zombywoof Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 [laugh] You want us to ring your friend for you, Zomb, and just say you'll have it. Meanwhile, what about this one? 1930 Gibson L-0 all mahogany...clean. https://reverb.com/item/15514830-gibson-l-0-1930-mahogany https://www.waterlooguitars.com/wl-12-mh/ BluesKing777. It is good to know ya'll got my back. Funny thing about me is if you are talking about guitars with a price tag I am realistically willing to pay (there is a big difference between what I "can" and "will" pay) there is really not much out there that I am keeping an eye out for. At the top of my list is, of all things, a pre-1957 Harmony H922 Figure 8 12 string. But I tend to be pretty lazy and the Gibson I am currently thinking about is one of those that basically just showed up at my doorstep although obviously not literally. So if it all comes together I will rack it up to fate or destiny. I need a little breathing space on it so will probably not get with the owner until tomorrow. But if I do snag it you guys will be the first to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 We are not getting a lot to go on, Zombi....fairy dust actually. Good luck with the purchase - I'm guessing a NL 30s to get your jaded interest? Meanwhile, back to the very clean 30s L-0 - if you have a look at all the shop's wares, they are all super clean. I mean freaky clean. They may just sell clean guitars or...they could have the magic formula for guitar restoration pre sale...maybe a mix of a light sand/buff and a spray mixture of Virtoso Clean/Polish?.....then a light clear coat or fingernail polish or...magician's dust? Or OMO? https://reverb.com/shop/ssvintage?product_type=acoustic-guitars BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Meanwhile, back to the very clean 30s L-0 - if you have a look at all the shop's wares, they are all super clean. I mean freaky clean. They may just sell clean guitars or...they could have the magic formula for guitar restoration pre sale...maybe a mix of a light sand/buff and a spray mixture of Virtoso Clean/Polish?.....then a light clear coat or fingernail polish or...magician's dust? Or OMO? BluesKing777. Every vintage Gibson they have is remarkably clean, down to the rust-free Klusons. Having just gone through a serious cleaning on my new 1950 J-45, I would say they probably have a really good professional detailer on-staff or close at hand. Good photography helps, too. You just don't see shiny, rust-free three-on-a-plate Klusons from the 50's unless someone has spent some time on them. I know, having done a lot of that myself. I suspect there may have been some finish touch-up as well. You rarely see headstocks without chips on the upper edge of the face or wear on the back side of the top of the headstock from being leaned against things. Having said that, they have some very nice guitars there. One of those J-50's has a black-painted back of the headstock with a black stinger. That often means a headstock repair at some point in the guitar's history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Every vintage Gibson they have is remarkably clean, down to the rust-free Klusons. Having just gone through a serious cleaning on my new 1950 J-45, I would say they probably have a really good professional detailer on-staff or close at hand. Good photography helps, too. You just don't see shiny, rust-free three-on-a-plate Klusons from the 50's unless someone has spent some time on them. I know, having done a lot of that myself. I suspect there may have been some finish touch-up as well. You rarely see headstocks without chips on the upper edge of the face or wear on the back side of the top of the headstock from being leaned against things. Having said that, they have some very nice guitars there. One of those J-50's has a black-painted back of the headstock with a black stinger. That often means a headstock repair at some point in the guitar's history. Either way, they all look very good! A bit of a clean, machine sand with steel wool pad and a clear coat and another sand and a clear coat.... That 30s L-0 is a good price too, compare to 00 size Martins, Gibson 30s 00s size are still pretty good ( I was looking at Reverb.com with 00-18 from the 30s and they want 15 - 20K. ) Darn That Dream as the song goes. Now back on the waiting thing..... my roller door rolled to the roof, broke the ceiling and door....guitar fund was going to be transferred to a (bunch of morons that gave quotes and all were late, late late and very late and even a no show). BUT....we are waiting to hear if the whole thing including painting and electrician will be paid by insurance. First, they said no, then I got the Boss to ring and they said yes and sent assessors, who also said yes... Guitar Fund could be deployed to better purposes like another Dirty 30s creation!!!! [biggrin] .................So waiting on that and waiting on my luthier and waiting on my pickup delivery, and waiting on Zombiwoof. I love 30s guitars. