Serial number: 84677 Robert Armstrong
Year shipped: 1929
FON: 9306
Headstock: Horizontal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret
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.
Discover more about Robert Armstrong
This guitar once belonged to artist and musician Robert Armstrong (www.armstrongartandnoveltyhut.com), seen below holding a musical saw and bow as Tony Marcus hands him the guitar featured here.
“I played this L-5 with the Cheap Suit Serenaders for years,” says Robert. “I remember it as having a rich throaty bass, but not enough treble end. I eventually traded it to Tony Marcus for a 1929 L-5 that had a better treble response and better over all tone balance. I play the 1929 L-5 with the ‘Suits’ when we perform once a year.”
Tony Marcus later sold the guitar to collector Hank Risan.
The image above shows Tony Marcus with his Gibson L-5 and Robert Armstrong with his musical saw
Images courtesy of Arlan Ettinger of Guernsey Auctions and photographer Paul Schraub