CJB Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Hello everyone, it's been a little while and I thought I'd check in with a recent discovery. I finally found a great old L-00 that has really blown me away. As far as I know it's all original and dates to 1938ish. Any info ya'll can point out would also be appreciated. I was sort of looking for one but not really. I was talking with my luthier friend about my guitar acquisition goals and mentioned an old '37ish L-00 was on that list. He then said in his own way, 'I might have one of those' and went to his safe. He had it for quite a while and did a neck set, bridge plate work, and new frets on it a while back. He and his band recorded on it and then left it alone. Apparently it's all original as far as he knows (which seems to be a lot). After I played it for 30+ minutes lost in a trance (like the Guy Clark song, The Guitar, only slow and messy playing and my name wasn't on the case), he said he 'might could' let go of it . So I sold a few kidneys to make it happen. On the bass side rim, it looks to have been stabbed with a Philips head screw driver that caused two cracks (fixed a long time ago) and one hole at the armpit that was left alone. The strings it came with wouldn't stay in tune so I put on a set of lightly used EJ16's yesterday afternoon. I typically use those as my reference point and go from there. The neck is a beefy V and it feels like home and seems to relax my fretting hand more than most guitar necks. And 3 pounds 2 ounces. WOW. Can't seem to be able to upload any photos at the moment but will keep trying. For now, I have pics here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/yHsuWKZ3f89VmH1r9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJB Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Nice Looking Gibson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 (edited) Interesting to see the gold lettering on your logo, Chris, as I'm preparing to paint the peghead on my '36, assuming they were all done white. It took me a long time and a few wasted bucks to find an accurately sized, easy to handle stencil. Now I may choose gold, which looks softer with the blond spruce top mine had been sanded to. Found it here.https://www.ebay.com/itm/293882329341 Edited May 1, 2021 by jedzep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, jedzep said: Interesting to see the gold lettering on your logo, as I'm preparing to paint the peghead on my '36, assuming they were all done white. It took me a long time and a few wasted bucks to find an accurately sized, easy to handle stencil. Now I may choose gold, which looks softer with the blond spruce top mine had been sanded to. Found it here.https://www.ebay.com/itm/293882329341 Every one I have seen from that period has white lettering. My L-OO Legend, however, has the same logo in gold. Maybe they were out of white paint that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Looks like normal old white viewed on my iPad? Congrats, again....(spoke on the other channel.) BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Hmm, now you have me wondering, BK. Looks gold on the UMGF post. Hey Chris, could you set me straight on the color? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 I see white thats yellowed over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJB Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 2 hours ago, jedzep said: Hmm, now you have me wondering, BK. Looks gold on the UMGF post. Hey Chris, could you set me straight on the color? I do believe that’s the first time I’ve been asked that. I’m thoroughly color blind so I’m afraid I’m not a whole lot of help in true color perception. However, my opinion is that I think the logo has just yellowed over time. Matches the bindings and other whitish stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Thanks! I'll go with that. I might be able to find a cream-ish, instead of stark white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJB Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 You might be able to tint some white to match? Those guys at the paint store can work wonders with a little pint of paint when trying to match something specific like that. It’s like voodoo or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Beautiful guitar... QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 2 hours ago, jedzep said: Thanks! I'll go with that. I might be able to find a cream-ish, instead of stark white. Here ya go: vintage white spray lacquer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Yep, that could be the way! Thanks, Nick. Saves me the step of over-spraying the paint with lacquer, though they call it opaque. It might not handle the black background. 