Serial Number: 85576
Year shipped: 1930
FON: 9458
Headstock: Horizontal ‘The Gibson’ logo
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end and wide ‘pearloid’ block inlays from the third fret
Body: Maple back and sides. Has a Master Model label
Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including a regular trapeze tailpiece
Notes: “This is one of two L-5s owned by Freddie Tavares (the other was serial number 85296)” says current owner Keith Dunnell. “Freddy fitted a set of early gold-plated Grover Imperial tuners which probably improved the tuning but looked ridiculous and made the guitar feel neck-heavy. These have since been replaced with at a set of Grover Sta-Tites. The pickguard is a reproduction.”
The FON indicates that this L-5 was produced about mid-year 1929 but did not ship until January of the year 1930.



Images courtesy of Keith Dunnell