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Is this LG1 legit?


gtg2034

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Hi all!

New member here, wondering if y'all could help with with this guitar. It's listed locally for $550, seems like a great deal if it's legit no?

pickguard is on the wrong side I see that, but I don't know if the other markings are correct

any help appreciated! Here's all the pics https://imgur.com/a/IbTFwTG (they were too big to upload here)

Thanks

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I think it’s legit.  Although, it certainly appears that it does not have an original bridge in it.   To me it looks like a replacement adjustable bridge, not the original.  The saddle position on the bridge also looks to be a bit too extreme in its angle.  I assume a lefty was playing it and put a lefty pickguard on it.  With the bridge’s saddle angle being the way it is a bit too extreme of an angle even for a right handed guitar, which would be way far off for a lefty guitar position, I would have to assume as a result the guitar likely never intonated properly when strung as a lefty guitar,  unless it was fretted upside down (which some lefty players can do.). If the seller used it strung like a left handed guitar, which could produce poor intonation with that angle, that could be why it’s being sold.   
 

But, the guitar looks like a real LG1. I compared the LG1 lettering inside the guitar to the letter of mine and it’s the same.  As are the binding, tuners, headstock, and body shape. Just the bridge looks non-original and the unusualness of the pickguard being like it’s like a lefty replacement, although the likely replacement bridge and it’s saddle position are still for a righty.  But, it looks like it’s an actual LG1.

Hope this helps.

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

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If the guitar is a '67 the rosewood ADJ saddle bridge would be correct.  Everything from the three tone burst to the double line Kluson Deluxe tuners appears to be what it should.  The price is good but only if you want a Gibson built this late meaning you can deal with the skinny neck and narrow nut.   But don't ask me what is going on with the pickguard with the bridge not being a lefty.  The mind wobbles.

Edited by zombywoof
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36 minutes ago, zombywoof said:

If the guitar is a '67 the rosewood ADJ saddle bridge would be correct.  Everything from the three tone burst to the double line Kluson Deluxe tuners appears to be what it should.  The price is good but only if you want a Gibson built this late meaning you can deal with the skinny neck and narrow nut.   But don't ask me what is going on with the pickguard with the bridge not being a lefty.  The mind wobbles.

It is strung as a righty, and the saddle intonation angle is for a righty. Only the pickguard is lefty. Don't ask me why it has a lefty pickguard. Maybe Jimi Hendrix owned it.

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Thanks all!

Yeah it's listed at a '68 (and the serial number seems to line up for that). Pickguard thing is a mystery for sure, but not a biggie for me.

Thanks for all the input. I'm okay with the skinny nut - it would just be a nice little couch guitar I think. 

I've messaged the seller, so I'll be sure to post/update if it comes to fruition 🙂

 

 

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1 hour ago, zombywoof said:

If the guitar is a '67 the rosewood ADJ saddle bridge would be correct.  Everything from the three tone burst to the double line Kluson Deluxe tuners appears to be what it should.  The price is good but only if you want a Gibson built this late meaning you can deal with the skinny neck and narrow nut.   But don't ask me what is going on with the pickguard with the bridge not being a lefty.  The mind wobbles.

Didn’t realize the ‘67/68 came with an Adj saddle.  That would make the bridge/saddle original.  Including the saddle’s angle, which I compared to period correct ADJ ones.  Good info!

Regarding the 60s skinny neck, I kinda like it on my 1965 LG1.  I have the same skinny neck in my 1965 Gibson 125TC, also liking it.   Plus, my preferred neck of all guitars is the modern slim yet neck, which seems derived/inspired from the skinny necks of the 60s, although slightly bigger...so, I find switching between the 60s skinny necks and the modern slim taper necks not that noticeable.  Where  if I switch between one of my guitars with a chunkier neck, it’s a lot more noticeable.  But, my perception is they all work fine, it’s just a matter of which neck I get used to more than anything.

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

 

 

 

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Not only appears to everyone here as 100% legit -  it looks like it's in excellent condition.  My pick guard fell off my '64  twice.  Glue dried out and got brittle. Finally just left it in the chipboard case.   This is roughly 1/2 what you might otherwise pay for it.  I hope someone who appreciates it snags it !   As opposed to a 'dealer' looking to flip it. 

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20 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

It is pretty unlikely to get a bargain with vintage Gibsons - you get what you pay for.

