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LGs - Which one(s)? Why?


BoSoxBiker

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OK, so I read up on you fine folks and your love affairs with some LGs. I think I understand the basics - Ladder bracing for different types of old timey tone. I hope that isn't over-simplifying it. At least not to the point of insult.

 

The questions. Which era, specific LG model(s) and characteristics do you prefer for yourselves. No-brainers to no-starters. What's good for what in your hands. In other words, I'm interested to hear your stories with these things.

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I prefer the mid to late 40's LG-2 guitars (I have a 1947) with the block Gibson decal. I am pretty sure I feel the same about the early 40's banner guitars but I've never had the opportunity to play one. I purchased a 1963 from Gary's Vintage Guitars and it too was a good one however, the neck was of the slim variant, it had the enlarged fret wire Gibson went to at some point and the bat wing pick-guard. I was never interested in the LG-1 guitars with the ladder bracing until I picked one up in a guitar store in Colorado and I was floored! It was oh so nice. So I don't poo poo the LG-1 guitars any longer. I also think the LG-3 is a great looking guitar. So, there you have my take on the LGs!

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PB, I like the X-braced LG2 and 3, but the ladder braced LG0 and 1 are big hearted little beasts with loads of character.

 

A ‘62 LG0 was one of the best sounding guitars I’ve ever played, on a visit to see my chum Glenn Sinnock (the best guitar dealer in the UK-look his website up for hours of drooling!) some years back. I didn’t have the cash at the time, but what a guitar...talk about punching above its weight!

 

The grail for me would be a ‘40s Maple LG2, as mentioned by Zombywoof recently. What a dream.

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I have never seen or played any LG except the ones I have owned - scarce as hens teeth here - so I can only comment on the ones I owned.

 

Now, I love the sound of my 59 LG3 and my 52 LG1 and they have 50s fat C necks - but why oh why did Gibson give them a 1 11/16" Nut? I mean, most of the people that want that size guitar are fingerpickers. But 1 11/16" is fairly useless for fingerpicking unless I do what my old guitar teacher kept saying as he hit my knuckles with a ruler : "Arch your fingers, arch your fingers!" (whack).

 

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BluesKing777.

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The first LG I had was an 1951 LG1. My impressions of it was the sound was classic Gibson thump without the sustain.

This year also had the 9-3/4" radius fretboard. I had the board planned and refretted and it was in good shape. I sold it during one of my many downsizings.

 

 

B82ADB7D-5CA5-4F3F-BB0A-53ED5A0BA859_zpsszydt9lg.jpg

 

 

I currently have an LG2 Mahogany that is an reissue of John Thomas' original Banner LG1 (maybe labeled wrong but x-braced). Definitely a lot fuller and sustaining sound than the LG1 I had.

 

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Here's a link to John's comparison of the vintage to the reissue

 

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I have a 1956 LG-1 (ladder braced).

It just grabbed me, I wasn't looking for anything like it at the time, but it just had that immediate dynamic response and a great midrange poke that I found irresistible.

I have bigger and louder dreads and jumbos but this style just filled a need, it's comfortable to play with the short scale and has a totally different sound.

'50s LG-1 models also cost a lot less than other Gibsons of that era, it has a BRW rosewood bridge with non-adjustable saddle, a good hefty neck with BRW board and a nice sunburst finish.

Love it!

 

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I have had an on and off again love affair with LGs over the past 55 years. While I have owned LG-1s over the years I have found there are quite a few ladder braced guitars I like better. I tend to think even 1/4" of added real estate to the lower bout really makes a difference with these guitars.

 

When it comes to LG-2s, at least older ones, I find them all over the place in sound. The one I owned the longest was a 1946 script logo guitar. I moved that one out to make room for a 1957 CF-100E. Now I am planning to lose that one. But just when I think I am again finished with LGs I run into a 1945 maple body version at a Guitar Show. If that guy had been set up to take anything other than cash I would have bought it on the spot. But in hindsight considering things that had been done to that guitar it was pretty much overpriced. I may still call him though to see how willing he is to haggle. So who knows.

