Serial Number: 85243
Year shipped: 1929
FON: 9418
Headstock: Horizontal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: New fingerboard by luthier Jim Weaver
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: Non-original
Notes: The guitar’s owner comments: “The f-holes were poorly enlarged and bound, it had the wrong fingerboard – like a Kay or something, it had no hardware and there were cracks in the back. It was truly a basket case but… it has the great sound that these early L-5s are famous for!”
Images above courtesy of Kennard Machol.
Current owner Michael S. Horowitz adds: “The hardware was replaced with a newer trapeze style tailpiece and Gotoh tuners.
“The f holes were enlarged and bound at one point in the guitar’s life. The f hole binding was removed, a back crack repaired and a new fingerboard was installed by Jim Weaver of Boise Guitar Repair.
“This instrument has the beautiful tone and natural reverb that these 1920s L-5s are famous for and coincidentally, was built in the same batch as some of the most celebrated pre-war L-5s: Alvino Rey, Marty Grosz, George Gruhn and Maybelle Carter’s guitars were all from this batch.”
Images below courtesy of Michael S. Horowitz.
