blindcommission Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Hi everyone i recently picked up this 1953 gibson LG2 pic below lg2 the guitar has x bracing on the top but theres no centre seam in the sound hole. It's concerning me a little as all the pics i'm seeing online show the centre seam on LG2's. Is this a modified LG1 or did not all LG2's have the centre seam. the seller is saying lG2's were ladder braced on the back which i don't think is correct. cheers in advance Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Well, the backs are ladder-braced on pretty much all guitars, but if you stick a mirror up and look at the underside of the top below the sound hole, you might see evidence of a former ladder brace imprint. Back seam is something my fellow geeks will have to chime in on. I would suspect Glenn's Guitars has a lot to lose by bullchitting vintage buyers, not to say a re-braced LG1 couldn't sound great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindcommission Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Well, the backs are ladder-braced on pretty much all guitars, but if you stick a mirror up and look at the underside of the top below the sound hole, you might see evidence of a former ladder brace imprint. Back seam is something my fellow geeks will have to chime in on. I would suspect Glenn's Guitars has a lot to lose by bullchitting vintage buyers, not to say a re-braced LG1 couldn't sound great. cheers Jed i've dealt with Glenn a few times and he's always been a good guy. The top is definitely X braced and the guitar sounds sweet. I'm just curious really - i've seen posts where people say if there's no centre seam its an LG1. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I've bought dozens of guitars from Glenn over the years, he's as knowledgeable as anyone in the country when it comes to vintage instruments and he would definitely not steer you wrong. As I'm sure you know, Gibson specs vary wildly and arbitrarily when it comes to vintage guitars...and some modern ones! All backs are ladder braced, other than pressed arched backs found on the likes of archtop guitars and oddities like the Gibson Gospel and certainly Guilds. The lack of a centre seam in all probability indicates that you have a one piece back, which is both unusual and something positive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 The backs are ladder braced - as far as having no reinforcement strip or center seam on the back, it could have happened (not regularly) that an LG-1 back found its way onto an LG-2 or an LG-3. It might have been a matter of grabbing available parts at the time of manufacture - not at all unheard of back then - or a years ago repair could have been done with a non-original back. Gibson factory repair could result in that kind of thing from time to time. Or it could be an LG-1 with an LG-2 replacement top. Or it could be rebraced. My 1961 LG-1 has been rebraced and actually sounds better than many LG-2's. Gibson variations are fascinating - at one time I owned a late 1950's ladder braced (one of three experimentals) J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindcommission Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 I've bought dozens of guitars from Glenn over the years, he's as knowledgeable as anyone in the country when it comes to vintage instruments and he would definitely not steer you wrong. As I'm sure you know, Gibson specs vary wildly and arbitrarily when it comes to vintage guitars...and some modern ones! All backs are ladder braced, other than pressed arched backs found on the likes of archtop guitars and oddities like the Gibson Gospel and certainly Guilds. The lack of a centre seam in all probability indicates that you have a one piece back, which is both unusual and something positive! hi Jinder i agree, Glenns always been great and offered great service - i'm happy with the guitar. i didn't even notice the seam at the time as i just loved the guitar, it was only afterwards i noticed and then remembered a few posts id read that said the lack of the centre strip meant it was an LG 1. it would appear that this isn't always the case! i actually played this against a banner lg2 and a 30s l00 and preferred this guitar - its well played in! but sounds great Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I have never dealt with Glenn but his reputation is such that I would normally take his word as the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Glenn still has the description and photos up on his site so I got to take a peek. Based on just the photos, my first impression would be you bought an LG-1 with a replaced bridge and tuners. As has already been noted, if it is X braced a mirror and some light could reveal the ghost markings of an earlier bracing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindcommission Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 I have never dealt with Glenn but his reputation is such that I would normally take his word as the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Glenn still has the description and photos up on his site so I got to take a peek. Based on just the photos, my first impression would be you bought an LG-1 with a replaced bridge and tuners. As has already been noted, if it is X braced a mirror and some light could reveal the ghost markings of an earlier bracing. and this is the issue for me - i'm someone who does swap guitars a fair bit. If this is a LG1 thats been rebraced it'll be worth less that a beat up LG2, which is what i bought. It's definitely x braced I'll try and take some photos of the inside tonight. cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Perhaps it's just the photo, but that saddle looks to be dangerously close to the front of the bridge. What's up with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Perhaps it's just the photo, but that saddle looks to be dangerously close to the front of the bridge. What's up with that? Well spotted eagle eyes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 and this is the issue for me - i'm someone who does swap guitars a fair bit. You might try doing a search over at the Unoffical Martin Guitar Forum. Lots of knowledge on that forum. Point is, in 50+ years of playing Gibsons, I have never not only seen an LG-2 without the spruce center back strip but have never even heard of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindcommission Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 Thanks will do. I've looked at the bracing and I can't see any evidence of ladder bracing but i'm no expert! Maybe its an lg2 top on a LG1 body - its a bit of a mystery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 I used to have a 1948 L-48 archtop acoustic (solid pressed mahogany top), with fully braced & reinforced solid mahogany back & sides. Essentially, the back & sides from a flattop had been pulled off the line & wedded to an archtop! I've never seen another L-48 like it, and I've looked at a lot of them over the years. Point is of course, that anything can happen with Gibson. But, I too have never seen an LG-2 that didn't have the center back seam bracing. This guitar does have a typical two piece back, and would normally have the center seam bracing if it was indeed born as an LG-2. If the seller is saying that LG-2s typically did not have center seam bracing, he's simply incorrect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindcommission Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 I used to have a 1948 L-48 archtop acoustic (solid pressed mahogany top), with fully braced & reinforced solid mahogany back & sides. Essentially, the back & sides from a flattop had been pulled off the line & wedded to an archtop! I've never seen another L-48 like it, and I've looked at a lot of them over the years. Point is of course, that anything can happen with Gibson. But, I too have never seen an LG-2 that didn't have the center back seam bracing. This guitar does have a typical two piece back, and would normally have the center seam bracing if it was indeed born as an LG-2. If the seller is saying that LG-2s typically did not have center seam bracing, he's simply incorrect. there is a piece of spruce on the back but its way off centre, to the left - it actually lines up with a repaired back crack which is what i thought it was originally, but maybe i'm wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Sounds like a repair and not evidence of the remains of an improperly placed back center strip. You might have seen such screw ups with a Banner but it would be very doubtful your guitar would have left the factory under Ted McCarty's elaborate inspection system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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