NGD: 2018 Gibson L-00 Vintage

[will97]

After going down the rabbit hole of smaller body Gibsons, I finally landed myself a L-00! Ive owned multiple LGs and more recently a CJ-165 but never really considered a L-00 because I didn’t think it was very versatile - more of a fingerpickers guitar. 

I decided I would look at the L-00 when one appeared for a very reasonable price. First impressions the neck was a large V and felt almost like a classical guitar which wasn’t the most pleasant. However, when I played it, I was immediately impressed at the dry, woody tone and how loud of a voice it had especially when strummed! In fact, I would go as far to say I prefer the sound of it strummed than picked. Never had a guitar with such unique overtones and it filled a void for me sonically. The guitar didn’t come with the original fire stripe pickguard, but I am in the  process of making one from Taylor at Holter. 
 

There isn’t a ton of information about these guitars, especially the 2018 version, albeit I believe they only made the 1932 L-00 vintage series for 4-5 years in limited quantities. Has anyone had experience with these reissues? 

Edited May 2, 2022 by will66

[Dave F]

I have a 2014 1932 L00 Reissue. 

[j45nick]

I don't have that particular L-OO version, but do have a 2010 L-OO Legend. It's a great little guitar.

The specs are probably similar. You even got the same redline case with yours. Yours also looks like an Adi top with a VOS finish.

I fingerpick mine, and it is my favorite for that style of playing.

[QuestionMark]

Beautiful guitar!  Congratulations!

 

QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

[BluesKing777]

Congrats on the best shape guitar made!

Sorry, I am a little unclear which model you bought - the 1932 L-00 reissue? - no pickguard. Big difference in specs between that model and the standard models. The L-00 'Vintage' model is another beast all together....torrefied top etc.

 

BluesKing777.

 

[will97]

Yes, the original fire stripe pickguard didn't adhere properly and wasn't kept which is unfortunate. The website states it is a Gibson 1932 L-00 Reissue which has the same specs as the Gibson L-00 Vintage. I've seen them used interchangeably for this specific model. For this 2018 model, it has a custom shop decal on the back of the headstock unlike years prior. Here are the specs: 

Gibson 1932 L-00 Reissue 

Body"
Type: L-00
Top: Thermally Aged Adirondack Red Spruce
Back and Sides: Mahogany
Binding: Single-ply Top, Traditional Rosette
Bracing: Gibson 1930's Period-correct X-Braced Top w/Hot Hide Glue

Neck
Species: Mahogany
Profile: 1930's "V"
Thickness: 1.750" at Nut
Truss Rod: Single Action

Neck Fit
Joint: Compound Dovetail
Construction: Joint at 14th Fret
Adhesive: Hide Glue

Fingerboard
Species: Rosewood
Scale Length: 25"
Radius: 12"
Fret Wire: Period Correct Standard Fret Wire
Inlays: 1/4" Mother of Pearl Dots
Adhesive: Wood Glue

Nut
Material: Black GraphTech
Width: 1.750

Headstock
Type: Traditional AJ
Angle: 17 Degrees
Logo: Gibson Silkscreen Script
Truss Rod Cover: Black

Tuners
Model: 3-in-line Period Correct Cream Button
Tuning Ratio: 14:1

Bridge
Type: Traditional Rectangle with Extended Slot Bone Saddle Material: Rosewood

Hardware
Pickguard: Traditional L-00 Firestripe Pick Guard
Strap Buttons: End Pin
Strings: Gibson Light Guage .012" - .053"

Finish
Vintage Sunburst
Lacquer: Nitrocellulose
Process: Hand Sprayed

Case
Type: Pre-war Red Line Case
Exterior: Black Tolex
Interior: Purple Fabric

Edited May 3, 2022 by will66

[Dave F]

Does it have the ink stamped serial number on the inside neck block instead of the stamped head stock?

Does it have the fabric side stays?

Edited May 3, 2022 by Dave F

[will97]

It has a ink stamp on the neck block but no fabric side stays. 

[freebyrd]

Not sure how many 2018 Vintage L-OO’s were produced but mine was made 21 days after the one in this thread.  The tone is out of this world !

