Gibson L-00 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1934)
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Gibson L-00 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1934), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 1325-24 (FON), sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This is a rather worn in example of a mid-30s L-00, one of Gibson's most popular Depression-era guitars then and now. It shows visible repair work but still plays and sounds very well. While this model was at the bottom of the flat-top line in the early/mid-1930s, it offered great value in sound for a comparatively affordable package. This is a fairly early 14-fret example built in 1934 when the list price was at an all-time low of $27.50, without the case. It has seen a long life of wear and repair but survives in good playing and largely original condition.
The finish on the spruce top is a dark sunburst with a small deep-hued center, typical of earlier-1930s guitars. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around the top edge while the back is unbound. The top is ornamented with a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard and a three-ply sound hole ring.
The back and sides are finished in very dark mahogany, as is the "V" profile neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face and simple openback unplated strip tuners. The original rosewood bridge does not have the reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps added not long after this one was made.
This model was a working-class standard of the day, a professional grade guitar affordable to blues players, Hillbilly string bands, and many other itinerant musicians as well as Gibson's intended student customers. Each one has its own character and this example is great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh. Like many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops this one suffered some amateurish work along the way, but has been thoroughly gone over recently to ensure it plays and sounds its best again for the 21st century.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 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 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
90 years along this early L-00 shows overall wear and a mixed bag of older and newer repair work but remain a fine player with no ongoing issues. It appears to have been treated somewhat cavalierly over the decades and banged around quite a bit, with some attendant scars. There is a noticeable crack through the heel right where it joins the body of the neck. This extends from the treble side most of the way along to the bass side; is has been solidly sealed but not overfinished at all so is plainly visible. Below this on the side there is a decent size punch mark into the body, which has been sealed up but not well trued; this repair is a little ugly but again solidly done.
The top has two long grain cracks on the treble side lower bout running from the back edge to the pickguard area. These appear to be the result of an impact on the bottom edge that displaced a piece of now-reattached binding. Again this has all been sealed up but is a bit roughly done and visible; there is a long strip cleat under the upper split and the small wing brace in this area is a correct replacement; the internal work looks more recent and is very neatly done. The area off the bottom edge of the pickguard has a small sealed grain split running forward, while the upper edge of the lower bass bout also has a grain split that appears impact related. The upper waist area of the top has an incipient grain split that has not fully opened.
There are two sealed cracks to the lower back, one neatly sealed the other pretty sloppy. The finish shows typical checking to the lacquer with numerous dings, dents and scrapes all over the instrument. The edges of the soundhole rim are slightly worn through but the top shows much less pickwear than most, with just a few additional marks above and below the soundhole.
There is a scrubby clear overfinish (overspray would be too dignified a word) over some areas applied with a brush. This is most notable on the lower side but extends over part of the upper side and some areas on the back. This is not too distracting but has so far resisted removal. There is some wear down to the wood along the edges of the back as is typical when this area is not bound. Surprisingly the back of the neck is cleaner than many with only a few light dinks, no heavy capo wear or deep gouges.
The original rosewood bridge maintains good height but was cut down just slightly forward of the pins long ago. The saddle is newer. The small maple bridge plate and bracing (besides the one replaced lower wing brace) remain original and unaltered. What appear to be the original frets have had a grind and polish with some light wear since. While hardly a "clean queen" this battered but beautiful old Gibson has a genuine relic vibe for sure. Despite (or perhaps because of) the extensive catalog of wear and repair this is a lovely playing and great sounding guitar with a richer sound than many, a really cool gig-ready example of this pre-war Gibson classic housed in a modern HSC. Overall Very Good Condition.
This is a rather worn in example of a mid-30s L-00, one of Gibson's most popular Depression-era guitars then and now. It shows visible repair work but still plays and sounds very well. While this model was at the bottom of the flat-top line in the early/mid-1930s, it offered great value in sound for a comparatively affordable package. This is a fairly early 14-fret example built in 1934 when the list price was at an all-time low of $27.50, without the case. It has seen a long life of wear and repair but survives in good playing and largely original condition.
The finish on the spruce top is a dark sunburst with a small deep-hued center, typical of earlier-1930s guitars. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around the top edge while the back is unbound. The top is ornamented with a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard and a three-ply sound hole ring.
The back and sides are finished in very dark mahogany, as is the "V" profile neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo on the face and simple openback unplated strip tuners. The original rosewood bridge does not have the reinforcing bolts with their pearl dot caps added not long after this one was made.
This model was a working-class standard of the day, a professional grade guitar affordable to blues players, Hillbilly string bands, and many other itinerant musicians as well as Gibson's intended student customers. Each one has its own character and this example is great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh. Like many of these pre-war Gibson flat-tops this one suffered some amateurish work along the way, but has been thoroughly gone over recently to ensure it plays and sounds its best again for the 21st century.
Overall length is 39 5/8 in. (100.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 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 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
90 years along this early L-00 shows overall wear and a mixed bag of older and newer repair work but remain a fine player with no ongoing issues. It appears to have been treated somewhat cavalierly over the decades and banged around quite a bit, with some attendant scars. There is a noticeable crack through the heel right where it joins the body of the neck. This extends from the treble side most of the way along to the bass side; is has been solidly sealed but not overfinished at all so is plainly visible. Below this on the side there is a decent size punch mark into the body, which has been sealed up but not well trued; this repair is a little ugly but again solidly done.
The top has two long grain cracks on the treble side lower bout running from the back edge to the pickguard area. These appear to be the result of an impact on the bottom edge that displaced a piece of now-reattached binding. Again this has all been sealed up but is a bit roughly done and visible; there is a long strip cleat under the upper split and the small wing brace in this area is a correct replacement; the internal work looks more recent and is very neatly done. The area off the bottom edge of the pickguard has a small sealed grain split running forward, while the upper edge of the lower bass bout also has a grain split that appears impact related. The upper waist area of the top has an incipient grain split that has not fully opened.
There are two sealed cracks to the lower back, one neatly sealed the other pretty sloppy. The finish shows typical checking to the lacquer with numerous dings, dents and scrapes all over the instrument. The edges of the soundhole rim are slightly worn through but the top shows much less pickwear than most, with just a few additional marks above and below the soundhole.
There is a scrubby clear overfinish (overspray would be too dignified a word) over some areas applied with a brush. This is most notable on the lower side but extends over part of the upper side and some areas on the back. This is not too distracting but has so far resisted removal. There is some wear down to the wood along the edges of the back as is typical when this area is not bound. Surprisingly the back of the neck is cleaner than many with only a few light dinks, no heavy capo wear or deep gouges.
The original rosewood bridge maintains good height but was cut down just slightly forward of the pins long ago. The saddle is newer. The small maple bridge plate and bracing (besides the one replaced lower wing brace) remain original and unaltered. What appear to be the original frets have had a grind and polish with some light wear since. While hardly a "clean queen" this battered but beautiful old Gibson has a genuine relic vibe for sure. Despite (or perhaps because of) the extensive catalog of wear and repair this is a lovely playing and great sounding guitar with a richer sound than many, a really cool gig-ready example of this pre-war Gibson classic housed in a modern HSC. Overall Very Good Condition.