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I've not owned an LG-3, so can't speak to that one. A few 1's and 2's have passed through my hands, however. In the main, I've found the banner versions to be great guitars, exhibiting differences from one to the next, but all generally quite bassy. 50's models can be a bit more consistent, but their bass isn't quite as pronounced, and the necks don't have the heft of the wartime/late '40's guitars. The biggest neck I've come across was on a '46 LG-2 that was a real challenge to capo. Of the 60's models I've owned, none were too outstanding with the exception of the '61 LG-1 that I still have in the herd. It, however, has been rebraced like an LG-2 and lovingly restored by my favorite luthier - making it more of an LG-1.5. Excellent bass w/o being boomy and nice midrange & treble for someone who tends to flatpick more often than not. Most are fingerpicker's guitars, and each deserves to be evaluated on its own merits.

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I have learned to love LG-1s for their archtop-like chunky cut. They sound better than they should, and for certain types of music they rule. I think they make great instruments for single-line leads, and would probably be really good for solo acoustic jazz, as they have that faster decay like an archtop or a nylon-string. I may have to lay hands on one and see how bossa nova stuff works on one.

 

I haven't had any real experience with LG-0s, but I would like to experiment with one. Unfortunately, the price on early ones with a nice rectangular bridge is higher than I care to go.

 

In theory, LG-2, LG-3, B-25 and B-25N are all the same guitar, but not so much. The received wisdom is that the banner ones are best - though I am frankly skeptical and believe that the sheer scarcity of the banner guitars and their collectible status greatly influences their reputation. That said, the neck contours do get smaller between the war and c.1960 or so, then even smaller as the 60s go on.

 

I will note that the ONLY guitar that I still miss and still regret letting go of, out of a couple of hundred guitars, was a 1960 LG-2. It had the lower, slightly wider braces, rather than the taller scalloped ones used prior to 1955. It had the batwing pickguard. Mine had several repaired cracks, Grover Rotomatics replaced the Klusons, the bridge had been removed and reset without the bolts, an early Fishman 332 pickup installed - and it was an amazing guitar. I wrote a ton of stuff on it, I played so many gigs with it, and I was an idiot to part with it.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about acquiring its modern incarnation, the LG-2 American Eagle, which being a natural finish should in theory be an LG-3. I probably will try to get an earlier one without a pickguard, with some understandings - the body shape is different, and whoever it was that suggested it looks more like a pre-war L-2 has me convinced. The lower bout is wider, the upper bout is smaller, the curves are different though the total real estate is comparable.

 

I'm looking at acquiring the LG-2AE because it offers the other side of the Gibson coin to what my J-45 has. My 2005 J-45 Historic Collection has a big enveloping sound, a sound that surrounds with presence and fills up a space around the listener, and part of that sound is the classic Gibson mid-range. The LG-2 to my ear has about as much volume, but it's a more focused, penetrating sound with more string separation, more directional and more mid-focused.

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I have learned to love LG-1s for their archtop-like chunky cut. They sound better than they should, and for certain types of music they rule. I think they make great instruments for single-line leads, and would probably be really good for solo acoustic jazz, as they have that faster decay like an archtop or a nylon-string. I may have to lay hands on one and see how bossa nova stuff works on one.

 

I haven't had any real experience with LG-0s, but I would like to experiment with one. Unfortunately, the price on early ones with a nice rectangular bridge is higher than I care to go.

 

In theory, LG-2, LG-3, B-25 and B-25N are all the same guitar, but not so much. The received wisdom is that the banner ones are best - though I am frankly skeptical and believe that the sheer scarcity of the banner guitars and their collectible status greatly influences their reputation. That said, the neck contours do get smaller between the war and c.1960 or so, then even smaller as the 60s go on.