It will give you a lifetime of happiness..

[j45nick]

10 hours ago, Dave F said:

Does it have the ink stamped serial number on the inside neck block instead of the stamped head stock?

Does it have the fabric side stays?

Looking at the specs and reading this, it appears that this model is largely the same as the Legend design-wise, but skips on some of the Legend's "authentic" details, such as all hide glue construction and the fabric side stays. Those may be reasonable trade-offs for the price difference.

[Dave F]

1 hour ago, j45nick said:

Looking at the specs and reading this, it appears that this model is largely the same as the Legend design-wise, but skips on some of the Legend's "authentic" details, such as all hide glue construction and the fabric side stays. Those may be reasonable trade-offs for the price difference.

My version does have all hide glue and fabric side stays. But I think I like his darker burst and would like to hear and feel that aged top. 

[zombywoof]

4 hours ago, j45nick said:

Looking at the specs and reading this, it appears that this model is largely the same as the Legend design-wise, but skips on some of the Legend's "authentic" details, such as all hide glue construction and the fabric side stays. Those may be reasonable trade-offs for the price difference.

First, good choice of guitars.  Although my experiences with Bozeman takes on the L00 has been pretty much hit and run, if I were to ever snag one it would be either the Legend or the Vintage. 

How much the  Vintage is based on the Legend platform I do not have a clue.   I have assumed that one of the reasons Gibson went with a 1937 L00 for the Legend is these were heavier built than those dating to the early years of the decade.  Although the Legend is certainly light compared to other stock L00s coming out of Montana, the L guitars built before 1934 were so lightly built you barely had to breathe on them to get a good tone.  While this was great for sound it was not the best recipe if you wanted to avoid warranty issues.  Looking at the photo posted above the first thing I noticed, as example, is the back bracing on the OPs guitar is not near as delicate as that in my 1932 L1.  How close it is to the Legend you would have to ask J45nick.

I would think the top bracing though would tell the story of how much Legend DNA is in the Vintage.  Prior to 1941 the L guitars did not have scalloped bracing.  I assume the Legend is structurally similar.   In the end though it does not matter what builders get right and what they miss when it comes to re-producing guitars form past catalogs.  There are only two kinds of guitars out there. Those you like and those you do not.  

Edited May 3, 2022 by zombywoof

[Dave F]

On 5/3/2022 at 12:12 PM, zombywoof said:

First, good choice of guitars.  Although my experiences with Bozeman takes on the L00 has been pretty much hit and run, if I were to ever snag one it would be either the Legend or the Vintage. 

How much the  Vintage is based on the Legend platform I do not have a clue.   I have assumed that one of the reasons Gibson went with a 1937 L00 for the Legend is these were heavier built than those dating to the early years of the decade.  Although the Legend is certainly light compared to other stock L00s coming out of Montana, the L guitars built before 1934 were so lightly built you barely had to breathe on them to get a good tone.  While this was great for sound it was not the best recipe if you wanted to avoid warranty issues.  Looking at the photo posted above the first thing I noticed, as example, is the back bracing on the OPs guitar is not near as delicate as that in my 1932 L1.  How close it is to the Legend you would have to ask J45nick.

I would think the top bracing though would tell the story of how much Legend DNA is in the Vintage.  Prior to 1941 the L guitars did not have scalloped bracing.  I assume the Legend is structurally similar.   In the end though it does not matter what builders get right and what they miss when it comes to re-producing guitars form past catalogs.  There are only two kinds of guitars out there. Those you like and those you do not.  

Here's the top bracing  and fabric side stays on my 1932 L00 RI. It weighs 3.4 lbs. The new 12 fret L00 came in at 4.0 lbs.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Dave F

[jricc]

Sweet L-00!  Love the dark burst.  Congrats and enjoy will66.

Edited May 5, 2022 by jricc

[will97]

Thanks all! Very interesting fabric side stays on your 2014, Dave. They changed the 2018 model to not include that spec as well as the fabric on the middle of the X-brace. I'll take some interior pictures this weekend. Will have a custom firestripe from Holter pickguards in 2-3 weeks to complete the aesthetic. 

