BluesKing777 Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Just got one LIKE the picture, but with pickguard, NOT this one 'cos I can't get my photos to work on the Forum... Too late - I have already bought the farm so to speak - C.1935 Gibson L-50 Black Finish, but while I love it, there is scant information on the Internet about this model. Anything from the Gibson experts, or non-experts??? BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 27, 2012 Author Share Posted October 27, 2012 No info? Oh well... Not much on the web either - I have read every skerrick available over the previous weeks. Apparently, Gibson brought them out as a cheaper option with the black paint instead of the sunbursts, but the rest is a bit of a mystery. Mr Fox had a few scarce details and a guy on the M forum has some. Don't care 'cos I loves it ....perfect for my blues pickin', but not much good for the people that want a happy, shiny guitar! Has a very astringent, nail-on-the-blackboard tone and not much sustain - great for country blues and Freddie Green jazz chords. Somehow a Gibson tone comes through and I don't know how they do that, except for the rumour of a magic can of sound worms, 'cos it is very different from my LG3, but similar sounding in some ways? Someone has played the 3 or 4 note Freddie Green chords up and down the massive V neck 4 billion times, and worn the finish off exactly where those chords fall - very different wear patterns than cowboy chords and modern guitar playing. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 This is about as much information as you may find, although I am sure there is more if you google "Gibson archtops". My link The tone you describe sounds very typical of archtops: sharp attack, quick decay. They were often used as rhythm instruments in jazz orchestras in the pre-amplification days, and could cut through horns with that sharp attack. I'm still working to come to terms with the 1947 L-7 I have, as it plays unlike any other guitar I own. It is very good with big block barre cord progressions up the neck. String selection is pretty critical with these, and you'll find differing opinions. They definitely respond best to heavier strings, generally medium gauge. Gillian Welch's guitarist David Rawlings plays an old Epiphone acoustic archtop, and you should look at some of their videos to get and idea of what a good flat-picker can do with one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdiggitydog Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Hi, new to the forum (from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada). This is a Black Special (google under that name for details). Gibson created seven different series of Black Specials from the mid-thirties and up through the war years. They were less expensive, limited, dealer specials (literally) of various models including the L30, L37, and L50. Costs were saved on the production of these (and thus the retail price) because of: --the flat back (which contributes to the type of tone you mentioned) --black paint instead of a sunburst (thus allowing for top wood that maybe had a grain irregularity or imperfection and thus saving finishing time) --non-inlayed logo --and by using notched tonebars (for ease of shaping into place) rather than solid, carved tonebars (a significant contributor to the way the instrument resonates) Though this model has aspects to it that will somewhat limit tone and projection (many of the black specials also had smaller-than-normal f-holes), archtops are, of course, designed to cut through other instruments and to generally sound better to listeners a few metres away then to the player. I recommend: --checking to see if your bridge is standing vertical (straight), as some of these tend to lean after a long life --checking to see if the arch flattened out at all (not uncommon for very old instruments)? That can shape the tone, but wouldn't be practical to fix. --having a look inside with a light and a small mirror to see if the tone bars are loose or are still fully adhered. Personally, I think it's a very cool and unique guitar. You will definitely be the only bloke on the block to have one and you may never run into someone else who owns one. They are definitely bad *** in their appearance. I briefly owned a 1937 Black Special #4. It had always been a local guitar, and I was the third owner. It still had the original receipt in the case when I bought it. The original owner died in the 50s, and his widow gave it to owner #2--a boy at the time. It then mostly sat under his bed for 50 years since he never really learned to play. I bought it off him for $1,000 CDN (equal to $1,000 US and about 750 pounds sterling). I moved it along because, while it was in pretty great condition given its age, it wasn't what I was after tone-wise even though I have traditionally liked archtops (I've since bought a new Blues King which is making me quite happy for jazz, blues, folk, and general meandering). I should clarify that what you have may not technically have been called a Black Special when it was sold (although probably). But this is certainly of that family and that is what they came to be called. I'm pretty sure they started with that nomenclature in 1935. Play it in good health and enjoy it. Don't be silly like I was an let