Gibson TG-Nick Lucas Special Flat Top Tenor Guitar (1932)
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Item #13859
Gibson TG-Nick Lucas Special Model Flat Top Tenor Guitar (1932), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 88228, sunburst lacquer finish, rosewood back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
Here's one for the books, and if you're writing the book on pre-war Gibson acoustics you'll definitely want to include it! This is one of the rarest Gibsons we have seen in a long time, a rosewood bodied Nick Lucas Special in 4-string tenor format. It was built in 1932 when the tenor guitar was just passing peak popularity, and has some odd features specific to this exact era, most notable the tailpiece/floating bridge construction Gibson experimented with briefly on flat tops, noted as an option in the 1932 catalog. The rosewood body on a Nick Lucas Special is also specific to this period; these two features often intersect. Guitar-slinging crooner Nick Lucas was the first popular artist to endorse a signature guitar, which was also Gibson's first artist model.
In this period Gibson made tenor guitars to stock (mostly inexpensive TG-0 and 00 flat tops) but catalogs note "Any regular Gibson six-string guitar can be made up in tenor or plectrum 4-string model, on special order at no extra cost". The most common such customs (really not common at all!) are L-7 archtops. In this case someone wanted Gibson's top-of-the-line flat top in 4-string tenor format, and were willing to pay a whopping $125 (plus case) for it! This guitar's serial number would indicate late 1931 shipment; the Factory Order Number "195" stamped on the heelblock is dated by Spann as early 1932. As the Lucas labels were unique to this model and pre-stamped, the sequences are not always exactly in synch with the rest of the line.
The guitar's official name is "The Nick Lucas Gibson Special"; this one has a hand-stamped "TG" prefix on the label designating it as a "Tenor Guitar". Gibson's top-of-the line flat top from the late 1920s well into the '30s, the Lucas signature model went through a continual evolution but always remained a deep bodied flat top with deluxe trim. This guitar represents the second major variation, introduced in 1929 with Gibson's then-new larger nearly 15" wide, less round-bottomed body. Over its lifespan Lucas models had mahogany and maple bodies as well; This guitar features nicely grained rosewood on the back and sides, oddly finished over in a deep brown lacquer. The delicately X-braced spruce top carries a beautiful Cremona brown sunburst finish similar to that found on early L-5s. Both top and back are triple bound, the soundhole edge is bound with a 3-ply celluloid ring.
This tenor is built with a 12 fret neck joint shared with earlier Lucas 6-strings; some had an unusual 13-fret design before evolving into a 14 fret configuration. The slim, round-backed 22 3/4" scale neck is mahogany with a side-bound rosewood fingerboard, carrying pearl dot inlay instead of the 6-string "Lucas" shaped pattern. There are more dots than usual with doubles at the 7th,12th and 17th fret positions and the fingerboard ends in a point, considered a deluxe feature. The smaller headstock is inlaid on the face with a pearl script "The Gibson" logo and a pearl fleur-de-lys, another Lucas trademark. It mounts "Grover Patent" banjo tuners.
The adjustable ebony floating bridge is the same as the 6-string version, notched only for 4 strings. The tailpiece is a concoction of a mandolin unit mounted on the trapeze base used for 6-string instruments. The pickguard is the standard celluloid elevated arch top format Gibson fitted to flat tops before adopting a glued-to-the-top design later in 1932.
Whoever ordered this special instrument looks to have not gotten a lot of use out of it, as there is only limited wear to indicate it was played over the decades. This is a smooth and powerful-sounding flat-top tenor with a surprisingly deep and resonant tone for a 4-string instrument, especially a flat top with an elevated bridge and trapeze tailpiece. While an obscure configuration for this venerated Gibson 6-string this "TG-Nick Lucas" is a superb rarity and one of the classiest 4-string guitars we have ever had.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 22 3/4 in. (578 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/8 in. (35 mm.).
This is a lovely all original guitar, showing some light wear but unaltered inside and out. The finish has light checking overall with small dings, dents and a few pick scrapes but no major wear. There are a couple of deeper dings and some light scuffing on the back, with a small area where it looks like the finish reacted with something left in the case; this is inconspicuous. The back of the neck has a bit of wear in the first position and a few small dings, as does the headstock.
The original round "TG Nick Lucas Gibson Special" portrait label under the soundhole is intact and quite well-preserved; Nick's enigmatic smile still peers out clearly. The neck appears to have been VERY neatly reset with some slight finish touchup around the heel, the long thin shape of which makes this a trickier job than some. The small-wire frets are original as is the bone nut, showing hardly any wear.
The eccentric tailpiece and adjustable ebony bridge remain original, the saddle may have been re-shaped just a bit. The only crack on the instrument is a tiny sealed split between the tip of the fingerboard and the soundhole rim. The very thin top has survived well with no major distortion, just the tiniest compression under the bridge. Internally the somewhat delicate bracing remains original as does the small maple bridge plate, in flat top configuration but never drilled for pin holes.
