of which looks factory. The tone bar brace behind the bridge has a crack in the base solidly repaired, with some visible glue spill-out. The top has some arching (common especially on mahogany top models0 but is very solid. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe saddle and nut are newer, the neck has been reset and refretted with period appropriate wire. The fingerboard was trued but some old divoting is still evident in the first position. Despite (or really because of) the foregoing repair catalog this is a really nice sounding example of Gibson's smaller WWII-era flat-top model, a very comfortable player with a just-a-bit slimmer truss-rodded neck that seems friendlier than many. It resides in a newer HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.","brand":"Gibson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853462818956,"sku":"10920","price":7250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_62f27298-fe69-4f05-b82c-4c3c75fff679.jpg?v=1774339067","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/gibson-lg-2-banner-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1943-4-10920","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}