it go. It's tres cool and unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdiggitydog Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 By the way, J45nick is right: 13s are generally preferable for an archtop (usually a huge difference), but I would strongly caution against putting those on your Black Special without checking with a guitar tech who can look inside and tell you if the guitar will bear the tension (the arch and neck, etc.). You'd need to carefully adjust your truss rod at least. Archtops can be fussy things, but they are definitely works of art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 27, 2012 Author Share Posted October 27, 2012 Thanks Nick and JDiggityDog. Very interesting! I have read the whole internet looking for scant info....not a lot there, but the Black Special idea seems right with some other stuff I have seen. Some pages say that Gibson also made a black finish L50 for sale, as well as the Black Specials which were only available to certain dealers..... Oh, I bought it as a 'C. 1935 Gibson L50 Black Finish' from Elderly's. I also bought my '59 LG3 from them, and I can't say enough good things about them! Both guitars bought 'sight unseen', and I swore I was never going to do that again.......but both these guitars are the best ones I have bought! I found the smaller sister L30 black in the guitar museum site - same guitar, except a smaller size really. The museum has all the details, and I do mean all if you are interested: http://orgs.usd.edu/...uitar13567.html I had the guitar checked by my luthier, set up and a Schatten piezo bridge installed (no holes drilled reversible work). All good, he said - great big straight neck! It had 11's on it when I got it and he set it up for new 11's. I will see how stable it is over the next while, and if ok, I will go up to 13's and perhaps tune down 1/2 a step. It does not appear to have been played for a long while, apart from shop tryouts probably, and is now opening up beautifully every time I play it, which I am about to do in a minute! I took some pics on my iPhone, reduced them to fit the forum, and guess what, forum says it won't take that file type! What! A stock JPEG? I''ll make a short video.... Thanks very much again. BluesKing777. P.S. Welcome to the forum, Jdiggitydog and thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 28, 2012 Author Share Posted October 28, 2012 Here is a live recording I made of Robert Johnson's "From Four Til Late' playing my 1935 Black Gibson L50. Just recorded it through a Shure SM57 mic. http://soundcloud.co...777/4tillate99b And here is my version of Robert Johnson's "32-20 Blues" recorded at the same session: http://soundcloud.com/bluesking777/32-20no77b BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Here is a live recording I made of Robert Johnson's "From Four Til Late' playing my 1935 Black Gibson L50. And here is my version of Robert Johnson's "32-20 Blues" recorded at the same session BluesKing777. Great, classic archtop sound, BK. Are you using picks here? If not, you must have some wicked nails. What strings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Great, classic archtop sound, BK? Are you using picks here? If not, you must have some wicked nails. What strings? Thanks Nick Yeah - I'm in love! No picks and mostly these days I use my thumb and index finger only, but never say never when I need to flick the strings with whatever other fingers we have available! And my index nail is looking like a cat's. And the I think the strings were the ones that came out with the guitar in approx. 1935 - I wanted to record the sounds before it had a setup and stuff. My luthier has since put Daddarios 11's PBs on it and when I asked him why I didn't get my usual 12's or 13's, he said that is the gauge that was on it. BluesKing777. P.S. In all my excitement about this guitar I forgot to mention I got a lovely Gibson case with it! Some of my other Gibsons have come in all kinds of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Nice recordings, AND playing, enjoyed it...... but (Nick knows this is coming), You need to put some flatwounds on that beast if you really want the classic archtop tone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Nice recordings, AND playing, enjoyed it...... but (Nick knows this is coming), You need to put some flatwounds on that beast if you really want the classic archtop tone! Thanks L5Larry. Your name reminds me that I saw a picture of a black finish L5 about the same vintage while trawling through the web for details about my guitar. I want! I have Chromes flatwounds on my 54 ES125 and they go beautifully with the P90...., but my L50 is set up for acoustic playing with a piezo pickup bridge, so the Chromes won't work too good with the pickup. It was a decision to be made - floating mag pickup wouldn't fit - not enough space (1 inch only ) near the end of the neck and string height. Could have had a reso pickup, I was told. I happy with the sound after the setup and the more I play it, the closer it gets to talking.