Hou Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) Hi everyone! My name is Houston and I am new to this site. I have an old Gibson that was passed down to me from my grandma. It was given to her when she was a child so it must be about 60 -70 years old. I have been playing it for a few years and am just now looking in to its background. Can any one tell me anything about the year it was manufactured or the model. The number on the back of the headstock is 305155. Edited March 27 by Hou 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 It is a Gibson LG-0 model. An all mahogany guitar. It is in the LG series that included the Gibson LG-0, the LG-1, the LG-2 and the LG-3. All of the models were considered student guitars when the were originally out. The LG-0 was the lowest price one in the line with its all mahogany body and ladder bracing. The. LG-1 was the next step up one with a solid spruce top, sunburst finish, and mahog sides. It too was ladder braced. The LG-2 and LG-3 were X braced which produced a fuller sound and was the more popular bracing. The LG-2 was spruce topped in sunburst, the LG-3 was natural finish with a solid spruce top and X bracing. There is little demand for the LG-0 in the collector market with it having been the lower line model and all mahogany with ladder. The LG—2 and 3 models have a much higher demand in the collector market. Someone on this forum should be able to decode the serial number and offer more info such as its year. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) 1965 from GRUHN'S GUIDE Edited March 27 by tpbiii Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 7 hours ago, QuestionMark said: It is a Gibson LG-0 model. An all mahogany guitar. It is in the LG series that included the Gibson LG-0, the LG-1, the LG-2 and the LG-3. All of the models were considered student guitars when the were originally out. The LG-0 was the lowest price one in the line with its all mahogany body and ladder bracing. The. LG-1 was the next step up one with a solid spruce top, sunburst finish, and mahog sides. It too was ladder braced. The LG-2 and LG-3 were X braced which produced a fuller sound and was the more popular bracing. The LG-2 was spruce topped in sunburst, the LG-3 was natural finish with a solid spruce top and X bracing. There is little demand for the LG-0 in the collector market with it having been the lower line model and all mahogany with ladder. The LG—2 and 3 models have a much higher demand in the collector market. Someone on this forum should be able to decode the serial number and offer more info such as its year. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff The ‘42 LG1 was x braced Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Welcome to the Forum, Houston. What a cool piece of your family history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Lovely guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G Man Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 On 3/27/2024 at 12:33 AM, tpbiii said: 1965 from GRUHN'S GUIDE Which puts it about a year or two before they got rid of the plastic bridge, as evidenced in the pic. Some folks have had these converted to X-bracing and rosewood bridge to great effect, but it is a cost I'm not sure the guitar is worthy of. Full disclosure, I've got a '67 LG-0 and it sounds better than it has any right to. Unfortunately for it, I have several guitars that sound and play better, so it mostly sits in its case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 I purchased an LG1 in '64 for $125. I would think yours cost about the same back then. In today's dollars - that would roughly equate to $1250. The minimum wage back then was $1.25. I had to put in long hours at the local grocery store to save up for it. My actual 'student' guitar originally cost around $25 new from a department store - a "Stella". There are a dozen or so LG-0s on REVERB and they range in price from $900 to $1500, depending on condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 1 hour ago, fortyearspickn said: I purchased an LG1 in '64 for $125. I would think yours cost about the same back then. In today's dollars - that would roughly equate to $1250. The minimum wage back then was $1.25. I had to put in long hours at the local grocery store to save up for it. My actual 'student' guitar originally cost around $25 new from a department store - a "Stella". There are a dozen or so LG-0s on REVERB and they range in price from $900 to $1500, depending on condition. In the 1960s an LG-0 cost about $20 less than an LG-1. I never owned an LG-0 but did score a 1955-1959 LG1 in the early-1970s for $150 . But given my rather limited income in the 1960s, about the best new guitar I could aspire to was a Harmony Sovereign. The mail order catalog version would set you back around $55. I do still play a Stella but it dates to I assume 1940 as it sports at the least an Oscar Scmidt-made neck which was part of the leftover stock Harmony acquired when they purchased the guitar building end of the Schmidt company in 1939. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 I learned on my neighbors LG-0 1957. I tried to buy a new one in 1962 in Boston but I found a shop worn LG-1 for $75. I later bought a used one c 1990 for my son, but he sold it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 On 3/28/2024 at 7:00 AM, fortyearspickn said: I purchased an LG1 in '64 for $125. I would think yours cost about the same back then. In today's dollars - that would roughly equate to $1250. The minimum wage back then was $1.25. I had to put in long hours at the local grocery store to save up for it. My actual 'student' guitar originally cost around $25 new from a department store - a "Stella". There are a dozen or so LG-0s on REVERB and they range in price from $900 to $1500, depending on condition. 40..... I think I paid $125 for my Jubilee.... in 1971 or so. I bought it after I got out of the Army...so I was making pretty good money at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hou Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 On 3/26/2024 at 11:03 PM, QuestionMark said: It is a Gibson LG-0 model. An all mahogany guitar. It is in the LG series that included the Gibson LG-0, the LG-1, the LG-2 and the LG-3. All of the models were considered student guitars when the were originally out. The LG-0 was the lowest price one in the line with its all mahogany body and ladder bracing. The. LG-1 was the next step up one with a solid spruce top, sunburst finish, and mahog sides. It too was ladder braced. The LG-2 and LG-3 were X braced which produced a fuller sound and was the more popular bracing. The LG-2 was spruce topped in sunburst, the LG-3 was natural finish with a solid spruce top and X bracing. There is little demand for the LG-0 in the collector market with it having been the lower line model and all mahogany with ladder. The LG—2 and 3 models have a much higher demand in the collector market. Someone on this forum should be able to decode the serial number and offer more info such as its year. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Thank you! I appreciate the insight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 3 hours ago, Hou said: Thank you! I appreciate the insight You’re welcome! And, welcome to the forum! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 On 3/28/2024 at 10:00 AM, fortyearspickn said: I purchased an LG1 in '64 for $125. I would think yours cost about the same back then. In today's dollars - that would roughly equate to $1250. The minimum wage back then was $1.25. I had to put in long hours at the local grocery store to save up for it. My actual 'student' guitar originally cost around $25 new from a department store - a "Stella". There are a dozen or so LG-0s on REVERB and they range in price from $900 to $1500, depending on condition. But everything was in black and white back then, so, you know, I miss them days. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 11 hours ago, rct said: But everything was in black and white back then, so, you know, I miss them days. rct True Dat. Our son (now in his 40s) asked us, back in the 80s, when he realized many of the movies and TV shows from our era were in Black & White, if the entire world was black and white and it had only recently been 'colorized'. Never occurred to him that it was only the recording devices that were at fault. He really got confused later when a teacher told him that dogs can't see color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.