flatbaroque Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 Gday guys...we don't see many LG2 or 3's down here. So this caught my eye. My knowledge is very limited..only what I've gleaned here in the last year or so. Does his decription look accurate? Right years or way off? I did some googling and is this really a block logo not script as he says? Also he describes the neck as "slim"...I wouldn't want less than 11/16th nut width..what do you reckon here? Thanks for your help...if it really is an LG2 and I could get it at near the opening price I'd be interested. The cosmetics (refinish) aren't a concern. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1946-47-GIBSON-LG2-X-BRACED-CLASSIC-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-/150974728038?pt=AU_Musical_Instruments_Instruments&hash=item2326cb8766
BluesKing777 Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 I have a LG1, LG0 and the cream of the crop - 1959 LG3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGSZ4YuDpPo I love it! Now that guitar was about $US2500 plus delivery and customs fees and a setup, (Plus my luthier said it was the 'best Gibson you have" after setting it up) so..... I am a player, no expert, and will be glad to hear what the experts say, but there are a few untruths and alarm bells a ringing that I can see (and hear), but if you could get a play of it, you may get it at a good price and it could be a fantastic 'player' while having the advantage of missing bloody Customs and all that stress.....none of the details are correct though - the Logo, cracks., refinish? So my recommendation would be for you to travel up to Nambour or wherever it is, have a good try of it while leaving the Adelaide shop stuff to ME! I saw you eyeing my Hummer. Go to Queensland. (Joke) BluesKing777.
EuroAussie Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 Looks pretty darn good to me, and at a great price. Snap it up before I start bidding on it before I leave ... ;-)
flatbaroque Posted January 4, 2013 Author Posted January 4, 2013 I have a LG1, LG0 and the cream of the crop - 1959 LG3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGSZ4YuDpPo I love it! Now that guitar was about $US2500 plus delivery and customs fees and a setup, (Plus my luthier said it was the 'best Gibson you have" after setting it up) so..... I am a player, no expert, and will be glad to hear what the experts say, but there are a few untruths and alarm bells a ringing that I can see (and hear), but if you could get a play of it, you may get it at a good price and it could be a fantastic 'player' while having the advantage of missing bloody Customs and all that stress.....none of the details are correct though - the Logo, cracks., refinish? So my recommendation would be for you to travel up to Nambour or wherever it is, have a good try of it while leaving the Adelaide shop stuff to ME! I saw you eyeing my Hummer. Go to Queensland. (Joke) BluesKing777. haha...yea I was a bit dubious...and i recognise this guy's ads...he always has disclaimers about condition of guitars and various "get out" statements.. yea love your clips, you make a yamaha 3/4 student nylon starter sound good.
tpbiii Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 haha...yea I was a bit dubious...and i recognise this guy's ads...he always has disclaimers about condition of guitars and various "get out" statements.. yea love your clips, you make a yamaha 3/4 student nylon starter sound good. It's a 46 LG-2 == unless it is a modern copy. Looks right to me. Here is ours. Let's pick, -Tom
flatbaroque Posted January 4, 2013 Author Posted January 4, 2013 It's a 46 LG-2 == unless it is a modern copy. Looks right to me. Here is ours. Let's pick, -Tom Thanks Tom...yours has the script logo...the ebay one doesn't- block logo...does that mean anything ...year wise? model wise? whatever wise?...yours looks terrific by the way.
cunningham26 Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 the script logo was used, IIRC, through all of 46-47 until the switch to the block logo in 48. just after the war, they also used 3 piece maple necks, whereas this one looks (hard to tell from the photos) solid. So it's not 47 or before, but it has 19 frets- I believe the 50's ones have 20? scrambling to find the pages in the gibson book. anyways, i'd say you've got a nice LG2 from between 48-early 50s, its been refined but even that doesnt look half bad, esp if you can land it at a refin price. As for the neck, it looks like 11/16th but I haven't played one, so I stand to be corrected at any time! even comparing the photos with the nut of Tom's '46 it looks a little more narrow
tpbiii Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 the script logo was used, IIRC, through all of 46-47 until the switch to the block logo in 48. just after the war, they also used 3 piece maple necks, whereas this one looks (hard to tell from the photos) solid. So it's not 47 or before, but it has 19 frets- I believe the 50's ones have 20? scrambling to find the pages in the gibson book. anyways, i'd say you've got a nice LG2 from between 48-early 50s, its been refined but even that doesnt look half bad, esp if you can land it at a refin price. As for the neck, it looks like 11/16th but I haven't played one, so I stand to be corrected at any time! That is correct. I saw the pictures on a phone, and I thought it was a script logo. Oops. Best, -Tom
retrorod Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 Gday guys...we don't see many LG2 or 3's down here. So this caught my eye. My knowledge is very limited..only what I've gleaned here in the last year or so. Does his decription look accurate? Right years or way off? I did some googling and is this really a block logo not script as he says? Also he describes the neck as "slim"...I wouldn't want less than 11/16th nut width..what do you reckon here? Thanks for your help...if it really is an LG2 and I could get it at near the opening price I'd be interested. The cosmetics (refinish) aren't a concern. http://www.ebay.com....=item2326cb8766 The picture of the headstock reveals a block logo (not script). I also notice in the same photo that the guitars strings are slackened (not sure why?) Looks good otherwise. The logo suggests a later year than advertised, however. But then again, I am not an expert. That would be one that I would have to put my hands on before buying. Rod
j45nick Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 It's a 1951 LG-2. The FON and logo pin it down perfectly. This is a block logo, not a script logo. The width at the nut is almost certainly 1 11/16", (1.6875", 43mm), but could be 1 23/32" (1.72", 43.5mm). Gibson neck profiles in this period are really nice. Judging from the photos, it is in excellent condition, and would clean up nicely. The price is more than fair.
