1927
The shipping dates listed below relate to the instrument’s serial number and are based on information provided in Spann’s Guide To Gibson by Joseph E. Spann
Note that the serial number indicates the date at which the instrument was shipped rather than its date of manufacture
All examples have maple back and sides unless otherwise indicated
If an instrument appears in one of our picture galleries this is noted beneath the serial number
Serial Number: 81000
Year shipped: 1927
FON:
Source: www.mandolinarchive.com
Serial number 81271
Year shipped: 1927
FON 8657
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret with double dots at the 12th and 17th frets
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Silver-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece and Waverly three-on-a-strip tuners with engraved base plate and pearl buttons, mounted so that the cog is positioned above the worm gear. Short bound pickguard
Notes: Some light overspray.
Source: Gruhn Guitars
Serial Number: 81273
Year shipped: 1927
FON: 8657
(See Type Two Gallery)
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret with double dots at the 12th and 17th frets
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece and Waverly three-on-a-strip tuners. Short bound pickguard
Notes: This guitar was purchased new directly from the Gibson Factory by musician Stanley Richards
Source: Stan Werbin of Elderly Instruments
Serial Number: 81314
Year shipped: 1927
FON:
(See Type Two Gallery)
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret with double dots at the 12th and 17th frets
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece and Waverly three-on-a-strip tuners. Short bound pickguard and ebony bridge
Source: Richard Ortiz
Serial Number: 81339
Year shipped: 1927
FON:
Body. There is a hairline crack above the bass side f-hole and the back binding may have been replaced.
Notes: The back and sides of the body and the neck have been refinished. Has original case
Source: www.mandolinarchive.com
Serial Number: 81629
Year shipped: 1927
FON:
(See Type Two Gallery)
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo, pearl nut
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret with double dots at the 12th and 17th frets. Fingerboard binding adjacent to the 18th and 19th frets has been replaced.
Body: Maple back and sides. Small top crack at the waist below the pickguard and centre seam repair
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece and backward facing Grover banjo tuners. Short bound pickguard has been notched for a pickup
Notes: Has Master Model label
Source: Folkway Music
Serial Number: 81707
Year shipped: 1927
FON: 8688
(See Type Two Gallery)
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret with double dots at the 12th and 17th frets.
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece and Waverly three-on-a-strip tuners. Short bound pickguard and ebony bridge
Source: Arlan Ettinger of Guernsey Auctions
Serial Number: 81791
Year shipped: 1927
FON:
(See Type Two Gallery)
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: see notes below
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece. Replica short bound pickguard
Notes: The ebony fingerboard is a replacement built by Cris Mirabella who also made the nut, pickguard and support bracket. The upper section of the bridge is a replica made by Cumberland Acoustics. Though the guitar is pictured in our Type Two Gallery with its original tuners these have since been replaced by gold-plated Waverlys
Source: Rod Mcdonald
Serial Number: 81808
Year shipped: 1927
FON: 8668
Headstock: Diagonal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret with double dots at the 12th and 17th frets.
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including wrap-over tailpiece and Waverly three-on-a-strip tuners with engraved baseplate and pearl buttons, mounted so that the cog is positioned below the worm gear. Short bound pickguard and ebony bridge
Notes: Gibson records indicate that L-5 serial number 81808 was returned to the factory in 1940 at which point it was refinished. This guitar is from the personal collection of vintage instrument authority, George Gruhn
Source: George Gruhn
Serial Number: 82433
Year shipped: 1928
FON:
Headstock: See Notes below
Neck/fingerboard: See Notes below
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: The tailpiece and tuners have been replaced and the pickguard is missing (the original tuners are in the case)
Notes: Master Model label.
The script ‘Gibson’ logo and 19 fret fingerboard with a square end are features that first appeared in the early 1930s leading us to suggest that L-5 serial number 82433 was re-necked in the mid 1930s. The guitar was likely refinished at the same time.
Source: Jeffrey Eaton