Gibson L-3 Special

Shipped in 1931 (serial number 87780), this custom ordered L-3 Special boasts various L-5 appointments including a pearl flowerpot headstock inlay, gold-plated Waverly three-on-a-strip tuners with pearl buttons, a gold-plated wrap-over tailpiece, a 20-fret, dot inlaid ebony fingerboard with a pointed end and f-holes.

The maple used for the back, sides and neck exhibits a bold flame pattern and is fully equivalent in quality to the timber used for a full-sized L-5.

Perhaps the guitar’s original owner was a man or woman of small stature who wanted a top-of the-line instrument but found the L-3’s smaller body more comfortable to hold?

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Images courtesy of Gryphon Stringed Instruments