Gibson Artist Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Jack White is playing what looks like an old vintage Gibson but i cant see the gibson name and dont know what it is, can only tell its a gibby by the obvious headstock. Anyone know what model that is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 It's pretty early, probably an L-1 or L-Jr. Hard to see details of the soundhole or headstock to know what if any mods have been made over the years. Generally looks intact but a bit beat. Looks like logo is missing, not unusual if it was silkscreened. Also can't see any soundhole rosette. Most likely an L-Jr from the lack of adornment. I've never seen one in the flesh before. It has the old L-style body, so it's almost certainly from the 1920's or late teens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Artist Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 It's pretty early, probably an L-1 or L-Jr. Hard to see details of the soundhole or headstock to know what if any mods have been made over the years. Generally looks intact but a bit beat. Looks like logo is missing, not unusual if it was silkscreened. Also can't see any soundhole rosette. Most likely an L-Jr from the lack of adornment. I've never seen one in the flesh before. It has the old L-style body, so it's almost certainly from the 1920's or late teens. Nice, its great to see a modern artist so young who appreciates the older stuff. I bet some posters on here have those, it has that parlor guitar look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 almost looks like the army navy model.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 . 1915 L-1. . . . . Nick's a winner. Saw a pic with a caption here - http://www.myrareguitars.com/jack-white-guitar-collection - scroll down a few guitars, you'll see it. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 . 1915 L-1. . . . . Nick's a winner. Saw a pic with a caption here - http://www.myrareguitars.com/jack-white-guitar-collection - scroll down a few guitars, you'll see it. . I'd really like to see it in the flesh. That army navy model was a low-adornment version of the L-1, and his looks pretty sparse. Not enough of these around to get definitive feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Here is a 1918 L-1. 1917 Army-Navy mandolin Best, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullmental Alpinist Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 1917 Army-Navy mandolin Best, -Tom Oh, look. It's got a torrified top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Artist Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 Here is a 1918 L-1. Best, -Tom That is lovely, maybe someday i can own one. Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 the one in the vid has no bound board or body. maybe Im not seeing it right.. Ive owned a few L1s from that time period.. 1914 up to 1919.. all had bound tops and boards as well as the Gibson Script.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Jack White is playing what looks like an old vintage Gibson but i cant see the gibson name and dont know what it is, can only tell its a gibby by the obvious headstock. Anyone know what model that is? Jack says it's an Army Navy model from 1918.He claims the neck could very well be a tree trunk! JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Oh, look. It's got a torrified top. I don't think you need to torrify a 99 year old top. Many of these were either painted black or had a very dark brown color -- maybe a stain. We use this one a lot. It has traveled many many miles with us. This was long before Flatiron existed. Best, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullmental Alpinist Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I don't think you need to torrify a 99 year old top. If it's torrified it'll sound like it's 150 years old. :unsure: (And probably combust....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Here it is again , and I'm going to start asking for royalties as it seems I'm never done talking about this 'another time another place' concert from llewyn Davis movie , this guitar is just one of the most fantastic gathering of awesome acoustics , all heard through a mic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukec88 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Personally I don't like the sound of that guitar. It sounds dull to me. But Its a piece of history for sure! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Personally I don't like the sound of that guitar. It sounds dull to me. But Its a piece of history for sure! :) Hearing this instrument I know now why some guitars are called 'twang boxes'.... to my ears this one fits the bill, But I agree that it is a piece of history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Hearing this instrument I know now why some guitars are called 'twang boxes'.... to my ears this one fits the bill, But I agree that it is a piece of history. They are also using an early 20s Gibson snake head tenor trapdoor banjo too. Historically, those (guitar and banjo) were Dixieland jazz instruments played with a "plectrum", so the style being used here is a sort of folk revival re-imagining of traditional music. I find most acoustic ensembles with vintage guitars (and banjos) compelling although I find a lot of stuff performed in more authentic styles more appealing to me -- mostly because of the higher implicit power level. We did a bit of re-imagining with a trapdoor snake head ourselves last week -- bluegrass light trio. I could have used any number of rawer vintage guitars for rhythm, but chose the 62 Hummingbird specifically because it was the opposite -- mild and full. The technique we use to record acoustic music is more like that used in the 50s -- basically recording the room and not working the mics. I think I was born too late. Here is that stuff. I do like the rawer guitar sound too. Here is an example of a 20s Larson from that same session. It is all good! Let's pick, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Here is a picture of my 1923 L-Jr. The budget model of the L-1. Not the same thing as Jacks but sort of in the neighborhood. The top is about a 1/4" thick but the sound is not. It will make you rethink everything we tend to assume about thin lightweight tops. It also has the bar frets ( I think that is the correct terminology) slides are somewhat hazardous. The tailpiece bridge and tuners have been changed. I have thought about selling it but it is such a piece of Gibson history, I never do. It actually has a sweet, sort of old time sound. It arrived to me in pieces and I did only what it took to make it playable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 After a bit more investigation, the Army-Navy and L-Jr appear to have very similar specifications, such that the L-Jr may have been a continuation of the Army-Navy under a different name after the end of WWI. Depending on the year of manufacture--and we don't know if White's guitar has a FON or not--it would appear that this is either an Army-Navy or an L-Jr. Effectively, they look like the same guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 After a bit more investigation, the Army-Navy and L-Jr appear to have very similar specifications, such that the L-Jr may have been a continuation of the Army-Navy under a different name after the end of WWI. Depending on the year of manufacture--and we don't know if White's guitar has a FON or not--it would appear that this is either an Army-Navy or an L-Jr. Effectively, they look like the same guitar. That agrees completely with what I have seen. However, I have never seen any evidence the Army-Navy mandolin survived the war. I would love to know it if it did survive in any way. Best, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 They are also using an early 20s Gibson snake head tenor trapdoor banjo too. Historically, those (guitar and banjo) were Dixieland jazz instruments played with a "plectrum", so the style being used here is a sort of folk revival re-imagining of traditional music. I find most acoustic ensembles with vintage guitars (and banjos) compelling although I find a lot of stuff performed in more authentic styles more appealing to me -- mostly because of the higher implicit power level. We did a bit of re-imagining with a trapdoor snake head ourselves last week -- bluegrass light trio. I could have used any number of rawer vintage guitars for rhythm, but chose the 62 Hummingbird specifically because it was the opposite -- mild and full. The technique we use to record acoustic music is more like that used in the 50s -- basically recording the room and not working the mics. I think I was born too late. Here is that stuff. I do like the rawer guitar sound too. Here is an example of a 20s Larson from that same session. It is all good! Let's pick, -Tom Thanks for the insightful reply Tom, I watch most all of the stuff you and yours post up and enjoy it very much....I meant no disrespect to Jack White, Gibson or anyone else with my comment, I was just making an observation. The guitar sounded 'twanggy' to my ears. nothing more, nothing less, as you stated 'It is all good' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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