Gibson LG-2 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar , c. 1946
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Item # 9387
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Gibson LG-2 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, c. 1946, made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, dark stained back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, molded plastic hard shell case.
This is a beautiful early post-WWII example of the LG-2, Gibson's most popular smaller body flat-top guitar model from the 1940s and '50s. It was the middle model of a three-instrument line with the externally identical but ladder braced LG-1 below it and the natural-finish LG-3 above. Exact production figures from this period are lost, but in 1948-50 the LG-2 sold roughly 1000 instruments a year, with more than double that amount of LG-1's shipped. The first post-war ones like this are somewhat scarcer, suggesting they were built in smaller numbers as Gibson was just getting back up to speed after doing mostly war work for 4 years.
These 1946-47 guitars have no serial or factory order numbers but can be easily identified by their gold script headstock logo. This was a short-lived transitional feature between the wartime "banner" headstock and the later block script "modern" logo that appeared in 1948. Other typical features include a deep sunburst top finish, small tortoise celluloid pickguard, small rectangle bridge, triple-bound top and single-bound back. The headstock bearing the gold script "Gibson" logo is tapered in depth, with WWII pattern Kluson tuners still fitted. The truss-rod equipped neck has a lovely round-backed "C" profile, somewhat slimmer than the thick wartime "baseball bat" style and very comfortable. This is a smooth and versatile guitar; well preserved and a fine example of Gibson's finest post-war flat-top period.
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 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 is a nice clean example overall, showing some typical maintenance work but no heavy play time since before the Korean War! It actually appears to have been only carefully played since new, which is kind of amazing considering it is well over 70 years old! The lacquer finish is still shiny maintaining the original deep color to the sunburst and patina overall. It shows mostly just very small dings, scuffs, and other minor marks. There is a bit of wear to the fingerboard in the "Cowboy Chord" position.
There is a dark area in the finish on the top at the treble edge of the lower bout; this looks to be where the sprayer was working to disguise a small section of spruce used to fill out the otherwise 2-piece top. This is completely original factory work and under the original clear lacquer overcoat. It just goes to show how wood supplies were still difficult to manage just after the war. The back has one small repaired impact crack off the bottom edge; apart from one very small grain split on the treble side waist there are no other cracks to this guitar.
This guitar has had a very clean neck set -- perhaps it survived the decades so nicely at least partially because the neck angle was not great when it was made! It did at one point long ago have a trapeze tailpiece installed, and the fade mark on the face is still visible along with three small patched holes above the strap pin. The bridge is a nicely done repro, the frets show very little wear. It is now an excellent player with a very full sound, even and powerful in equal measure. Excellent Condition.
This is a beautiful early post-WWII example of the LG-2, Gibson's most popular smaller body flat-top guitar model from the 1940s and '50s. It was the middle model of a three-instrument line with the externally identical but ladder braced LG-1 below it and the natural-finish LG-3 above. Exact production figures from this period are lost, but in 1948-50 the LG-2 sold roughly 1000 instruments a year, with more than double that amount of LG-1's shipped. The first post-war ones like this are somewhat scarcer, suggesting they were built in smaller numbers as Gibson was just getting back up to speed after doing mostly war work for 4 years.
These 1946-47 guitars have no serial or factory order numbers but can be easily identified by their gold script headstock logo. This was a short-lived transitional feature between the wartime "banner" headstock and the later block script "modern" logo that appeared in 1948. Other typical features include a deep sunburst top finish, small tortoise celluloid pickguard, small rectangle bridge, triple-bound top and single-bound back. The headstock bearing the gold script "Gibson" logo is tapered in depth, with WWII pattern Kluson tuners still fitted. The truss-rod equipped neck has a lovely round-backed "C" profile, somewhat slimmer than the thick wartime "baseball bat" style and very comfortable. This is a smooth and versatile guitar; well preserved and a fine example of Gibson's finest post-war flat-top period.
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 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 is a nice clean example overall, showing some typical maintenance work but no heavy play time since before the Korean War! It actually appears to have been only carefully played since new, which is kind of amazing considering it is well over 70 years old! The lacquer finish is still shiny maintaining the original deep color to the sunburst and patina overall. It shows mostly just very small dings, scuffs, and other minor marks. There is a bit of wear to the fingerboard in the "Cowboy Chord" position.
There is a dark area in the finish on the top at the treble edge of the lower bout; this looks to be where the sprayer was working to disguise a small section of spruce used to fill out the otherwise 2-piece top. This is completely original factory work and under the original clear lacquer overcoat. It just goes to show how wood supplies were still difficult to manage just after the war. The back has one small repaired impact crack off the bottom edge; apart from one very small grain split on the treble side waist there are no other cracks to this guitar.
This guitar has had a very clean neck set -- perhaps it survived the decades so nicely at least partially because the neck angle was not great when it was made! It did at one point long ago have a trapeze tailpiece installed, and the fade mark on the face is still visible along with three small patched holes above the strap pin. The bridge is a nicely done repro, the frets show very little wear. It is now an excellent player with a very full sound, even and powerful in equal measure. Excellent Condition.