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Either way, they all look very good! A bit of a clean, machine sand with steel wool pad and a clear coat and another sand and a clear coat.... BluesKing777. Once you start putting new finish on a guitar, you are hard-pressed to call it "completely original" in my book. I have never used a blacklight to examine a guitar's finish, but I assume it would show old vs new finish as a difference in reflected color. What does it show if there is a complete overspray, however? There must be people here with experience in this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Having said that, they have some very nice guitars there. One of those J-50's has a black-painted back of the headstock with a black stinger. That often means a headstock repair at some point in the guitar's history. I bought a few guitars from CME. The guy I dealt with was George Courtretsis. He always gave me a good deal. He left CME at the end of 2016 to team up with SS Vintage. CME is still an easy place to work with to get good deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 We are not getting a lot to go on, Zombi....fairy dust actually. Good luck with the purchase - I'm guessing a NL 30s to get your jaded interest? BluesKing777. As we are starting to get into Theater of the Absurd territory I will come clean. First, a big thank you to Tpbii for helping me sort this one out. Not an NL (I wish) but a shade top 1931 L-1. Right from the start there were a few things that puzzled me such as the presence of a striped tort glued on pickguard and no "the Gibson" adorning the headstock. It did not help that the owner sent me some pretty crappy pictures. Here is what Tom told me. First, the headstock is an older style dating to no later than 1929. The logo is a later style which was used around 1936-1940. The pickguard is actually the style used on Kalamazoos and not Gibsons. As is usual, once somebody points this kind of stuff out to you they are pretty easy to see. But here is the kicker. The guitar has suffered a cracked/broken headstock at sometime in its life. These differences suggest that the guitar could have been sent back to Gibson in the later 1930s for repairs. This would explain the back of the headstock as well as the front and neck being painted black, the later logo and the pickguard. It does not, however, explain the earlier style headstock. Maybe this one was a Floor Sweep guitar. The key though is was the work done by Gibson. And how you would figure that out without getting into the ledger books is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Interesting find. Had the opportunity to play a old (mid 30s?) L-1 a few years ago and all I recall is that it was very loud for being such a small guitar This looks fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 Interesting find. Had the opportunity to play a old (mid 30s?) L-1 a few years ago and all I recall is that it was very loud for being such a small guitar This looks fun. I am gong to try and cut a deal on it as neither the old repair nor the later modifications (which my guts say were done by Gibson) matter that much to me. I should know later this afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 Its Mine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Its Mine! Congratulations! So if the headstock has been repaired, how does that effect things and you are OK with that? Seems to have held together since the repair in 30s/40s? Do you have it in your hands or waiting for delivery? BluesKing777. (Need to buy something, NOW) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 Congratulations! So if the headstock has been repaired, how does that effect things and you are OK with that? Seems to have held together since the repair in 30s/40s? Do you have it in your hands or waiting for delivery? BluesKing777. (Need to buy something, NOW) Not in my hands yet. Probably will show up later next week. I really try and not overthink it all. Tires me out. But nothing much in the way of repairs is any kind of a deal killer for me. And Gibson having done modifications at the time of the repair also does not bother me. Gibson being Gibson they did not "restore" guitars but used whatever was contemporary. If nothing else I like the striped tort pickguard. Just part of the guitar's history. Also makes it unique. My wife though has a great philosophy - in a couple of months you will never know you spent the money. Ain't that the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nid2007 Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Its Mine! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 So we are still waiting! While we are waiting, check out the headstock on this '31 Gibson L-00 Prototype': https://reverb.com/item/18570523-vintage-1931-gibson-l-00-factory-prototype-with-original-geib-hardshell-case BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 So we are still waiting! While we are waiting, check out the headstock on this '31 Gibson L-00 Prototype': https://reverb.com/item/18570523-vintage-1931-gibson-l-00-factory-prototype-with-original-geib-hardshell-case BluesKing777. Not sure if I would be running for the drool bucket on this one. More likely the door marked exit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Not in my hands yet. Probably will show up later next week. I really try and not overthink it all. Tires me out. But nothing much in the way of repairs is any kind of a deal killer for me. And Gibson having done modifications at the time of the repair also does not bother me. Gibson being Gibson they did not "restore" guitars but used whatever was contemporary. If nothing else I like the striped tort pickguard. Just part of the guitar's history. Also makes it unique. My wife though has a great philosophy - in a couple of months you will never know you spent the money. Ain't that the truth. ZW, what about that pickguard strikes you as Kalamazoo rather than Gibson? Maybe it's the angle, but it looks like a Gibson pickguard from that period to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 ZW, what about that pickguard strikes you as Kalamazoo rather than Gibson? Maybe it's the angle, but it looks like a Gibson pickguard from that period to me. I sent some pics to Tom and that he is what he suggested. But there is just so much you can tell from photos, especially crappy ones. He did suggest that the pickguard though might in fact be original. That would be cool as it would be a very early example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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