Gibson LG-2 Custom RW 12 Fret

[thegreatgumbino]

First time I've seen a LG-2 12 fret, and I'm intrigued.  I have gas for 1) a small bodied acoustic for the couch/travel and 2) a 12 fret.  Can't find anything online about these, so it may have been a custom M2M order.  Sounds pretty solid to me.  Kinda looks like an Adi top.  I'd prefer mahogany, but the RW bass and 12 fret might add some depth the mahogany wouldn't have.

 

 

[Dave F]

I’ve been liking the small body 12 fretters. Shown is a NL L00 and a M2M L00

[zombywoof]

Bozeman being Bozeman they probably call that guitar an LG2-Natural.  

[62burst]

7 hours ago, thegreatgumbino said:

 but the RW bass and 12 fret might add some depth the mahogany wouldn't have.

 

6 hours ago, Dave F said:

I’ve been liking the small body 12 fretters. Shown is a NL L00 and a M2M L00

Nice photo there, Dave- it's not easy to line everything up, and still show a hint of the deeper body on the Smeck.

But as to Gumbino's wondering about the rosewood. . . of course, he was asking about the LG, but maybe you could share some thoughts re: Rose in the L-00 body.

[Dave F]

1 hour ago, 62burst said:

 

Nice photo there, Dave- it's not easy to line everything up, and still show a hint of the deeper body on the Smeck.

But as to Gumbino's wondering about the rosewood. . . of course, he was asking about the LG, but maybe you could share some thoughts re: Rose in the L-00 body.

I may be too biased to comment on this. Rosewood and Maple are my favorite tone woods then comes mahogany. Since the first Stage Deluxe style Jackson Browne I had, I quickly came to appreciate what a 12 fret does to the sound of a guitar. I had the walnut JB, a rosewood SD and mahogany SD. Sound wise the rosewood was my favorite but all three sounded great. When I got the Nick Lucas Rosewood it prompted my the sell off the Smeck's. It sounded as good as the Stage Deluxe and was more comfortable to play. That led me to go for a standard depth L00 12 fret rosewood with the aged top. I really like it. The only LG I have is a '42 all mahogany body so no help there.   

[Dave F]

They had this a couple years ago (2018) if you can find one.

http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/2018/L-00-12-Fret-Rosewood.aspx

[zombywoof]

11 hours ago, Dave F said:

I may be too biased to comment on this. Rosewood and Maple are my favorite tone woods then comes mahogany. Since the first Stage Deluxe style Jackson Browne I had, I quickly came to appreciate what a 12 fret does to the sound of a guitar. I had the walnut JB, a rosewood SD and mahogany SD. Sound wise the rosewood was my favorite but all three sounded great. When I got the Nick Lucas Rosewood it prompted my the sell off the Smeck's. It sounded as good as the Stage Deluxe and was more comfortable to play. That led me to go for a standard depth L00 12 fret rosewood with the aged top. I really like it. The only LG I have is a '42 all mahogany body so no help there.   

If I recall, didn't you recently order a second M2M L00?  

The best analogy I can come up with regarding 12 fret guitars though is that they are like hitting a snare drum dead center as opposed to off to the side by the rim.

Since the 2000s the 12 fret guitars have made one heck of a comeback. That feature had all but disappeared by the 1940s with Gibson's last hurrah being the Roy Smecks which, of course, was designed to be played as a lap guitar.  In terms of playing Spanish style 1932 was about it.  When I started playing in the early-1960s you could not find a 12 fret guitar to save your life,   

I still own both the 12 fret 1932 Gibson L1 and a 13 fret 1920 L3.  I also have that 2013 12 fret Fairbanks Roy Smeck. The back and rims of the L1 and Fairbanks are mahogany while the L3 sports a birch body.  Admittedly though, I never really gave the body wood much thought.  

Edited June 30, 2022 by zombywoof

[thegreatgumbino]

19 hours ago, Dave F said:

I’ve been liking the small body 12 fretters. Shown is a NL L00 and a M2M L00

Beautiful, beautiful guitars, Dave.  I especially like the herringbone on the M2M.  I'm admittedly ignorant to the NL models.  They have a deeper body, smaller waist and upper bought than the LG-2, correct?  What is the scale length (I'm seeing differing info in my limited searches).  How do they strum compared to other small bodies and your jumbos?

I'm in love with the idea of a smaller guitar & 12 fret, but struggle with the shallow/boxy sound of most I've tried (never tried a NL).  I'm a 60/40 strummer/finger picker, and find the sound of a jumbo/dread to be so pleasing.   I know a smaller body will never recreate this large body sound, but figure there have to be better options available.  Currently, I have a J200, J45 Vintage & Hummingbird Vintage, all of which I love and all tuned to standard D with mediums to suit my singing range on some songs and capo up as needed.  

I owned a McPherson Touring (22 3/4" scale) and a Taylor GS Mini (23 1/2" scale) for a while and the size was great, but the scalewas too short for standard D with mediums.  Never could get enough string tension to move the tops the way I wanted.  

[zombywoof]

1 hour ago, thegreatgumbino said:

Beautiful, beautiful guitars, Dave.  I especially like the herringbone on the M2M.  I'm admittedly ignorant to the NL models.  They have a deeper body, smaller waist and upper bought than the LG-2, correct?  What is the scale length (I'm seeing differing info in my limited searches).  How do they strum compared to other small bodies and your jumbos?

I'm in love with the idea of a smaller guitar & 12 fret, but struggle with the shallow/boxy sound of most I've tried (never tried a NL).  I'm a 60/40 strummer/finger picker, and find the sound of a jumbo/dread to be so pleasing.   I know a smaller body will never recreate this large body sound, but figure there have to be better options available.  Currently, I have a J200, J45 Vintage & Hummingbird Vintage, all of which I love and all tuned to standard D with mediums to suit my singing range on some songs and capo up as needed.  

I owned a McPherson Touring (22 3/4" scale) and a Taylor GS Mini (23 1/2" scale) for a while and the size was great, but the scalewas too short for standard D with mediums.  Never could get enough string tension to move the tops the way I wanted.  

The Nick Lucas was a deep body version of the standard late-1920s and 1930s Gibson L guitars which were distinguished by their 14 3/4" lower bout so using Martin body designations in between a 00 and 000 size guitar.  That extra real estate really comes into play when comparing these L guitars to the LG models. Very responsive with a wide open sound.  I have always assumed the scale length is the typical 24.75".  But you know what they say about assuming something.  

Edited June 30, 2022 by zombywoof