Gibson L-00 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1931)
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Item # 10983
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Gibson L-00 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1931), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 67 (FON), black lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is a super early 1931 12-fret Gibson L-00, the very rare initial version of this seminal Gibson flat-top model. It is finished in ebony overall with white binding around the top only and no pickguard. The L-00 quickly became a Depression-era staple for Gibson, first offered this year at the rock-bottom price of $25.00 (without case). This one would be from one of the very first batches of L-00s made, well over a year before the instrument was re-designed into the more familiar 14-fret version sold up until WWII.
This is a very plainly-ornamented guitar with a 1920s style silver stenciled script "The Gibson" logo, single-bound spruce top, 3-ply sound hole ring and not much else. The elegant simplicity of the black-and-white cosmetics give it a very striking "tuxedo" look. The top bracing is a VERY thin X pattern, common to Gibson flat tops of this era. The neck is a quite slim and surprisingly modern feeling "C" profile, very different the deep "V" that would be adopted a year or so later. This is a much more comfortable neck for most modern players, but was a relatively short-lived feature on this model. This first L-00 is broadly similar to Gibson's period budget "Kel Kroydon" models, but with the useful addition of the company's adjustable truss rod and the striking ebony livery.
The L-00 model subsequently went through several design changes in a short period of time in the early 1930s. Emerging as a far more common 14-fret sunburst-top guitar in 1933-4. This first model is pretty much our favorite version, an extremely light and responsive guitar, super sharp-looking, and a fabulous fingerpicker. These were built in fairly limited numbers, as production of this version of the model coincided with the worst years of the Depression when even $25 was beyond the reach of many Americans. Due to their relative fragility, few survive as nicely as this one which shows general wear but remains an excellent player's instrument. It has a huge sound for a small body guitar and despite some wear is the nicest of this rare model we have had.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 14 15/16 in. (37.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows some general wear and minor repair but remains nicely original and an excellent player. Most notable is a swath of pick (or fingernail) marks to the top centered around the lower soundhole rim, which has some light touchup added. The back of the neck is worn down to the wood over a decent amount of its length but has only a few small dings into the wood, with none of the intrusive capo marks often found on older flat tops. The rest of the finish has some light checking and a collection of the typical dings, scratches and dents with some rubbed-through spots along the back/side edges.
Amazingly the guitar shows only one notable crack, a grain split on the mid-back neatly sealed and cleated long ago with no overfinish added. Other than this the guitar is crack-free, which is very unusual for these exceptionally lightly built guitars. The neck does not appear to have ever been reset; the original bridge was lowered somewhat long ago, which probably helped the delicate top survive 90+ years in such fine shape. The crucial area around the bridge is completely solid, with just some light arching behind it; the bridge does not appear to have ever lifted and the thin maple bridge plate is completely intact.
The frets appear to be the original thin wire and show some minor wear in the first position, as does the fingerboard. The original unplated strip tuners are in good shape and work as well as they ever did; the D string shaft is slightly bent. Even the bridgepins and endpin appear original. This is a fine playing and truly superb sounding example of this rare guitar, with a lot of power and punch for a smaller instrument. As might be expected it makes a fine blues machine, and beyond that a surprisingly versatile all-around flat-top. It is equipped with a modern HSC. Excellent - Condition.
This is a super early 1931 12-fret Gibson L-00, the very rare initial version of this seminal Gibson flat-top model. It is finished in ebony overall with white binding around the top only and no pickguard. The L-00 quickly became a Depression-era staple for Gibson, first offered this year at the rock-bottom price of $25.00 (without case). This one would be from one of the very first batches of L-00s made, well over a year before the instrument was re-designed into the more familiar 14-fret version sold up until WWII.
This is a very plainly-ornamented guitar with a 1920s style silver stenciled script "The Gibson" logo, single-bound spruce top, 3-ply sound hole ring and not much else. The elegant simplicity of the black-and-white cosmetics give it a very striking "tuxedo" look. The top bracing is a VERY thin X pattern, common to Gibson flat tops of this era. The neck is a quite slim and surprisingly modern feeling "C" profile, very different the deep "V" that would be adopted a year or so later. This is a much more comfortable neck for most modern players, but was a relatively short-lived feature on this model. This first L-00 is broadly similar to Gibson's period budget "Kel Kroydon" models, but with the useful addition of the company's adjustable truss rod and the striking ebony livery.
The L-00 model subsequently went through several design changes in a short period of time in the early 1930s. Emerging as a far more common 14-fret sunburst-top guitar in 1933-4. This first model is pretty much our favorite version, an extremely light and responsive guitar, super sharp-looking, and a fabulous fingerpicker. These were built in fairly limited numbers, as production of this version of the model coincided with the worst years of the Depression when even $25 was beyond the reach of many Americans. Due to their relative fragility, few survive as nicely as this one which shows general wear but remains an excellent player's instrument. It has a huge sound for a small body guitar and despite some wear is the nicest of this rare model we have had.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 14 15/16 in. (37.9 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar shows some general wear and minor repair but remains nicely original and an excellent player. Most notable is a swath of pick (or fingernail) marks to the top centered around the lower soundhole rim, which has some light touchup added. The back of the neck is worn down to the wood over a decent amount of its length but has only a few small dings into the wood, with none of the intrusive capo marks often found on older flat tops. The rest of the finish has some light checking and a collection of the typical dings, scratches and dents with some rubbed-through spots along the back/side edges.
Amazingly the guitar shows only one notable crack, a grain split on the mid-back neatly sealed and cleated long ago with no overfinish added. Other than this the guitar is crack-free, which is very unusual for these exceptionally lightly built guitars. The neck does not appear to have ever been reset; the original bridge was lowered somewhat long ago, which probably helped the delicate top survive 90+ years in such fine shape. The crucial area around the bridge is completely solid, with just some light arching behind it; the bridge does not appear to have ever lifted and the thin maple bridge plate is completely intact.
The frets appear to be the original thin wire and show some minor wear in the first position, as does the fingerboard. The original unplated strip tuners are in good shape and work as well as they ever did; the D string shaft is slightly bent. Even the bridgepins and endpin appear original. This is a fine playing and truly superb sounding example of this rare guitar, with a lot of power and punch for a smaller instrument. As might be expected it makes a fine blues machine, and beyond that a surprisingly versatile all-around flat-top. It is equipped with a modern HSC. Excellent - Condition.