1938 Gibson L-00

A warm welcome to an all time favorite : the late thirties Gibson L-00.

A classic and elegant mid-size guitar (14.75″ at the lower bout).

I can’t get enough of this curvy body shape and wide sunburst.

It’s interesting how Gibson widened their sunburst along the years. The very first 14-frets L-00 in 1933 featured a small sunburst, where most of the body was black, and only the area above the bridge was color-sprayed. It progressively got wider until about late 1935 or 1936. The firestripe pickguard is dandy on those, as it’s especially colorful.

And here’s another shot with a different lightning.

The rosette is as simple as it gets, some may even call it crude. Typical of the Gibson way of thinking.

This pic tries to show the lacquer checking. This guitar, despite being extra clean (original, crack-free condition), is checked throughout, as an old Gibson ought to be.

The small rectangular bridge (15/16″ wide) is made out of Brazilian Rosewood. The wings are slightly rounded at the ends.

Here’s an other shot. It is a full height, untouched bridge.

The fingerboard is also Brazilian Rosewood, quite dark in color. This pic also shows the back binding. Pre-1937 L-00 had none, which makes the late thirties iteration a tiny bit classier than the earlier ones.

The headstock is slightly asymetrical at the top, which I think is a nice handmade touch. Note the original ebony nut, 45mm wide.

Silkscreened script logo, and hexagonal tuner bushings. These were used starting late 1937.

And here’s a shot of the square ends Waverly tuners. They were phased out in 1939, when Gibson replaced them with Kluson open back.

And here’s the back of the neck.  It has a rather chunky feel and a pronounced V shape to it, which is very usual for a Gibson from this era.

Taking a peep inside the soundhole, one can see the knife blade braces.

The braces inside Gibsons of this era have a thin V profile. Top braces are straight bars, slightly tapered at the ends. Contrary to Martin, Gibson was not scalloping the braces in the thirties, and started doing so in 1941 or 1942. The original bridge plate is also thin and small, and in great condition.

The construction is not overly light, compared to a late 1920′ Gibson or Martin flat top. It’s a very strong guitar that can easily handle 12/54 strings. This and the Adirondack spruce top yields a very powerful and raw tone. The attack is strong and percussive, so the notes sustain and fade out just at the right time. The bass is tight, which makes the midrange and thick trebles stand out. This is the epitomical Gibson tone : loud, dry and punchy. A delight for a variety of music, but it really shines for old time string band music, which is what I play the most.

For you vintage nuts, here’s a snapshot of a 1937 catalog.