flatbaroque Posted January 4, 2013 Author Posted January 4, 2013 Guys thanks for your help on this. Nick I was waiting to see if you might post here. That's great information from you and my interest is now peaking.I sent a couple of questions to the guy...one on nut width..I'll see if he responds. Cheers again.
j45nick Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 Guys thanks for your help on this. Nick I was waiting to see if you might post here. That's great information from you and my interest is now peaking.I sent a couple of questions to the guy...one on nut width..I'll see if he responds. Cheers again. I missed the fact that the listing says the top and sides have been refinished. If this were an all-original finish, the guitar in the condition it appears to be in might go for about $2.5k in the US. A re-finish cuts the price by up to half. You might use info of this type in your negotiations, but the price is not that far off in any case. I don't think I would pay much more than the starting price, but I know prices in Oz are significantly higher than in the US. This is predicated on the seller's claim that it is an X-braced top, making it an LG-2. There are so many other mistakes in his listing--he clearly doesn't even know what a FON is, for example--that I wouldn't trust anything he says without a first-hand inspection.
zombywoof Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 J45nick called it. Right off the bat, wrong logo and tuners (which, of course, could have been replaced) for a 1945-1947 LG-2.
cunningham26 Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 It's a 1951 LG-2. The FON and logo pin it down perfectly. great catch...didn't even notice the FON was in the description!
jt Posted January 4, 2013 Posted January 4, 2013 Yep, an obviously refinished early 1950s LG-2. I don't think it's worth the opening bid.
fredcapo Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Hi. Instead of starting a new post thought I might ask a few questions here since it is a late 40's early 50's LG2 in question. ts my LG2 and I can read the FON but the first character is not clear. Its ?955 21 where the ? looks like a stamped 1 but possibly penciled over in yellow its a 19 fretter and the xbracing and sides have cloth strips applied. My question is regarding the alpha character Z Y X etc that I hear mentioned along with the FON. Is that characther stamped along with the FON? And if missing does the guitar predate 1952? Thanks.
j45nick Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Hi. Instead of starting a new post thought I might ask a few questions here since it is a late 40's early 50's LG2 in question. ts my LG2 and I can read the FON but the first character is not clear. Its ?955 21 where the ? looks like a stamped 1 but possibly penciled over in yellow its a 19 fretter and the xbracing and sides have cloth strips applied. My question is regarding the alpha character Z Y X etc that I hear mentioned along with the FON. Is that characther stamped along with the FON? And if missing does the guitar predate 1952? Thanks. Gibson has used alphabetical prefixes as various times, but the system you are referring to here was used from 1952 (Z) through 1961 (Q). LG-2's are reasonably easy to date because they were built from 1942 through about 1962, so even without an identifiable FON, the characteristics (logo, pickguard, etc.)make it possible to pin them down to within a couple of years. The alpha prefix is generally ink-stamped on the neck block as part of the FON, using the same general type font. If yours is ink-stamped but hard to read, a clear photo here would be helpful. An LG-2 with a block logo rather than cursive script, a teardrop pickguard, and cloth side stays (narrow vertical strips of cloth running vertically along the inside surface of the sides) and a 4-digit batch number (ignoring the 21, which is a sequence number within the batch) starting with "1", is most likely a 1948. The FON system between 1948 and 1951 is not always clear, and sources give sometimes ambiguous information on this. The shipping ledgers for this period do exist, but most of us do not have access to those even in facsimile form, so there is always a bit of guesswork here.
fredcapo Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks for the info. Yes the first char of the 4 digits is a 1, even though it appears to be penciled over with a 9... Maybe indicating 1949..? Tapered headstock and front binding with one black purfling. Anyway it's a real nice sounding guitar though not awfully loud. I had to reglue most of the braces and install a new bridge plate as well as cleat a back crack. Action pretty good though I keep lights on it.
j45nick Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks for the info. Yes the first char of the 4 digits is a 1, even though it appears to be penciled over with a 9... Maybe indicating 1949..? Tapered headstock and front binding with one black purfling. Anyway it's a real nice sounding guitar though not awfully loud. I had to reglue most of the braces and install a new bridge plate as well as cleat a back crack. Action pretty good though I keep lights on it. Until the "modern" serial number system began in 1979, I don't believe any of the numbers was actually a direct indicator of the year of manufacture. Unlike automobiles, guitars don't change model years on a regular basis. In some periods, Gibson began re-numbering with the new year, which can make deciphering the year of manufacture a nightmare. That's why knowing the characteristics, and when and how they changed, is so important. The small-body Gibsons are rarely as loud as their larger siblings, but they have a character all their own.
mking Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 I think with all the good comments it is safe to say it is not from the 40's. I have a 1948 and first of all the tuners on the one for sale are wrong. In the 40's they were the open three on a plate type.
