Gibson L-00 formerly Owned By Steely Dan's Walter Becker Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1936)
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Item # 9065
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Gibson L-00 formerly Owned By Steely Dan's Walter Becker Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1936), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 947B-27, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
The L-00 has always remained one of Gibson's most popular Depression era flat-top guitars, then and now. While this model was at the bottom of the flat-top line in the early/mid-1930s, it offered a great value in sound. This example was built in 1936 (when the list price was $30.00, without the case) and it has far less play wear than most, surviving in more original condition than many.
The top finish is a deep sunburst with a deeper orangey center, typical of the mid-1930s guitars. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around the top edge, which is also ornamented with a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard and a three-ply sound hole ring. The back and sides are finished in dark mahogany, as is the fairly shallow "V" profile neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo and simple openback strip tuners.
This model was a working-class standard of the day, a professional grade guitar at a price affordable to blues players, Hillbilly string bands, and many other itinerant musicians as well as Gibson's intended student customers. Each one of these guitars has its own character and this one is great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh.
We sold this instrument to our friend and customer Walter Becker some years back. Since his passing we sadly miss his visits to the shop, which usually lasted well into the after-hours of the evening. It was always fascinating to observe the care he took in selecting pieces for his working collection, often spending hours experimenting to see how many different sounds he could draw from an instrument. This relatively simple prewar Gibson flat top acoustic was no exception, and as we said then "If Walter likes it, it's a good one!
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.).
Overall this is a nice looking and great sounding L-00, with some general wear and tear. It is a nicely original guitar complete with an uncut original full-height bridge, and very early first-generation Kluson tuners. The finish shows minor checking to the top along with some pick wear mostly above the soundhole and around the pickguard. There is some wear through the lacquer on back of neck but no capo wear or large dings. The back has some dings and scuffs but no major wear. The frets appear original with some minor wear and light divoting to the lower positions on the fingerboard.
The only really noticeable fault to the instrument is two small and inexplicable holes patched on center seam just behind the bridge, with some attendant finish touch up in that area. We have no idea what these were caused by, nothing inside the guitar gives any indication of why they are there. The top center seam has been resealed but outside of this area there are no cracks to the wood. The bridgeplate is original and untampered with, and there are no repairs to the bracing. Other than this anomaly this a very good example with a strong punchy sound. Includes a modern HSC with the case markings added by Walter's crew. Excellent - Condition.
The L-00 has always remained one of Gibson's most popular Depression era flat-top guitars, then and now. While this model was at the bottom of the flat-top line in the early/mid-1930s, it offered a great value in sound. This example was built in 1936 (when the list price was $30.00, without the case) and it has far less play wear than most, surviving in more original condition than many.
The top finish is a deep sunburst with a deeper orangey center, typical of the mid-1930s guitars. There is single-ply white celluloid binding around the top edge, which is also ornamented with a "firestripe" tortoise celluloid pickguard and a three-ply sound hole ring. The back and sides are finished in dark mahogany, as is the fairly shallow "V" profile neck with an unbound rosewood fingerboard. The headstock carries a white stenciled "Gibson" logo and simple openback strip tuners.
This model was a working-class standard of the day, a professional grade guitar at a price affordable to blues players, Hillbilly string bands, and many other itinerant musicians as well as Gibson's intended student customers. Each one of these guitars has its own character and this one is great-sounding both finger- and flat-picked, with a powerful ringing tone that never gets harsh.
We sold this instrument to our friend and customer Walter Becker some years back. Since his passing we sadly miss his visits to the shop, which usually lasted well into the after-hours of the evening. It was always fascinating to observe the care he took in selecting pieces for his working collection, often spending hours experimenting to see how many different sounds he could draw from an instrument. This relatively simple prewar Gibson flat top acoustic was no exception, and as we said then "If Walter likes it, it's a good one!
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.).
Overall this is a nice looking and great sounding L-00, with some general wear and tear. It is a nicely original guitar complete with an uncut original full-height bridge, and very early first-generation Kluson tuners. The finish shows minor checking to the top along with some pick wear mostly above the soundhole and around the pickguard. There is some wear through the lacquer on back of neck but no capo wear or large dings. The back has some dings and scuffs but no major wear. The frets appear original with some minor wear and light divoting to the lower positions on the fingerboard.
The only really noticeable fault to the instrument is two small and inexplicable holes patched on center seam just behind the bridge, with some attendant finish touch up in that area. We have no idea what these were caused by, nothing inside the guitar gives any indication of why they are there. The top center seam has been resealed but outside of this area there are no cracks to the wood. The bridgeplate is original and untampered with, and there are no repairs to the bracing. Other than this anomaly this a very good example with a strong punchy sound. Includes a modern HSC with the case markings added by Walter's crew. Excellent - Condition.