Gibson HG-00 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1937)
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Gibson HG-00 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1937), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 123C-29 (FON), sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black rigid foam case.
While originally intended for lap-style Hawaiian play, the fairly rare HG-00 makes a 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 comfortable with a noticeable V profile just a bit chunkier overall than the contemporary Spanish neck. The factory order number on the heel block of this guitar is 123C-29 dating it to early 1937.
Like most HG-00's, this one does not have an adjustable truss rod installed as it was deemed superfluous for a Hawaiian-style neck. The fingerboards were still fretted in the standard style though, so the conversion to Spanish play does not require a refret. The tuners are very early openback Kluson strips with plastic buttons. 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. This particular dealer may have sold a lot of these; this is the second HG-00 we have found with their markings!
This is a really fine guitar, somewhat rarer than a "normal" L-00 and with a slightly more aggressive tone that can be pushed harder. If the player is not uncomfortable with the wider and chunkier neck the HG-00 makes a great choice for a number of acoustic styles and a connoisseur's delight in a 1930s Gibson flat-top.
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 an excellent playing example, showing some general wear but no major repairs beyond the work required for conversion to standard (as opposed to Hawaiian) setup. The finish has a typical assortment of scratches, scuffs and dings overall but far less pick scratching to the top than many. There are no large areas of finish wear, and somewhat amazingly no cracks to the instrument.
Oddly enough the neck does NOT appear to have been reset, which is unusual for a Hawaiian-Spanish conversion. If it was, there is no visible cosmetic evidence at all. The rosewood bridge and small maple bridgeplate are original, the bridgeplate shows some wear. The bridge was lowered with a newer bone saddle as was the original bone nut. A small area of the headstock veneer above the nut shows where the larger nut footprint was.
The frets appear to be original and they and the fingerboard show very little wear. The original openback strip tuners have some corrosion on the plates but still work well. This is a fine playing and very big sounding guitar, not as sweet as some of the L-00 family but with plenty of punch, depth and volume. Overall Excellent - Condition.
While originally intended for lap-style Hawaiian play, the fairly rare HG-00 makes a 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 comfortable with a noticeable V profile just a bit chunkier overall than the contemporary Spanish neck. The factory order number on the heel block of this guitar is 123C-29 dating it to early 1937.
Like most HG-00's, this one does not have an adjustable truss rod installed as it was deemed superfluous for a Hawaiian-style neck. The fingerboards were still fretted in the standard style though, so the conversion to Spanish play does not require a refret. The tuners are very early openback Kluson strips with plastic buttons. 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. This particular dealer may have sold a lot of these; this is the second HG-00 we have found with their markings!
This is a really fine guitar, somewhat rarer than a "normal" L-00 and with a slightly more aggressive tone that can be pushed harder. If the player is not uncomfortable with the wider and chunkier neck the HG-00 makes a great choice for a number of acoustic styles and a connoisseur's delight in a 1930s Gibson flat-top.
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 an excellent playing example, showing some general wear but no major repairs beyond the work required for conversion to standard (as opposed to Hawaiian) setup. The finish has a typical assortment of scratches, scuffs and dings overall but far less pick scratching to the top than many. There are no large areas of finish wear, and somewhat amazingly no cracks to the instrument.
Oddly enough the neck does NOT appear to have been reset, which is unusual for a Hawaiian-Spanish conversion. If it was, there is no visible cosmetic evidence at all. The rosewood bridge and small maple bridgeplate are original, the bridgeplate shows some wear. The bridge was lowered with a newer bone saddle as was the original bone nut. A small area of the headstock veneer above the nut shows where the larger nut footprint was.
The frets appear to be original and they and the fingerboard show very little wear. The original openback strip tuners have some corrosion on the plates but still work well. This is a fine playing and very big sounding guitar, not as sweet as some of the L-00 family but with plenty of punch, depth and volume. Overall Excellent - Condition.