Any ideas??Super find unidentified

[shredderbetter]

hey got a gibby at a steal but not sure when it was made or the model ~here's what i got serial #10092 then a 5 handwritten in red pen?I've shown some pics,help if you can!Also if anyone can identify the pic of guy and NO he's not don ho!body is flatback 16" lower 11 1/2" upper 20" long,dot inlays mop headstock script.LET me know what ya; think!

 

[bobv]

According to Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, the following three models would have f holes, no peghead ornament other than the logo, 16" wide, and sunburst finish:

 

It could be a special no. 5 (no other specs available except it was a limited run dealer Christmas special from 1940 to Dec 1941)

 

L48 had mahogany sides and top (early with spruce top - yours looks like spruce), single bound top and back, dot inlay,, introduced c. 1946. However the book describes the L48 as having a silkscreened logo and your appears to be inlayed. Later in 1952 (seems to be too late for that photo if it’s the same guitar) that model would have a maple back, mahogany sides, and 3 on a side Kluson deluxe tuners.

 

L50 had maple sides, made from 1935-1966 - but with a flat back it would be from 1935 (earlier is a bigger body and later has an arched back), tailpiece with raised diamond is 1936.

 

Gotta love those Waverly butterbean tuners and the diamond on the trapeze.

 

So my guess is a ‘35 or ‘36 L50.

 

None of this matters unless L5 Larry says so.

[gregsguitarz]

I agree it appears to be a L50 ,if the back and sides are laminated then it is a L 48,Greg.

[L5Larry]

None of this matters unless L5 Larry says so.

 

I just don't have a lot to add here. Most of the information given in the three or so threads this guitar has been posted in is pretty accurate. The one thing that does not make any sense is the serial number or factory order number. This guitar is pretty obviously from the mid to late 30's and this number (in any form, with or without the handwritten numeral) just does not come up from that era. But we're talking about Gibson here, so I think we just have to disregard the number completely.

 

The one thing I will add here is that IF the bridge is original, and it looks like rosewood in the photo, my reference materials state that "In 1938 the ebony adjustable bridge was replaced with one of rosewood". So that might kick up the date to '38, which doesn't necessarily jibe with the flat back dating. There just is not a lot of detailed documentation of these economy model Gibsons compared to the upper end models, and this was from a period when Gibson was making many changes to their products and swapping certain features around to various guitars.

 

I think you'll be as accurate and truthful as possible by call this guitar a "mid thirties L-50". I'm not sure you will ever be able to narrow it down any farther.

[bobv]

Shredster, what's the scale length?

[zizala]

Very nice!

I love it....as I do most of these old 16" Gibson archtops.

 

The bridge is not original, and it looks like the Waverly tuners replaced some old Grovers with similar footprints.

They likely had ivoroid or white plastic buttons.

 

I see a number 1009 ? - 5 (5 in red pencil) Is it possible that the number you're reading as 2 might be interpreted as a letter "B" instead? It looks smudged and I can't make it out in your photo.

 

From my records there were a number of L-50's made and shipped in 1936 with the batch number 1009.

So I'm thinking your number is 1009 B -5 and your guitar is a 1936 L-50. Everything else about the guitar looks right for that year.

 

Is that finish wear on the back of the neck or did someone shave that "V" profile?

 

Anyway....bet this one sounds nice...some of these old flat backed L-50's are great.