EuroAussie Posted January 5, 2013 Posted January 5, 2013 I think you boys need to realise this listing is in Australia, and LG-2 are rarely listed. Even if it is refinished, from the 50's it is still worth considering given how rare these things are and given its not a hugely inflated price when they do appear here. The seller is not too well versed in the details, but looking at pics the guitar looks in pretty good shape and at a very competitive price. It is well worth considering given the context. Maybe he could record a little sound sample for you FB ?
BluesKing777 Posted January 6, 2013 Posted January 6, 2013 I think you boys need to realise this listing is in Australia, and LG-2 are rarely listed. Even if it is refinished, from the 50's it is still worth considering given how rare these things are and given its not a hugely inflated price when they do appear here. I have bleating about the prices and non-availablilty of smaller vintage Gibsons in Australia for quite a while - but when I played my 59 LG3 before, well, what a wonderful guitar and who cares about menial problems like...eek.... money, dodgy dealers, lying and cheating sellers on Ebay, stress, waiting for overseas deliveries moving slowly through Customs, weirdo delivery schedules and basically will the guitar get here in the same condition it left the States...................................all forgotten (almost) when earlier, I fingerpicked a few blues and Stones/Beatles I have been attempting and it is all worth doing again and again and again until we get the Gibsons we want.... So now RetroRod will have a giggle when I tell that the recent heat here has brought back a waft or two of the awful smell I had a problem with in the LG3 when I first got it, mixed with Sandalwood Oil smells. So as suspected, I have an LG3 that was perhaps being played at the moment the previous owner croaked while spewing his life and bodily fluids all over and into the Gibson! Only way they were going to let go of this Gibson is to croak, I guess! I feel the same! How could I play anything but blues on this guitar? I see the 57 LG3 at Mandolin Headquarters is still for sale at $US3100, complete with a few repairs and things that mine doesn't have, so have a look at this one, FB: http://www.vintagemandolin.com/57gibsonlg3_u1826_23.html BluesKing777.
mking Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 Well there's 10 minutes left on the auction I hope you are the one and only bidder! That is a fantastic price, well worth it!
flatbaroque Posted January 7, 2013 Author Posted January 7, 2013 An update for ya all. " There's one born every minute"...yea I ended up winning the auction at $1625.Thanks for all the advice on this one. As EA and BK777 have implied it's quite a different market for us in Australia to you good people stateside.So "good value" is tainted by scarcity. So in an ideal world I would have played something like this first...but not much choice down here.I've been looking at Gibson acoustics for about 18 months now and this is the first LG-2 I've seen here. I'm no collector just looking for a nice small guitar with that Gibson tone to play some songs on. So hopefully no neck resets needed or anything drastic.Although the amount paid is not piddling if for any reason i don't like it...i don't think I'll take a bath on resale. BTW my opening bid of $1295 was winning (only bid) till 2 seconds from the end...then another bid came in at I think $1599 or similar....luckily my top price had been entered at $1637..so I beat the sniping bugger. Stay tuned for a vid sometime...or not if it's a bit sheet. Thanks all.
BluesKing777 Posted January 7, 2013 Posted January 7, 2013 An update for ya all. " There's one born every minute"...yea I ended up winning the auction at $1625.Thanks for all the advice on this one. As EA and BK777 have implied it's quite a different market for us in Australia to you good people stateside.So "good value" is tainted by scarcity. So in an ideal world I would have played something like this first...but not much choice down here.I've been looking at Gibson acoustics for about 18 months now and this is the first LG-2 I've seen here. I'm no collector just looking for a nice small guitar with that Gibson tone to play some songs on. So hopefully no neck resets needed or anything drastic.Although the amount paid is not piddling if for any reason i don't like it...i don't think I'll take a bath on resale. BTW my opening bid of $1295 was winning (only bid) till 2 seconds from the end...then another bid came in at I think $1599 or similar....luckily my top price had been entered at $1637..so I beat the sniping bugger. Stay tuned for a vid sometime...or not if it's a bit sheet. Thanks all. I can't believe you got it! Congratulations! Take it to a decent luthier, no matter what and get it set up nicely! When does the guitar start travelling - I hope it is not tomorrow because I see on the News that Sydney is going to get to 115 degrees.....???? Australia is on fire, for the international customers.... Well, lay low for that, FB, and tonight the TV is having another run of 'Jaws' to remind you that you need to keep on your toes by the shoreline if you head to Bondi or Manly Beach to cool off tomorrow! There is a couple of sharks the size of a bus waiting for some FB style dinner!....... BluesKing777.
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