This is simply a splendid, exceptionally rare instrument, beautifully preserved for well over 90 years. This is the ONLY rosewood-body example we are aware of from just a handful of Lucas Tenor guitars known to exist, a really fine piece of Gibson history as well as a superb player's instrument, a 4-string dream come true. It lives in the lovely green-lined original HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
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Here's one for the books, and if you're writing the book on pre-war Gibson acoustics you'll definitely want to include it! This is one of the rarest Gibsons we have seen in a long time, a rosewood bodied Nick Lucas Special in 4-string tenor format. It was built in 1932 when the tenor guitar was just passing peak popularity, and has some odd features specific to this exact era, most notable the tailpiece/floating bridge construction Gibson experimented with briefly on flat tops, noted as an option in the 1932 catalog. The rosewood body on a Nick Lucas Special is also specific to this period; these two features often intersect. Guitar-slinging crooner Nick Lucas was the first popular artist to endorse a signature guitar, which was also Gibson's first artist model.
In this period Gibson made tenor guitars to stock (mostly inexpensive TG-0 and 00 flat tops) but catalogs note "Any regular Gibson six-string guitar can be made up in tenor or plectrum 4-string model, on special order at no extra cost". The most common such customs (really not common at all!) are L-7 archtops. In this case someone wanted Gibson's top-of-the-line flat top in 4-string tenor format, and were willing to pay a whopping $125 (plus case) for it! This guitar's serial number would indicate late 1931 shipment; the Factory Order Number "195" stamped on the heelblock is dated by Spann as early 1932. As the Lucas labels were unique to this model and pre-stamped, the sequences are not always exactly in synch with the rest of the line.
The guitar's official name is "The Nick Lucas Gibson Special"; this one has a hand-stamped "TG" prefix on the label designating it as a "Tenor Guitar". Gibson's top-of-the line flat top from the late 1920s well into the '30s, the Lucas signature model went through a continual evolution but always remained a deep bodied flat top with deluxe trim. This guitar represents the second major variation, introduced in 1929 with Gibson's then-new larger nearly 15" wide, less round-bottomed body. Over its lifespan Lucas models had mahogany and maple bodies as well; This guitar features nicely grained rosewood on the back and sides, oddly finished over in a deep brown lacquer. The delicately X-braced spruce top carries a beautiful Cremona brown sunburst finish similar to that found on early L-5s. Both top and back are triple bound, the soundhole edge is bound with a 3-ply celluloid ring.
This tenor is built with a 12 fret neck joint shared with earlier Lucas 6-strings; some had an unusual 13-fret design before evolving into a 14 fret configuration. The slim, round-backed 22 3/4" scale neck is mahogany with a side-bound rosewood fingerboard, carrying pearl dot inlay instead of the 6-string "Lucas" shaped pattern. There are more dots than usual with doubles at the 7th,12th and 17th fret positions and the fingerboard ends in a point, considered a deluxe feature. The smaller headstock is inlaid on the face with a pearl script "The Gibson" logo and a pearl fleur-de-lys, another Lucas trademark. It mounts "Grover Patent" banjo tuners.
The adjustable ebony floating bridge is the same as the 6-string version, notched only for 4 strings. The tailpiece is a concoction of a mandolin unit mounted on the trapeze base used for 6-string instruments. The pickguard is the standard celluloid elevated arch top format Gibson fitted to flat tops before adopting a glued-to-the-top design later in 1932.
Whoever ordered this special instrument looks to have not gotten a lot of use out of it, as there is only limited wear to indicate it was played over the decades. This is a smooth and powerful-sounding flat-top tenor with a surprisingly deep and resonant tone for a 4-string instrument, especially a flat top with an elevated bridge and trapeze tailpiece. While an obscure configuration for this venerated Gibson 6-string this "TG-Nick Lucas" is a superb rarity and one of the classiest 4-string guitars we have ever had.
Overall length is 37 3/4 in. (95.9 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 22 3/4 in. (578 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/8 in. (35 mm.).
This is a lovely all original guitar, showing some light wear but unaltered inside and out. The finish has light checking overall with small dings, dents and a few pick scrapes but no major wear. There are a couple of deeper dings and some light scuffing on the back, with a small area where it looks like the finish reacted with something left in the case; this is inconspicuous. The back of the neck has a bit of wear in the first position and a few small dings, as does the headstock.
The original round "TG Nick Lucas Gibson Special" portrait label under the soundhole is intact and quite well-preserved; Nick's enigmatic smile still peers out clearly. The neck appears to have been VERY neatly reset with some slight finish touchup around the heel, the long thin shape of which makes this a trickier job than some. The small-wire frets are original as is the bone nut, showing hardly any wear.
The eccentric tailpiece and adjustable ebony bridge remain original, the saddle may have been re-shaped just a bit. The only crack on the instrument is a tiny sealed split between the tip of the fingerboard and the soundhole rim. The very thin top has survived well with no major distortion, just the tiniest compression under the bridge. Internally the somewhat delicate bracing remains original as does the small maple bridge plate, in flat top configuration but never drilled for pin holes.
This is simply a splendid, exceptionally rare instrument, beautifully preserved for well over 90 years. This is the ONLY rosewood-body example we are aware of from just a handful of Lucas Tenor guitars known to exist, a really fine piece of Gibson history as well as a superb player's instrument, a 4-string dream come true. It lives in the lovely green-lined original HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
