1935 L-5 Serial Number illegible

Year shipped:

FON: 1149

Headstock: Horizontal ‘The Gibson’ logo

Neck/fingerboard: See Notes below

Body: Maple back and sides

Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including regular tailpiece and individual open-back Grover 98G ‘Sta-tite’ tuners with butterbean keys. The ebony bridge has a saddle that can be reversed for ‘Hawaiian’ style playing

Notes:

The fingerboard has been replaced and at the same time the scale length has been increased from the original 24 ¾-inches to 25-inches. As a result, the bridge is positioned slightly further back on the top. The fret wire is somewhat taller than the original.

There is some light overspray on the back of the neck and dark overspray on the rim at either side of the endpin. There is grain crack in the top just above the centre seam beneath the tailpiece. This has been sealed with minimal over finish. There is also a small crack on the upper rim, and the back centre seam has been resealed. Pin marks from an old DeArmond pickup installation are touched up but still visible on the bass side of the fingerboard extension. The pickguard and bridge base have been replaced and the original bridge saddle appears to have been cut down over the adjustment wheels. The pearl nut is not original. Has original hardshell case

Though the label is intact, the serial number has faded to the point where it is no longer legible. The FON pencilled on the interior back suggests it was built in 1935 (Joe Spann adds: “The shipping date would have to be 1935, as that batch number is already known for 1934 and 1936”.

Images courtesy of Retrofret