jbass Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Hello, Need help to determine if I have a Gibson L48 or L50 and what year. I have read a lot of previous forum posts to educate myself but would like some more feedback from the experts. See pics attached. Here is what info I have so far: FON 1232 C with red pencil 45 Archtop 16" Flat back w F holes/ Dot fingerboard / "Fleur de Lis" Gibson headstock logo / Not sure if spruce, mahogany, laminated etc See pic of interior bracing Grover tuning pegs Raised diamond tailpiece crossbar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoByte Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I think you have a 1946 L-48 there, first year they were made. No angle on the silkscreen logo. Not positive but someone here will know. What a gem ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I'm going to guess a 1937 L50. I see some published info that claims the C means 1937. The L48 wasn't made yet. Besides, I've never seen an L48 with an inlaid logo. Actually most L50s have only a decal but where this is an early one it could be different. I know around 1936/37 they were a 16" with a flat back...not sure when they went to an arched back but I'm betting not long after yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Yes, "C" denotes a mfg date of 1937. The small script logo is also proper for this era. As the L-48 was not introduced until after WWII, and the 16" L-50 came out in 1936, as the "budget" model "Grand Auditorium" size guitar. The best I can determine from the info furnished, as did KSD, is ... 1937 L-50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbass Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Yes, "C" denotes a mfg date of 1937. The small script logo is also proper for this era. As the L-48 was not introduced until after WWII, and the 16" L-50 came out in 1936, as the "budget" model "Grand Auditorium" size guitar. The best I can determine from the info furnished, as did KSD, is ... 1937 L-50. Thanks L5Larry and KSD for your expertise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 There is some additional information/confirmation that can be determined by the "flat-back" (again as KSD mentioned), but I don't seem to find it in my books at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoByte Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Good call guys, here's one built just before it: SN:1232C44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbass Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Good call guys, here's one built just before it: SN:1232C44 Wow, good find, 1 ser# earlier than mine! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Archtop 16" Flat back w F holes/ Dot fingerboard / "Fleur de Lis" Gibson headstock logo /... That early headstock logo (as Larry references) is known as a "script" logo. Gibson has used a fleur de lis central headstock inlay on quite a variety of guitar, lap steel, mandolin, banjo (etc) models over the years, but never on an L-50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbass Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 That early headstock logo (as Larry references) is known as a "script" logo. Gibson has used a fleur de lis central headstock inlay on quite a variety of guitar, lap steel, mandolin, banjo (etc) models over the years, but never on an L-50. Thanks for the clarification. I had seen this term used "loosely" in my research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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