whaledog Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Hi, I'd like to introduce myself with a question. The most unbelievable thing happened today. My dad shows up at my job today and announces that he wants to give me something. He goes into the back of his car and comes back with this vintage Gibson archtop. Apparently it's been sitting in a closet for the last 30 years and the owner just gave it to my dad. This is now my guitar and I have my first Gibson! How awesome is that? The neck has been shaved, the pick guard is missing and the tuners will need to be replaced. Who cares! The only 'problem' is that I can't tell what year or model it is. I'm not interested in selling, but I would like to know what I have. There are no markings inside the guitar, and the only writing (other than the Gibson logo) is "Patented July 19, 1910" stamped on the tail piece. Can any of you tell what it is? Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 There are some very knowledgable folks here. I'm not one of them...... I will say the Logo has a different font than my 1933 Mandolin. It's "close"...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Everything I know points to a 1929-1934 L-10, except the finish. It only came in black, as far as I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eds111 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 wow, cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 I just found another one (a later model with fancier inlays, but an L-10 nonetheless) with a sunburst finish, so it may be an L-10. [EDIT] Never mind. Now I've realized all the L-10s I've seen have pointed fretboards, yours doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 That is a pretty plain jane guitar so I am guessing - with the white silkscreen logo, dot markers, and burst finish, - it is an L-30 made between the mid-1930s and early 1940s. Just a guess though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 nice find. where are these fabled closets and why don't any aging members of my family have them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 That is a pretty plain jane guitar so I am guessing - with the white silkscreen logo' date=' dot markers, and burst finish, - it is an L-30 made between the mid-1930s and early 1940s. Just a guess though.[/quote']That was my original thought, but the L-30 has a flat back. Since it doesn't have the pickguard, it could be an L-30 or L-37. Both had burst tops at one point in their lives, and seventy years of aging has probably changed its tone. Of course, my idea was very wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Thats got a nice back flame. Nice find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Wow, that's a beauty. And looking in good shape for sitting in a closet for 30 years. <*gotta check grandpa's closet and attic*> Archtop and back with f-holes, body binding and a diamond on the tailpiece. It's about a 1936 L-50 In 1935 the L-50 picked up an arched back and f-holes and in 1936 the diamond tailpiece was added. Check it here - http://home.provide.net/~cfh/gibson2.html Scroll down to the L-50 section. If you change the turners, save the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 That guitar just screams for a DeArmond Rhythm Chief pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledog Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Thanks for all the info and the warm welcome. I have to change the tuners, unfortunately, because they "unwind" themselves when you try to tune a string. But I will definitely keep the originals. I'm probably going to install these Waverlys since they should screw into the existing holes and they are as close as I can get to looking like the originals: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,_solid_peghead_tuners/Waverly_Guitar_Tuners/Waverly_Guitar_Machines_with_Ivoroid_Knob.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Can I be your dad's son? Wait, I'm probably older than your dad. That's a beauty and it looks like it has been waiting a long time to be played and will be grateful to be played again and should reward you with a great sound. Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Good choice on the Waverlys. And Zombywoof's got a good idea - if you replace the pickguard, you can install a floater pup. I'd love to see more pics after you get her fixed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledog Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Good choice on the Waverlys. And Zombywoof's got a good idea - if you replace the pickguard' date=' you can install a floater pup. I'd love to see more pics after you get her fixed up. [/quote'] I know next to nothing about floating pickups. Can you point me to an example I could mount with a pick guard but without drilling new holes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Here's one that attaches to the pickguard. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Benedetto_Pickups/Benedetto_Suspended_Jazz_Pickup.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledog Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Here's one that attaches to the pickguard. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics' date='_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Benedetto_Pickups/Benedetto_Suspended_Jazz_Pickup.html [/quote'] Cool. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 I wouldn't think tuners would get looser with age. Could be the spur gear screws could be tweaked. Judging by a couple boogered up slots, I'd say the previous owner had to do this as well. Probably best to get a replacement for the #5 spur gear retainer screw before you lose the gear. Whether or not you replace the OEM with new tuners, you'll not want to lose that gear. When your grand kids put the old tuners back on, if the gear is lost, a replacement could cost as much as those Waverly's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledog Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 I wouldn't think tuners would get looser with age. Could be the spur gear screws could be tweaked. Judging by a couple boogered up slots' date=' I'd say the previous owner had to do this as well. Probably best to get a replacement for the #5 spur gear retainer screw before you lose the gear. Whether or not you replace the OEM with new tuners, you'll not want to lose that gear. When your grand kids put the old tuners back on, if the gear is lost, a replacement could cost as much as those Waverly's. [/quote'] Good advice. I guess the best thing to do would be to unscrew one of the other retainer screws, go to a hardware store and find a match. It's worth a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The only thing I wouldn't like about the Waverly's is that they look so new. I wish they would come in an aged finish, like the Golden Age Restoration Tuners Stew-Mac also sells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The only thing I wouldn't like about the Waverly's is that they look so new. I wish they would come in an aged finish' date=' like the Golden Age Restoration Tuners Stew-Mac also sells.[/quote'] I think if that guitar or anything old like it turned up on my doorstep I would wait a while and keep searching all the vintage parts sellers etc. Some of them charge stupid money for old parts but you do find some realistically priced stuff eventually. I'd give it a go for a couple of months, stuff turns up when you least expect it. It's worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The Benedetto S-6 pickup is what I have on my 1947 L-7. It comes HIGHLY recommended by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Hey Larry - Sweet rig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledog Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 A quick update: I took the guitar to my neighbor's house (he's a vintage guitar collector). He's pretty sure that his luthier can get the tuners in working order, so I'm going to call the guy and give it a shot. The thing is that I originally took the guitar to McCabe's guitar shop (a well known music store near my work) and their luthiers did not want to attempt to work on the tuners. They said flat-out that the tuners need to be replaced. So, it'll be interesting to see what this other luthier can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.