30 bucks for two/three spritzes. That's Stew-Mac for ya'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 3 minutes ago, jedzep said: 30 bucks for two/three spritzes. That's Stew-Mac for ya'! I've spent a lot more money for a lot less reward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 What forum are you telling those stories in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 1 hour ago, jedzep said: What forum are you telling those stories in? The forum of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 2 hours ago, jedzep said: Yep, that could be the way! Thanks, Nick. Saves me the step of over-spraying the paint with lacquer, though they call it opaque. It might not handle the black background. 30 bucks for two/three spritzes. That's Stew-Mac for ya'! I would recommend to use Gold Speckle......like someone touched up my 52 LG1 Gibson logo with! They must have had a Gold Speckle pen, cos they went outside the letters a few times, just to add that touch of class. That CJB can reel them in, can’t he?😄 BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 One more time. This time...I swear. If I flop I'll go speckle. The guitar is in the hospital right now getting a bridge re-glue/re-shape inc a shaved 2mm off the bottom of it's RW rectangular bridge copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 44 minutes ago, jedzep said: One more time. This time...I swear. If I flop I'll go speckle. The guitar is in the hospital right now getting a bridge re-glue/re-shape inc a shaved 2mm off the bottom of it's RW rectangular bridge copy. Something for CJB to take note.....they are at the hospital a lot! Can’t the Doc do a proper logo for you while he has it? Example....I turned the water off to change the washer in a bathroom tap and I couldn’t get the ‘bell’ cover off no matter what I did, including 2 trips to the hardware to get .......tools, spares, a sheet of some space exploration material for gripping the ungrippable. Nope, can’t budge it. Not without ripping the tap out of the wall. Admitting defeat, we called the professional $130 call out fee for one tap washer. He arrived early, no mask, left his shoes on. Eek. Showed him the tap and he grabbed the bell in both hands and turned it. No tools. There ya go. Then he went to fixing and said the washer was fine.....the rubber bumper at the bottom was the leaker.....was never installed properly. Took off both taps, hot and cold, replaced bumpers. “DON’T overtighten’, he said. And that will be $198. Looking for a photo of my gold speckle, I think you will like it. BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJB Posted May 2, 2021 Author Share Posted May 2, 2021 Yep, that’s why I got this one from an expert at fixing them. by the way, I played a HG00 that was converted to Spanish style today. I expected the neck to be too huge but it was really nice. The strings were about as old as I am which got me to thinking about how to artificially age string to get that dull resonant thud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 Gold Speckle logo pics as promised for JZ.... 1952 LG1 clunker: Gold speckle... Was about to chuck the guitar on the fire but Jazz the Dog says: "NO!" Oh, oh, JZ - the 35 logo in white still... BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 1939 1936 So probably white went to gold sometime between these two guitars. Best, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) My shop guy isn't good for all things. He did a masterful restoration of the back of my '35, but soon after dropped all refinishing from the menu. Hey, BK, what's up with that clean white script logo pictured? Was that re-touched? I'm getting old hat at logo restoration. The J50 came out looking fine, so I'll pick my moment and hopefully nail it, probably using the Stew-Mac or Mohawk (Silk or Champagne) lacquer, as they don't offer BKs glitter finish. Mohawk has a good range of colors. Do you see a color on the chart that comes in close to Chris' faded tone?https://www.mohawk-finishing.com/products/wood-touch-up-repair/aerosols/tone-finish-toner/ Edited May 2, 2021 by jedzep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) You done well - real well. The 1930s L guitars have become darn legendary. Fast response, resonant and surprising loud. They have a unique combination of Gibson bark and a Martin's preciseness. With the exception of the L-00 Legend Gibson has built nothing like them before or after. I own a 1932 L1. It is not in as nice a condition as yours but I was more forgiving because it was one of the last of the 12 fretters. Main difference between it and your later-1930s L-00 (other than, of course, the number of frets) is the L1 is fancier and has a shallow C neck rather than a V. As was common with pre-1934 L guitars was lighter built locking in at around 2 3/4 pounds. It also still sports a hand rubbed rather than sprayed finish. Under direct sunlight you can see a tiger stripe effect. Not sure if this was by design or it was one of those in a hurry to finish up waiting for the whistle to go home sounded guitars. Edited May 2, 2021 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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