[j45nick]

7 hours ago, will66 said:

Thanks all! Very interesting fabric side stays on your 2014, Dave. They changed the 2018 model to not include that spec as well as the fabric on the middle of the X-brace. I'll take some interior pictures this weekend. Will have a custom firestripe from Holter pickguards in 2-3 weeks to complete the aesthetic. 

I will be interested to see the Holter firestripes. I have two of the modern Gibson ones, which are too garish for my taste.

[zombywoof]

15 hours ago, Dave F said:

Here's the top bracing  and fabric side stays on my 1932 L00 RI. It weighs 3.4 lbs. The new 12 fret L00 came in at 4.0 lbs.

 

 

Cool photos.  3.4 pounds would be featherweight compared to  most of the Bozeman-made L00s I have run into.  I remember when Sweetwater used to list weights every L00 I looked at clocked in at around 4 pounds.  At that weight they not going to come off like a drum skin when you tap the back.

My '32  L1 weighs just a shade over 2 pounds 13 ounces.  The biggest concern with the guitar is that the amount of belly it already has gets no worse so it has been recommended I go with nothing heavier than 11-52 strings.  

On the side supports, I have been told they were not there to add stiffness to the rim but to try and prevent the sides from cracking under the pressure of having the top or back installed.  What lends credence to this is that the only two Gibsons I can think of which retained that feature after the early-1950s were the J200 and CF100 which were the two most expensive guitars in the catalog.

Edited May 5, 2022 by zombywoof

[will97]

On 5/5/2022 at 7:46 AM, j45nick said:

I will be interested to see the Holter firestripes. I have two of the modern Gibson ones, which are too garish for my taste.

Sorry for the late update:

Here are some photos of my Holter firestripe for my L-00. Holter wasn't too happy with the finish on it as the firestripe material is his thinnest material and doesn't buff out well, and was happy to make me another one with a thicker celluloid, but I think it turned out amazing! You can tell it was carefully crafted and it fits the vibe of the L-00 perfectly. A lot different from the typical modern Gibson firestripes which I think is a nice change. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by will97

[zombywoof]

The  typical pickguards which Gibson uses are more appropriately Tiger Stripe.  I would take the Holter pickguard though over pretty much anything I have seen on a Bozeman-made guitar.  .

While I realize this is an older post has Bozeman ever issued a guitar with a hand rubbed finish?  The reason I ask obviously is that an L Series guitar built in 1932 sported a transitional finish in that it was still hand rubbed but had the final coat sprayed on.  These finishes were knock dead gorgeous not only in the subtlety of the blending of the shades that went into a burst but they have a chameleon like effect depending on what kind of light you are viewing them under.

Anyway, here is, as example, the pickguard on my 1935 Recording King mandolin.  

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/fRBq6bPd/Recording-King-Mandolin-Pickguard-Detail-zpsobj9r7sp.jpg[/img][/url]

And here that on my 1932 Gibson L1.

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/288MDLNh/IMG-0443-1.jpg[/img][/url]

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by zombywoof

[will97]

The Holter is better than any Gibson guard I have owned. Consistent all the way through and perfectly beveled. You definitely get what you pay for! The material used for the fire/tiger stripes of the vintage Gibsons are much different to what can be sourced today, I have yet to find a pickguard that can replicate the older patterns accurately. 

As far as I know, Bozeman has never issued a guitar with a hand rubbed sunburst finish seen on the old 20s-early 30s style flattops. I am sure it is much beyond the scope of their manufacturing processes. They do claim that they hand rub the VOS treatment on their historic collection acoustics (same with these vintage models).  Other manufactures have to tried to replicate the hand rubbed varnish such as Eastman and they do a decent job at it to. See their version of the 00:

 

[northcntryblues]

On 5/5/2022 at 9:56 AM, zombywoof said:

Cool photos.  3.4 pounds would be featherweight compared to  most of the Bozeman-made L00s I have run into.  I remember when Sweetwater used to list weights every L00 I looked at clocked in at around 4 pounds.  At that weight they not going to come off like a drum skin when you tap the back.

