Great old Gibsons

[milod]

I just got back from doing a benefit in southeast Montana. To give an idea of where it is, cell phones don't work within 20 miles of the place.

 

Anyway, two guitars really hit me with excellent sound.

 

CF100E: It's a flattop with a Florentine cutaway and a built-in pickup circa 1951 or so, according to the owner. A great sound to it still, either electric or acoustic.

 

L49: Ever hear of it? Apparently mid 1950s; An F-hole archtop with a single pickup that looks like a humbucker but is too early for that. I didn't see pole pieces sticking up, so I dunno.

 

In both cases I think it might be impossible to get the guitars away from the ranch folk who own and play them.

 

It struck me too that for the pickers themselves, they've been playing those particular guitars for years. The guitars have wonderful tone either electrified or acoustic even though they're darned near as old as I am - and I don't sound nearly that good electric or acoustic. <grin> (I've been electrified and don't care that much for it. It's fine for guitars but...)

 

m

 

EDIT: The magnetic pickup is just this side of the fingerboard. You can't see the volume and tone controls. The F hole guitar is a relatively poor pix of the picker, but you can see the pickup.

[Witmer]

 

In both cases I think it might be impossible to get the guitars away from the ranch folk who own and play them.

 

 

I think that's just as it should be. One can only hope, however, that they don't get passed on to some nit-wit who lacks all appreciation for what he has.

 

 

Very cool - thanks for sharing. I've never seen either of those guitars in person.

[eallenb]

Milo;

The1951 L49 looks very similar to my 1944 L7.

Obviously you seen the tag thru the "f" hole. I've seen

L 48 and L 50 pictures so what a treat to see this girl.

When I retro fit the Pup on mine I reviewed its position

from photos of other L7's and put it close to

the neck. I noticed that this one is in the middle.

What did you think of the tone?

What type of Amp did they use (if any)?

If they used an Amp was it an amp of the "circa"

Just curious[confused]

[milod]

Both the old guitars sounded great both electric and acoustic.

 

Electric they ran both through the board. I made an error of using an amp for an Epi Dot. Shoulda just gone through the board too, I think.

 

Thing with magnetic pickups is that they aren't quite like pure acoustic but - I think they're a lot closer in ways than the piezo crowd has led us to believe for 35 years. <grin>

 

The tone of the L49 was still plenty "thick," but the guy was using relatively heavy strings, too, so I'm guessing that made some difference. In ways it sounded to me almost as though it were miked anyway.

 

Funny... I'm drooling over their guitars and they're asking me where I got some of the chords I use for 20s-30s acoustic blues type stuff. <grin>

 

BTW, the settlement is Alzada that's just north of Hulett, Wyo., and Devils Tower into Montana. It's as true ranch country as you can find anywhere - in ways kinda like east of Kaycee but a little lumpier.

 

m

[BigKahune]

Way out yonder under the Big Sky.

 

Thanks Milod for the interesting info and pics. B)

[milod]

I'm pretty sure the Florentine will go to a son who plays some. Dunno about the archtop.

 

As for big sky... Yupper... The "Tri-State" area is pretty special. Perfect for folks who like their neighbors but like 'em spread out a little geographically.

 

A quick tale -- I went over there on a job a cupla years ago in late winter. Unpaved "state highway" linking the main U.S. Highway and the county seat. I'm doing 15 mph in a Jeep. Met a county commissioner driving a 4wd pickup with a snowmobile in the back as a lifeboat. <grin> After we met I turned around 'cuz he said to forget heading north. He took off cross country to get home between snowdrifts and mudholes.

 

m

[brundaddy]

Killer guitars. It is interesting to see a single pickup on an archtop mounted anywhere other than at the neck.

[DanvillRob]

Milo, I envy you that you got to hear "real" pickers playin' "real" music on "real" guitars!

 

Makes me miss all the weekends when my dad and uncles would all sit around playin' for hours on end.

[milod]

Rob... it was great fun... There was even a not-so-real old guy playing not so real music on a not so old guitar. <grin> And a couple of young ladies pickin' newer guitars and a couple of middle aged guys playing middle-aged guitars. Hmmmmm.

 

And the pies the ladies had in the kitchen were wonderful and could definitely give anyone an overdose of sugar.

 

m

[Tman]

Thanks for sharing the story and the photos. I have a luthier friend in Portland who has a guitar very similar to the F-hole archtop. I have no idea what it is but will try to find out. You wouldn't happen to have sound clips? Would love to hear those guys playing. Thanks again.