Serial Number: 94352

Year shipped: 1937

FON: 18960 C

Headstock: Large, ‘flared’ headstock with horizontal ‘Gibson’ script logo. Truss rod cover with thick white border

Neck/fingerboard: 20 fret fingerboard with pointed end and narrow block inlays from the first to the seventeenth frets (see Notes below). Wide neck heel and 25 1/2-inch scale length

Body: Maple back and sides with small f-holes. The top bracing is kerfed

Hardware: Gold-plated metal parts including regular trapeze tailpiece and individual open-back Grover 98G ‘Sta-tite’ tuners with butterbean keys. Long ‘Advanced’ style pickguard and rosewood bridge

Notes: The 25 1/2-inch scale length, 17th fret inlay, wide neck heel, ‘Advanced’ style fingerboard, ‘flared’ headstock and Advanced-style pickguard are features more usually found on the 17-Inch L-5. While it is possible that the neck may have been replaced at some point, it seems likely that Gibson was simply using its remaining stock of 16-inch bodies using 17-Inch style necks and / or hardware (see our feature on ‘Post-1934 16-inch L-5s’). The long ‘Advanced’ style pickguard may be a replacement. Has original hardshell case.

This Gibson L-5 was originally shipped on May 11th, 1937 and is listed in the ledgers as “L-5 special – small body.” It was taken by Gibson salesman George Post in a #515 case. The guitar did not sell and was returned to inventory. It shipped for the final time on August 2nd, 1938 to Fife Music in Hollywood, California without a case. In the ledgers it is listed as “L-5 old”.

There is no record of this guitar ever having been returned to the Gibson factory for repairs.

This is one of just eleven 16-inch L-5s shipped in 1937