Serial Number: 85437

Year shipped: 1930

FON: 9418

Headstock: Horizontal ‘The Gibson’ logo, backward-facing banjo tuners

Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the third fret

Body: Maple back and sides

Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including backward-facing banjo tuners and wrap-over tailpiece. Short bound pickguard

“This guitar is in my personal collection. The banjo pegs are original and are a feature done only for a few months. This instrument is virtually identical to Maybelle Carter’s guitar, with the exception that this one is fully original while her guitar was considerably reworked over the years. Early photos of Maybelle with her L-5 show it with banjo pegs.” George Gruhn

 

In the personal collection of George Gruhn. Images courtesy of George Gruhn and William A. Ritter of Gruhn Guitars