GIBSON L-5, 1947

Sunburst. A flawless example of the acoustic archtop classic. The model introduced by Lloyd Loar in 1922 - please see my personal collection for the most important steps in its evolution - is shown here in its sought-after mid-40s version: 17-inch body with spruce top and parallel bracing. Neck, back and sides are made of highly figured solid maple. The fingerboard is made of ebony with mother of pearl inlays and the bridge is the pre-compensated rosewood unit. Multi-ply binding trims headstock, body and tortoise plastic pickguard. The original hardware includes Kluson Seal-Fast tuning machines (one is slightly bent) and trapeze tailpiece with vari-tone string tension adjustment device.

This guitar comes from the first batch of post-war L-5s and still has the old-style pre-war script logo. It's an exceptionally beautiful guitar in super fine condition, with gorgeous woods - especially the quilted maple of the back - and completely original (except for the strap button). The top's arch is not caving in, the bridge base perfectly matches the top's profile, and the neck-body angle is just flawless for a very easy action even with the .013 gauge strings currently installed.

The original sunburst finish is in great shape with no fading. No heavy wear, just some checking and a few light dings and scratches. In one spot of the rim, shown in the pictures, there is a seam separation between the binding and the wood.

The case is a late example of the orignal black model with the red line, a highly sought-after version used since the early '30s for the top-of-the-line Gibson models.

An exceptional insturment, a guitar with a powerful and well-defined sound for the most demanding musician and collector.