If you insist on getting an LG1, pay the dollars and get something like this nice one in Retrofret:

https://reverb.com/item/34466308-gibson-lg-1-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1951-ser-9090-18-black-tolex-hard-shell-case

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

This is such an unhelpful post- "if you want to play that guitar, buy one for six times the cost of the one you posted."

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1 hour ago, cunningham26 said:

 

This is such an unhelpful post- "if you want to play that guitar, buy one for six times the cost of the one you posted."

 

It is based on my own experience of buying a cheapie LG1 that is firewood....

Go for something straight with some comeback if you want to return it, is all I am saying - bargains are slim on the ground but there are plenty of weird offerings...

Alarm bells ...LG1...pickguard peculiar...what else?

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited by BluesKing777
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I'm a lefty but play a guitar strung right-handed, so that guitar would be perfect for me if I were anywhere near it.

The thing that strikes me is that unless the guitar came that way (I have my doubts) whoever removed the original righty pickguard did it very early in the guitar's life. Otherwise, there'd be a "suntan" of some sort showing where the original pickguard was. I'm no expert in examining photos, but I can't see any evidence of even a slight tan.

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Can't tell for sure about the zero, but is the serial number 808184?  If so, then that would make it a 1966.  If it is a '66, the bridge would originally have been the plastic belly-up type.  The bridge looks crooked to me & could be a replacement.

If the second digit in the serial number is not a zero, and it's truly from 1967, that's the year rosewood belly-up bridges replaced the plastic belly-up. 

Regardless, as others have said, it's definitely a legit LG-1, and it appears to have led a rather sheltered life!

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3 hours ago, bobouz said:

Can't tell for sure about the zero, but is the serial number 808184?  If so, then that would make it a 1966.  If it is a '66, the bridge would originally have been the plastic belly-up type.  The bridge looks crooked to me & could be a replacement.

If the second digit in the serial number is not a zero, and it's truly from 1967, that's the year rosewood belly-up bridges replaced the plastic belly-up. 

Regardless, as others have said, it's definitely a legit LG-1, and it appears to have led a rather sheltered life!

 

When I finally looked up the serial number assuming the second digit was "0"  I came up with 1966 or 1969.  1966 was a transition year so while I would also expect a plastic bridge it is possible wood ADJ bridges started showing up late in the year.  And although the model was supposedly discontinued in 1968 that only means that was the last year they were listed in the catalog.   I did a quick look and found a couple of what were said to be '69 LG1s for sale.  

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15 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:

 

It is based on my own experience of buying a cheapie LG1 that is firewood....

Go for something straight with some comeback if you want to return it, is all I am saying - bargains are slim on the ground but there are plenty of weird offerings...

Alarm bells ...LG1...pickguard peculiar...what else?

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

Fair enough, but there are dogs with everything. I was watching the Gibson TV episode of The Collection with Keith Nelson where he mentioned owning and moving around seven iirc '59 bursts  until he found one he really liked. Really have to have confidence in what you're looking for to say "this 250k one isnt quite up to snuff... but THIS one might be!"

I'd say if you can get any pre-norlin 60s gibson under $1000, apart from obvious kindling and maybe the LG0, even if it takes a few hundred bucks in repairs, you'll have a pretty decent deal on your hands. Plus where's the fun of paying full retail from retrofret for something pristine- where's the thrill of the chase and the story of the deal 🙂

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8 hours ago, gtg2034 said:

Seller did offer to ship if I pay via paypal. Seemed like a scam to me. oh well!

But yeah, not into spending $3,000 on anything right now.

A Craiglist item in the wrong city is suspicious to me.

I actually just sent an email about it. If it's real, and it's really in Rochester, I will buy it. I didn't ask if it was in Rochester, though - maybe the response will put it in Albany, the Very Upper East Side.

I did a reverse image search, and it didn't come up anywhere else that I found, which is usually an easy way to find a scam.

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On 1/21/2021 at 9:44 PM, pohatu771 said:

A Craiglist item in the wrong city is suspicious to me.

I actually just sent an email about it. If it's real, and it's really in Rochester, I will buy it. I didn't ask if it was in Rochester, though - maybe the response will put it in Albany, the Very Upper East Side.

I did a reverse image search, and it didn't come up anywhere else that I found, which is usually an easy way to find a scam.

How did that turn out?

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4 minutes ago, gtg2034 said:

How did that turn out?

I emailed on Friday and got a response late Sunday night, suggesting a time to meet and giving me an actual address not far from my house. I'm negotiating a time and place.

So far, this seems like someone who is just terrible at Craigslist. He must have received many messages from people expecting this to be in Manhattan.

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