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.