Help with identification?

[Hard40sta]

Greetings!

 

I am new to the forum and have a couple of Gibson identifications I need help with:

 

1) My wife's 92 year-old grandfather was recently placed into a retirement center. Going through his closet, I found an old Gibson guitar--much to my surprise as a guitar player and having been in the family for 25+ years, he never mentioned it. He tells me it was his fathers. The best I can figure out, is it is maybe a 1920s-era Model O. It has the smaller headstock with the pearl in-lay "The Gibson" straight. It has a bound fretboard and a suspended pickguard and tailpiece. He will need money in the home, so we are considering selling it...but I need to know what it is first. Any ideas?

 

2) I have owned a Black Les Paul for about 20 years. I assume it is a standard. Where the serial number should be, are the words "Not For Sale" stamped into the wood, under the paint. The guy I bought it from claimed it was an 80, but he wasn't sure if it was a standard or a studio. Ideas on how to verify the year and make short of a SN?

 

Thank you in advance,

Curtis

[Rich]

Would it be an L-4?

 

http://www.mandoweb.com/Instruments/Gibson-L-4+Snakehead+Archtop+Acoustic+Guitar-1925/3376/Photos

[zombywoof]

With the the truss rod, oval soundhole and all I would say a 1921-1927 L-4. Not 100% sure but I want to say the snakehead would date it more in the middle part of the decade.

 

There should be an FON stamped on the neck block.

[Hard40sta]

Yep,

 

Its a 1926 L4. Thanks you for the help...

 

Now, thoughts on the 80 Les Paul?