My '32  L1 weighs just a shade over 2 pounds 13 ounces.  The biggest concern with the guitar is that the amount of belly it already has gets no worse so it has been recommended I go with nothing heavier than 11-52 strings.  

On the side supports, I have been told they were not there to add stiffness to the rim but to try and prevent the sides from cracking under the pressure of having the top or back installed.  What lends credence to this is that the only two Gibsons I can think of which retained that feature after the early-1950s were the J200 and CF100 which were the two most expensive guitars in the catalog.

I use Elixer custom lights (11's) on my 2011 L00 not because of bellying, but preference.  They sound great on these guitars.

[will97]

I have strung mine up with Martin Retro Monels Custom Lights (11-52s). It seems like the custom lights is the sweet spot for many people who play L-00s. I love them as they bring out the warm and sweet overtones when picked, and last just as long as Elixirs. I use Elixirs from time to time but have often found they are too bright and the coating they use doesn't feel natural on my fingers. 

[zombywoof]

3 hours ago, will97 said:

The Holter is better than any Gibson guard I have owned. Consistent all the way through and perfectly beveled. You definitely get what you pay for! The material used for the fire/tiger stripes of the vintage Gibsons are much different to what can be sourced today, I have yet to find a pickguard that can replicate the older patterns accurately. 

As far as I know, Bozeman has never issued a guitar with a hand rubbed sunburst finish seen on the old 20s-early 30s style flattops. I am sure it is much beyond the scope of their manufacturing processes. They do claim that they hand rub the VOS treatment on their historic collection acoustics (same with these vintage models).  Other manufactures have to tried to replicate the hand rubbed varnish such as Eastman and they do a decent job at it to. See their version of the 00:

 

That looks more like the reddish mahogany burst on my 1920 L3.  Gibson stopped going with shellac spirit varnish finishes around 1925 switching to hand rubbed lacquer.  I believe Kevin Kopp goes with those.  In 1931 or 1932 they started spraying on the final coat.  That on my '32 L1 though has all flaked off.  And by mid-decade they were going with fully sprayed finishes.  Most likely a cost cutting measure.  What is interesting about Gibson is that they attached the neck with fingerboard, the pickguard and I assume the bridge before they applied the finish.

[j45nick]

9 hours ago, will97 said:

Sorry for the late update:

Here are some photos of my Holter firestripe for my L-00. Holter wasn't too happy with the finish on it as the firestripe material is his thinnest material and doesn't buff out well, and was happy to make me another one with a thicker celluloid, but I think it turned out amazing! You can tell it was carefully crafted and it fits the vibe of the L-00 perfectly. A lot different from the typical modern Gibson firestripes which I think is a nice change. 

What's the back story on what appears to be a '46 J-45 and a '46 SJN?

[will97]

Good eye, they are both from 1946 as they have no FON on the neck block.  I picked these 2 up last year and sent them off in October for extensive repairs and restoration. 

The J-45  -  I purchased it from the daughter of the previous owner in Niagara-on-the-lake who had previously gotten it at a hardware store in  the early 50s. It was played hard into the 80s and set on display in a boating club for years until recently.  It has 5-6 back cracks, and some loose braces. needs a neck reset, non-original tuners, and an adjustable bridge from a Japanese import in the 70s. It has one of the thinnest tops I have seen on a flat top and is lighter than my L-00 vintage. It is very raw sounding and has some weird natural reverb going on with it, quite surreal. 

The SJ - Purchased from someone who took it as commission for a landscaping job he did from the original owner. It is quite the ugly duckling and I am almost afraid to post pictures of its current state due to embarrassment. However, this guitar is crack free and has the beautiful belly down Brazilian SJ bridge and plays better than any modern Gibson I have owned. HOWEVER, it was completely stripped other than the headstock face and refinished in natural in the 70s. 2 Martin style pickguards were added and electronics similar to the J160E were also installed. The plan is to plug the 2 holes left by the electronics and to refinish the guitar back to a 40s sunburst to try to hide the witness lines from the Martin guards.  The guitar sounds completely different than the J-45. It is an absolute cannon and is bright and refined, it sounds more like a vintage  D-28 to me than a Gibson. 

I don't get these guitars back until probably the summer and I am excited to share the changes with you all.