Evilive1999

You've never seen him? He's a great live act. I saw him perform twice. Impressive that a one man show can entertain a crowd for almost 2 hours but he's really got chops. It's an experience for sure. Mesmerizing player.

i have a solid black 1992 les paul studio w/ebony board. that guitar is one helluva workhorse. Like when Easy Andy from Taxi Driver tells Travis Bickel "That .38... you can go out hammer nails with it all day, come back and cut dead center on a target every time" My 92 studio hammered nails and everything else for the past 28 years. At one point it was even stolen, but the police managed to get it back. I'd say I got my moneys worth out of it. However the neck sustained some serious damage that no one can fix. It's got some sentimental value, but the neck is badly damaged by gouges and cracked. It doesn't feel right. And its a dog to play. Even Gibsons repair and restoration dept corresponded with me and said essentially (paraphrased) 'we can fix it, but you're not going to get an ebony board & its going to cost you 2500 for repair and paint. They noted that because it was a studio it would be cheaper to just buy another guitar. I'm not disparaging them, only relaying their jist. So i figured I'd live with it, and play it however I could. But still, It just never felt the same. I had heard of Stratosphere. I considered getting a Gibson Body and taking the heart & lungs out of my beloved 92 and doing a full transplant. I considered it. But never did it. Then in my many travels through the www, I found another solid black92 Studio in incredibly good condition and within reason n terms of cost. When I ran the SN, i found that it was made within a week of mine. Could I actually perform the surgery of a pup swap etc and essentially keep the spirit of my #1 going for another 28 years? Or just retire my #1. the neck on my 92 studio was like baseball bat. Was this common for studios at that time? I can only hope that the gods would allow me to closely recreate my #1 as best I can. thoughts? criticisms? experiences?

that's no L5. not even a Gibson. Not even a good fake.

nice guitar! the stories it could tell... i'm curious about that small red pencil marking that reads -20. thats on my guitar too. never fund anything about what it indicates

hi jim, thanks for reaching out. the guitar is a '38 L7. X bracing. I've created a 'periscope mirror' using Joes Sticky stape, wire coat hanger and a tiny bathroom mirror. there aren't any damages internally to the bracing etc. since my posting just this afternoon, I've read on other forums that some guitars did have a 'double hump' and that its not uncommon to the L7, L10 & L12. since ive never had to max out the bridge, I'm inclined to believe the evidence of my senses and the ref books in print!

I was reading in Adrian Ingrams book about the L5 pg 24 that when Gibson went from 16" bodies to 17" bodies (1937-39,) the company knew that pressure at the bridge area would cause a sinking of the top and as such began to construct tops in a more flattened pattern about where the bridge is. that said, I'm looking a 37-38 Gibson Archtop & i cant tell if it has a slightly sunken top, or was this flattened top also given to other models of that time? action is good, sound is robust, just curious if anyone had any input. thanks everyone See images.