 

I will note that the ONLY guitar that I still miss and still regret letting go of, out of a couple of hundred guitars, was a 1960 LG-2. It had the lower, slightly wider braces, rather than the taller scalloped ones used prior to 1955. It had the batwing pickguard. Mine had several repaired cracks, Grover Rotomatics replaced the Klusons, the bridge had been removed and reset without the bolts, an early Fishman 332 pickup installed - and it was an amazing guitar. I wrote a ton of stuff on it, I played so many gigs with it, and I was an idiot to part with it.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about acquiring its modern incarnation, the LG-2 American Eagle, which being a natural finish should in theory be an LG-3. I probably will try to get an earlier one without a pickguard, with some understandings - the body shape is different, and whoever it was that suggested it looks more like a pre-war L-2 has me convinced. The lower bout is wider, the upper bout is smaller, the curves are different though the total real estate is comparable.

 

I'm looking at acquiring the LG-2AE because it offers the other side of the Gibson coin to what my J-45 has. My 2005 J-45 Historic Collection has a big enveloping sound, a sound that surrounds with presence and fills up a space around the listener, and part of that sound is the classic Gibson mid-range. The LG-2 to my ear has about as much volume, but it's a more focused, penetrating sound with more string separation, more directional and more mid-focused.

 

I had an LG2AE. Great little guitar. Wish I hadn’t sold it, it was a gem.

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My ‘44 LG-2 is displayed in my avatar. It was the result of my grail quest for the perfect lg. My first Gibson was an lg-3 from 1961...many lg-2s, b-25s and lg-1s from various decades after that.

My banner has a baseball bat for a neck, but it’s perfect.

 

If I could only keep one from my herd, I suspect it would be the lg-2.

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Thanks, gents, for all your responses and links so far. This has been a nifty, educational little ride. I've known the reputation that some of the old timey economy models of Gibsons and a couple of other brands had turned into gems, but knew little to nothing beyond that.

 

I think my biggest surprise is the no truss rod thing for the banners, and now know what "banners" means.

 

So, I know a vintage case with the guitar is desirable at sale/purchase time. Some of you guys are as much curators as you are musicians, whether or not you want to be. Ever tempted to stash the vintage case somewhere safe and get a new modern case to better protect the actual guitar?

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So, I know a vintage case with the guitar is desirable at sale/purchase time. Some of you guys are as much curators as you are musicians, whether or not you want to be. Ever tempted to stash the vintage case somewhere safe and get a new modern case to better protect the actual guitar?

 

Though an original vintage case is desirable at the time of purchase, to me it’s only in the event I were to sell the guitar at a future point...to be able to say it comes with the original case. Otherwise, I personally do not like the majority of vintage cases that have come with guitars I have bought. The exception being an original wooden case that came with my 1936 Epiphone Zenith when I bought it. Otherwise, a lot of vintage cases are of the fake alligator and chipboard variety, which while cool are not very practical to take a guitar out gigging. As a matter of fact, I leave the fake alligator case home if gigging with the guitar because it attracts too much attention. I prefer to use gig bags in all instances when gigging with any guitar I take out on a gig. They’re much easier to handle, lighter, and draw a lot less attention to the fine instruments I carry within them. They all have decent padding and I handle them with care, so they work fine for me.

 

The only time I use a hard shell case is when taking one on an airplane or when storing an instrument. And, any original cases for the most part I just store away in the event I were to sell one of the vintage guitars.

 

Just my approach.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

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A question about the original cases could be :

 

Did some of the Gibson LG series come in better cases that the cardboard alligator?

 

Luckily, some of the guitars survived better than the cases. ( I kept mine from something else (LG0 long gone) for providence but the LGs of mine are in proper cases. The LG3 arrived in a case way too big and my LG1 came in a broken 12 string Gibson case.......).

 

 

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BluesKing777.

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Original cases are cool, but - as stated earlier - are often mostly sales bait. The gaterboard variety cost less (in my youth and previous, there wasn't really a 'come with' deal - you bought the guitar and could also buy a case or not - and many of us went for cheaper) and were much more common than the hardshells. You could own a hardshell, but most didn't. I tend to retire the originals, use modern hardshells, and - if I resell - let the original go w/the guitar.

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The no truss rod was for only a year or so mainly in ‘43 from what I understand.

 

During WW2, there were huge scrap metal drives in the US to recycle aluminum and steel for use in war industries production. I suspect that once Gibson ran out of pre-war trussrods, there was simply no way they could justify the use of steel in this way. 1943 was probably the height of the ramp-up in war production.

