For a time in the 1930s, both the Gibson Super 400 and the L-5 models were available with a thick or a thin top. L-5 serial number 91774, a 16-inch model that…
Though the Gibson Custom Shop wasn’t officially established until 1993, it has been possible to order a one-off instrument from the company for almost as long as it has existed. A custom feature might…
The shipping dates quoted on this site are, for the most part, based on the serial number index included in Joe Spann’s book, Spann’s Guide To Gibson 1902-1941 (published by Centerstream). Joe…
“Alvino was the king of the electric guitar during the early to mid 1930’s” says Gibson expert, Lynn Wheelwright. “While with Spitalny’s Orchestra, Alvino attached a pickup to his banjo, qualifying him…
Sally, of prewargibsonl-5.com emailed Gibson researcher Joe Spann with the following question: “We were very interested to learn that Martin used Sitka spruce in their pre-war archtop guitars. Did Gibson use Sitka or…
We were sad to learn that guitar historian André Duchossoir passed away on November 17th 2020. A tireless researcher into the history of various American guitar companies, André authored reference works on Fender, Gretsch,…