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretplay Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Just got one LIKE the picture, but with pickguard, NOT this one 'cos I can't get my photos to work on the Forum... Too late - I have already bought the farm so to speak - C.1935 Gibson L-50 Black Finish, but while I love it, there is scant information on the Internet about this model. Anything from the Gibson experts, or non-experts??? BluesKing777. I bought a L50 1935 sunbrust last year. It has taken a year for my luthier to get it into playing order but it is now. Wonderful tone and plenty of volume. It is really nice to have a playable guitar of this age, so many of them are collectors pieces fine for owning but no good to play. Can I ask how much you paid for yours Bluskind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 I bought a L50 1935 sunbrust last year. It has taken a year for my luthier to get it into playing order but it is now. Wonderful tone and plenty of volume. It is really nice to have a playable guitar of this age, so many of them are collectors pieces fine for owning but no good to play. Can I ask how much you paid for yours Bluskind? Congrats on the L50! Any soundbites of your beast? I paid way too much for mine probably, probably embarrisingly much for the tough negotiator that I am, but as RetroRod and I have discussed a couple of times, I live in the middle of nowhere down south from Melbourne, Australia and getting it here safely costs almost as much as the guitar, then we get customs and quarantine fees and delays. What I have paid for sight-unseen is the service from what I believe is one of the best guitar shops on the planet (Elderly's) who give a fair estimate of the condition and playability of the guitar and also pack and send it properly! So as Retro says, there will be no selling back to the US at a profit! A One-Way Street he called it. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdiggitydog Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Here is a live recording I made of Robert Johnson's "From Four Til Late' playing my 1935 Black Gibson L50. Just recorded it through a Shure SM57 mic. http://soundcloud.co...777/4tillate99b And here is my version of Robert Johnson's "32-20 Blues" recorded at the same session: http://soundcloud.com/bluesking777/32-20no77b BluesKing777. Ab fab, BluesKing. Both clips sound great. You're ON it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I bought a L50 1935 sunbrust last year. It has taken a year for my luthier to get it into playing order but it is now. hey fretplay , that theres a slow workin luthier . lol , you payin him by the hour ? :-P nice sounds blues king !! congratulations on the new guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol fred Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 BK, once again you've outdone yerself. Kudo's pal. Nice Git as well ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Congrats on the L50! Any soundbites of your beast? I paid way too much for mine probably, probably embarrisingly much for the tough negotiator that I am, but as RetroRod and I have discussed a couple of times, I live in the middle of nowhere down south from Melbourne, Australia and getting it here safely costs almost as much as the guitar, then we get customs and quarantine fees and delays. What I have paid for sight-unseen is the service from what I believe is one of the best guitar shops on the planet (Elderly's) who give a fair estimate of the condition and playability of the guitar and also pack and send it properly! So as Retro says, there will be no selling back to the US at a profit! A One-Way Street he called it. BluesKing777. But it is "all good" BK777, when you get a straight-shot from a straight-up dealer I am glad that another one worked out well! Sounds awesome and great playing by you....Yeah! rhymes wit' BAYOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Thanks for the nice comments! A couple of other side stories for ya.... Having listened back again, I have noticed a few clunkers but the feel is there (which got the tracks the gig!) and possibly the vocal is a touch loud but pretty happy all round considering I used just one Shure SM57 for guitar/vocals into a preamp then my old trusty iMac g5. I tend to turn the works on and just keep playing and try to forget the machinery is running to avoid 'Red Light Fever' while recording, then load the ones I did on my iPod to have a listen in my lounge chair - away from the dreaded work desk. As for guitar deliveries, well - they would have to be about as stressful as taking your car to a useless mechanic or getting some work done on the house .... I was watching the Fedex tracking at the time for my guitar, then I was jumping between the tracking and my work stuff to keep an eye on it - "It's left Elderly's"; It's at the Fedex facility'; It's at Memphis"; It's on the way to Honolulu" WAHOOOOOO!; It's in Australia in Sydney"; can't be long now - dance around the house and the back yard a few times...; It's at Customs; psssfffftttsssshitttttttttttteeeeee(Y); It's gone to Quarantine - game over for 2 weeks. Heart sinks. They are supposed to notify you by mail with the fee, but I have found out you can ring them over and over and over and make them cross! Anyway I have the guitar now and love it ....I had to get the better half to negotiate with Customs for me to get my guitar released - she has patience I don't possess with officials.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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