 

There are plenty of wartime public service announcement/propaganda films that played along with newsreels before feature films at theaters across the country during the war, many of which are probably now available on youtube. Those of us too young to have experienced this first-hand will probably never appreciate how the country pulled together during that war.

 

It was a different time, and a different place.

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Yes, as Dave mentioned, if you were to come across an old LG, it would most likely have a truss rod- wouldn't hurt to verify that before going further, though. My eyes got opened to the whole LG-2 scene when I came across a '59 at a Guitar Center, where it was mislabeled (gee, at a GC?, what a shock) as an LG-1 with a sticker price of only $899. Seeing the reinforcing strip inside the soundhole, and feeling for the x brace, confirmed it as an LG-2, grossly underpriced. It played beautifully, and in fine shape. Came back for it a few days later, and the little batwing-pickguarded sweetie was gone and placed in the "ones that got away" file.

 

Pied Piper case that came with the '49 I ended up with:

 

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I suppose some shops that sold these back in the day offered a better option than the standard chipboard case. The "Pied Piper". Really? Perfect. 'Just fits with the funkiness of the '49 that it's been with for many years. No, not plush like a True Vintage case, but nothing a towel wrapped around the headstock can't fix.

 

So, as mentioned on a recent thread on these pages ('Woof's Guitar Fest?), I went to the big guitar show, with Banners on my mind. Played a half dozen or so LG's- some banners, some not. Did you ever see a guitar and just imagine what it would sound like? :

 

xJyMN5K.jpg

 

A barky whack of spruce. Pickguard sunken into the grain of the top, grain lines showing through the 'guard. And it did have a bark to it; dry as an old L-00 but not the one-trick-pony limited usefulness of an old L-00. In that vein, it would be good to mention where the LG-2 sits sonically in the Gibson lineup, and how it plays with others; I was able to sell the super-raspy 1936 L-00 and still cover occasional country blues picking but with added versatility. Good when picking solo, or with others also playing LG- type guitars, or light duty singer songwriter type fare, but when in a larger jam settings with big dreads and other instruments, the LG settles to the back . . . similar to how it's tough playing a J-185 when a J-200 is in the room.

 

What RustyStrings said in his reply has been my impression, as well:

I'm looking at acquiring the LG-2AE because it offers the other side of the Gibson coin to what my J-45 has. My 2005 J-45 Historic Collection has a big enveloping sound, a sound that surrounds with presence and fills up a space around the listener, and part of that sound is the classic Gibson mid-range. The LG-2 to my ear has about as much volume, but it's a more focused, penetrating sound with more string separation, more directional and more mid-focused.

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Here's my favorite, the X-braced LG-1, shown here visiting its birthplace on its 75th birthday:

 

36294319_10211636358677848_1866058471435141120_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent.fbed1-2.fna&oh=54c267d1522c5d1d6c489bc8aca33113&oe=5C5964C0

 

Prior to my discovery (along with my friend, Willi Henkes) of the existence of the Banner LG-1, folks thought the LG-1 to be a ladder braced, post-War creation. But, Gibson shipped 139 of these beauties during the War. They feature the fancy rosettes and multiple purfings on top and back of all of the first issue Banners.

 

I got this guitar from the nephew of the original owner, and he new when and where it was purchased. So, I could track it through the shipping ledgers. It shipped June 23, 1943.

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Here's my favorite, the X-braced LG-1, shown here visiting its birthplace on its 75th birthday:

 

36294319_10211636358677848_1866058471435141120_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent.fbed1-2.fna&oh=54c267d1522c5d1d6c489bc8aca33113&oe=5C5964C0

 

Prior to my discovery (along with my friend, Willi Henkes) of the existence of the Banner LG-1, folks thought the LG-1 to be a ladder braced, post-War creation. But, Gibson shipped 139 of these beauties during the War. They feature the fancy rosettes and multiple purfings on top and back of all of the first issue Banners.

 

I got this guitar from the nephew of the original owner, and he new when and where it was purchased. So, I could track it through the shipping ledgers. It shipped June 23, 1943.

How close are the FON's of yours to Tom B's?

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