JWar22 Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Hey everyone, I have what I believe to be a 1943 Gibson L-50 in ebony. There are several concerns I have about if its a real Gibson and what has been done to it if it is. I've included some pics of the guitar and the things that concern me. Any info would be much appreciated. First off it has binding around the F-Holes. I haven't found any models online with this feature, but finding a 1943 in ebony is another trick all together it seems. Secondly it has obviously been painted or at least the headstock has. As you can see in the pic the logo is on the original surface and the Glossy paint around it is elevated. hmmmmm And 3rd I notice vertical lines in the finishes of the few ebony archtops I've seen but these seem more pronouced. And wehen i removed the pick guard it looks like a patched hole or....well I don't know wtf it could have been..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Looks like the original celluloid pick guard deteriorated on the guitar damaging the finish and top wood followed by a bad repair attempt. The F holes - is that white paint or binding. Headstock spray is puzzling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 It looks like the whole guitar has been heavily overcoated with paint, on top of the original finish. That's quite obvious on the headstock, and appears to be the case on the body as well. You can see where the black bleeds over the binding, particularly around the tailpiece. I suspect it may be an F-50 underneath it all. Not sure if either the tuners or the tailpiece is correct, but someone here will know. The pickguard is obviously a replacement. Big K's thoughts that a deteriorating celluloid pickguard badly damaged the finish is a good one. I've seen that before. Is there a serial number or factory order number that leads you to believe it is a 1943? A assume the body is 16" wide across the lower bout. The overcoating has wiped out any collector value, but the L-50 is not really a collector guitar in any case. If you like the way it plays and sounds, enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWar22 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 Thanks guys. And no there is absolutely no serial or FON numbers anywhere outside or inside. I determined the year by the 16" body, logo style, dot inlays, 3 on 1 tuners..... I acquired it for $150 and it genuinely plays well....so I'll just keep it for now......its my first arch top acoustic and i have to say its a refreshing experience. Last pic but checkout the fret board on top three frets.........Its like someone died holding it! Who plays in one spot that much? lol Again, thanks for your help and info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 3 hours ago, j45nick said: You can see where the black bleeds over the binding, particularly around the tailpiece. Good eye. And yes, the nitro can be quite nasty, off-gassing where it comes close to the finish at the north end of the pickguard 3 hours ago, BigKahune said: The F holes - is that white paint or binding. Does look like paint. People will "make it their own". 2 hours ago, JWar22 said: Who plays in one spot that much? lol Or- who doesn't keep their nails trimmed that much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I owned a 40s Banner that was so worn out. You could see the trussrod from the back of the neck. It was beat. Someone actually paint it black with a brush. So seeing this L50 in this state. Shows they were bought to be played hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 The tailpiece looks right, They will have either the raised diamond or be flat. The part that attaches to the body looks spot on. Not sure about the tuners. I would expect to see Kluson clipped plate tuners which were pretty much standard throughout the WII period. But I am more familiar with flattops so could be wrong. I do have to ask about the binding on the soundholes. This, of course, was not a feature on the guitars. It is real binding or painted on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMSMC Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 On 2/16/2020 at 6:02 PM, 62burst said: Good eye. And yes, the nitro can be quite nasty, off-gassing where it comes close to the finish at the north end of the pickguard Does look like paint. People will "make it their own". Or- who doesn't keep their nails trimmed that much? See it a lot on older instruments where they were playing rhythm guitar with a lot of cowboy chords. Whoever had it in the past played a lot of C, A and G chords. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustystrings Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Looks to me like someone put a coat of finish of some sort on the fingerboard - I would be tempted to gently scrape the board clean and polish with a little mineral oil to condition it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dfighter Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 On 2/16/2020 at 11:09 PM, slimt said: I owned a 40s Banner that was so worn out. You could see the trussrod from the back of the neck. It was beat. Someone actually paint it black with a brush. So seeing this L50 in this state. Shows they were bought to be played hard. As we like to say down south, they were meant to be rode hard and put up wet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 12 hours ago, Dfighter said: As we like to say down south, they were meant to be rode hard and put up wet! I'd say down around Lafayette would be south, yea. I spent many a year down around Lake Charles in the 80's. Welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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