Serial Number: 87092
Year shipped: 1931
FON: 8932
Headstock: Horizontal ‘The Gibson’ logo, metal ‘Mono-Plak’ truss rod cover engraved ‘Bob Gibbons’ (for more on ‘Mono-Plak’ truss rod covers head to this page)
Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end, dot inlays from the fifth fret
Body: Maple back and sides
Hardware: The hardware (three-on-a-strip tuners and wrap over trapeze tailpiece) have been replaced with vintage parts while the pickguard is a repro by Cumberland Acoustics.
Notes: The body and neck have been refinished and the guitar has been refretted
“My L-5 has had a complete refinish,” says owner, Ken Waltham. “It had a bad, old refinish on it, so this is a vast improvement. It was also missing the original hardware and case. I found a proper set of tuners and a tailpiece. The latter was nickel, so I had it gold plated. The pickguard is a repro by Cumberland Acoustics. I also managed to source a Geib red line case.
“The guitar was owned by Bob Gibbons, who played the daylights out of it, so, a lot of stuff was worn out, I guess!”
Images courtesy of Ken Waltham