Gibson HG-00 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1938)
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Item # 10575
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Gibson HG-00 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1938), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 757D-25 (FON), sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, original black chipboard case.
While originally designed for lap-style Hawaiian play, the fairly rare HG-00 makes a really dandy Spanish-style guitar. This interesting variation on the normal Gibson 1930s "L" flat-top spec is a 12-fret guitar with slightly heavier bracing than the 14-fret standard L-00. And we do mean *slightly*; compared to most other guitars, it is still a featherweight instrument. The neck is quite wide, 1 7/8 at the nut, but this one is actually a bit slimmer than some we have had. The profile is chunky but comfortable with a noticeable V profile, considerably larger than the contemporary Spanish neck. The factory order number on the heel block of this guitar has a "D" suffix dating it to early 1938.
Unlike the majority of HG-00's, this one DOES have an adjustable truss rod installed; most did not as it was deemed superfluous for a Hawaiian-style neck. This guitar has a considerable advantage as a Spanish style instrument as a result, though in this case the rod does not appear to have ever been used! The tuners are simple openback strips with plastic buttons, and the headstock bears the period large white script "GIBSON" logo. .
This is a really fine guitar, a particularly nice HG somewhat rarer than a "normal" L-00. it offers a fantastic powerful ringing tone that can be pushed harder than the average L-00 without splatting out. If the player is not uncomfortable with the wider neck this HG-00 would make a great choice for a number of acoustic styles and a real connoisseur's delight in a 1930s Gibson flat-top. This one was originally exported and sold in Canada; it has the telltale tiny "Made In USA" stamp on the back of the headstock and a dealer label beneath the soundhole for Beare & Sons of Toronto. It was originally owned by a young lady named Marie Bell; her steel, picks and rare Gibson branded polishing cloth leather pouch are still in the original chipboard case, which is worn but substantially intact.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 5/16 in. (11 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.).
This is a clean and excellent playing HG-00, extremely well converted with the maximum of artistry and the minimum of fuss. It shows some general light wear and very minor repair; it looks like Marie in Toronto took good care of her instrument while learning Hawaiian all those years ago. The finish has an assortment of scratches, scuffs and dings with some minor touch-up performed to some dinks on the top. There are no large areas of finish wear, and far less pic marking to the top than most. The top does have some heavy checking and the lines have darkened in places, likely from an oil or polish leeching into them.
There are a couple of tight grain cracks neatly (almost invisibly) sealed on the back. No other cracks are evident on the guitar. Amazingly the neck does NOT appears to have been reset, or at least there is no cosmetic evidence of this at all. The rosewood bridge and small maple bridgeplate are original; the bridge looks to have been reglued and lowered a bit with the original bone saddle re-shaped for standard play. The original high nut was replaced but is still in the case.
The frets appear newer, the fingerboard was radiused somewhat to aid playability when the refret was done. These show hardly any wear. The original openback Kluson strip tuners have very clean plates and still work well. This is a very big sounding guitar, not as sweet as some of the L-00 family but with plenty of punch and volume, quite possible the best of these we have had. Excellent - Condition.
While originally designed for lap-style Hawaiian play, the fairly rare HG-00 makes a really dandy Spanish-style guitar. This interesting variation on the normal Gibson 1930s "L" flat-top spec is a 12-fret guitar with slightly heavier bracing than the 14-fret standard L-00. And we do mean *slightly*; compared to most other guitars, it is still a featherweight instrument. The neck is quite wide, 1 7/8 at the nut, but this one is actually a bit slimmer than some we have had. The profile is chunky but comfortable with a noticeable V profile, considerably larger than the contemporary Spanish neck. The factory order number on the heel block of this guitar has a "D" suffix dating it to early 1938.
Unlike the majority of HG-00's, this one DOES have an adjustable truss rod installed; most did not as it was deemed superfluous for a Hawaiian-style neck. This guitar has a considerable advantage as a Spanish style instrument as a result, though in this case the rod does not appear to have ever been used! The tuners are simple openback strips with plastic buttons, and the headstock bears the period large white script "GIBSON" logo. .
This is a really fine guitar, a particularly nice HG somewhat rarer than a "normal" L-00. it offers a fantastic powerful ringing tone that can be pushed harder than the average L-00 without splatting out. If the player is not uncomfortable with the wider neck this HG-00 would make a great choice for a number of acoustic styles and a real connoisseur's delight in a 1930s Gibson flat-top. This one was originally exported and sold in Canada; it has the telltale tiny "Made In USA" stamp on the back of the headstock and a dealer label beneath the soundhole for Beare & Sons of Toronto. It was originally owned by a young lady named Marie Bell; her steel, picks and rare Gibson branded polishing cloth leather pouch are still in the original chipboard case, which is worn but substantially intact.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 5/16 in. (11 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.).
This is a clean and excellent playing HG-00, extremely well converted with the maximum of artistry and the minimum of fuss. It shows some general light wear and very minor repair; it looks like Marie in Toronto took good care of her instrument while learning Hawaiian all those years ago. The finish has an assortment of scratches, scuffs and dings with some minor touch-up performed to some dinks on the top. There are no large areas of finish wear, and far less pic marking to the top than most. The top does have some heavy checking and the lines have darkened in places, likely from an oil or polish leeching into them.
There are a couple of tight grain cracks neatly (almost invisibly) sealed on the back. No other cracks are evident on the guitar. Amazingly the neck does NOT appears to have been reset, or at least there is no cosmetic evidence of this at all. The rosewood bridge and small maple bridgeplate are original; the bridge looks to have been reglued and lowered a bit with the original bone saddle re-shaped for standard play. The original high nut was replaced but is still in the case.
The frets appear newer, the fingerboard was radiused somewhat to aid playability when the refret was done. These show hardly any wear. The original openback Kluson strip tuners have very clean plates and still work well. This is a very big sounding guitar, not as sweet as some of the L-00 family but with plenty of punch and volume, quite possible the best of these we have had. Excellent - Condition.