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Gibson acoustic unicorn: Banner LG-3


jt

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33 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said:

The Kalamazoo Gals are smiling tonight.  One of their contributions has made it through to another century.    

"Riding With Private Malone"

Yes. I am so grateful to have uncovered the Gals' story  and beyond humbled to have played a roll in shining a light on their contributions to American cultural history.

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Such a beauty! Thanks for sharing, John.

I let both of my old LG2s go, perceiving a lackluster bass  E string, and must say I also hear it in this sweet guitar, though it's nicely balanced in your playing.  They are sturdily built small bods. Have you mentioned what strings you have on there in the clip?

I know it's blasphemous, but have you thought of throwing on a low E nickel bronze string to hear what happens?  Might be harsh, but I'd be curious.

This comment will surely get me banned from the forum. G'bye all.

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3 hours ago, jedzep said:

I let both of my old LG2s go, perceiving a lackluster bass  E string, and must say I also hear it in this sweet guitar, though it's nicely balanced in your playing.  They are sturdily built small bods. Have you mentioned what strings you have on there in the clip?

What years were your LG2s? I've not noticed a lack of bass in these guitars.

As for strings, they're what were on the guitar when it arrived. Old and dead is all that I know about them.

I'm out of new strings. I used up what I had on hand when I restrung the 4 Banners that I took to my gig at AmericanaFest in Nashville week before last.

I'll put some new strings on the thing soon and re-record and post to get your response. You may be able to avoid that forum ban! 🙂

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Very gracious of you, John. Not ready to be kicked off just yet, and with your help...

Mine were '53(?) and '56ers. I only flat pick too, kind of percussive on a lot of songs, so I guess I always look for a bit of 'thump'. 

Though the guitars aren't built the same, I had put Thom-Infelds on my 'restored'  '36 L00, which is bright and barky since long ago some fool sanded off the burst, in order to quiet it a little. The change softened the tone sufficiently, but the bass E sounded muted. I use the nickel bronze strings on other guitars, so I tried a spare used E, and was happy with the bold bass it brought up.

I love that you presented it with 'old and dead' strings. Now we'll get the full spectrum. Always look forward to your posts, pics and historical info.

Dave

jLCYU7z.jpg

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4 minutes ago, jedzep said:

Very gracious of you, John. Not ready to be kicked off just yet, and with your help...

...

Dave

 

Hey, Dave, if we work this correctly, maybe we can be booted at the same time! 🙂

I really like this guitar of yours. Though I love my new, minty Gibson, I also have a serious soft spot for for well loved guitars.

I will restring and rerecord. Seems like a fun project.

John

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On 10/4/2021 at 6:02 PM, cunningham26 said:

As others have said, amazing acquisition JT and I can't imagine what you must have felt when you first saw pics of it. Certainly  found its rightful caretaker, and that's really really cool about your plans to have them be playable in a museum somewhere

Thank you, kind sir.

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More fun. The case arrived yesterday (I bought a flight case to ship the guitar and had the original case shipped separately). The thing is in mint condition, except for the handle falling off. Kinda weird.

Very cool, though, is the case candy. The original owner apparently intended to learn to play the guitar by memorizing the notes on the fretboard: he constructed little flashcards with the note on the music staff on one side and the letter name of the note on the other. No wonder he never bothered learning to play the thing.

The case also has a card from a clothing store that was in San Pedro, California in the 1940s. I've pinpointed the fellow's location and am scouring the ledgers to identify the shop where he likely purchased the guitar (which will enable to identify the shipping date).

Anyone know of music/guitar shops in the San Pedro/Long Beach/Los Angeles area of the planet during WWII?

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244695538_10218807215424785_804237557510

244629860_10218807215864796_664219884370

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10 minutes ago, J185cat said:

I am truly amazed by this find. I am so glad it “found” you. If one were inclined to think this way they might say it was meant to be.

Thank you, my friend. These days, if ever, I can not remotely offer an objective opinion about the guitars that the Gals built. Having met a dozen of them (only 1 survives. She turns 100 on January 30. Yes, I've arranged a blow-out party for her in Kalamazoo), I have emotionally connected with their work.

Thanks, again.

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12 hours ago, AnneS said:

I seriously want to play this one, John. Dunno why, but there you have it…

(Great posts, btw. 😉)

If you're ever in Connecticut, stop by!

I was just in Nashville for AmericanaFest. I took 4 of my Bannners and had great fun passing them around. I love sharing my guitars.

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