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