Info About Acoustic Gibson L5

**drewblue** · 09-26-2010, 11:22 PM

im thinking about getting a L5 acoustic 1930's or reissue. and using some type of pick-up im also open to any info on other builders of a non cutaway archtop acoustic.

i will be using this for solo guitar and vocal performances. on jazz and blues standards and classic country songs. i have always wanted one. and due to the dissolution of my band. i have decided to transform my self in to a dapper smooth country crooner/lounge act for the many casinos where i live. i used to work for a slot machine company and have quite a few connections so i think i can pull this off.

and a nice archtop would help me look the part. think half hank williams half sinatra. any reason for a L5 i guess works for me.

**kamlapati** · 09-27-2010, 12:16 AM

I used to have a real '31, lately have been though a progression of the 17" models, including my current '46 and '77. I have played some of the reissues and I like them.

For what you want to do, my fave option would be no pickup, just mic it. Think Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

If you must, I like the "Pick Up the World" under saddle pickup. It's unobtrusive, easy to install, and captures the acoustic sound very well.

BTW, the Hank Williams plus Sinatra is not too far from my gig. Good luck.

**drewblue** · 09-27-2010, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by kamlapati

I used to have a real '31, lately have been though a progression of the 17" models, including my current '46 and '77. I have played some of the reissues and I like them.

For what you want to do, my fave option would be no pickup, just mic it. Think Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

If you must, I like the "Pick Up the World" under saddle pickup. It's unobtrusive, easy to install, and captures the acoustic sound very well.

BTW, the Hank Williams plus Sinatra is not too far from my gig. Good luck.

yeah your right with me. i love gillian/david's stuff. if you haven't checked out david's new cd its great. i have some good mic's a beyerdynamic mc 930 i think would do fine over the pup. i have a bad right shoulder from a bike accident and the 17" archtops give me problems. ive just started this. since the drummer in my band up and moved last week. (and im sick of depending on other people to practice etc. i just think its the right way to go. i grew up in bar's with my grandpa's country band. studied jazz in school.

i live in oklahoma and there are casino's every 20 miles its gonna take me awhile to get it together. and the majority age group that go to these places are 50-80. i see it as the best way for me to play some music that i like and these people will like. it will be a fun act. and i think i can sell it. i just want to play live and not depend on anyone else. it's the closest i think i can get to playing jazz gigs on a regular basis. where i live.

**spiral** · 09-27-2010, 03:29 AM

Two 30's era L5's just got posted to GBase if you have $8500. Or i could sell you my Triggs for less than half.

**dixiehwy25** · 09-27-2010, 03:41 AM

You could try this- GIBSON L-5 (1925) L5 - Elderly Instruments Even comes with a suitable DeArmand pickup! A little on the pricey side though, so buy those lottery tickets...

.... but this setup would likely go best in a society orchestra, like Isham Jones, Eddy Duchin, or Lester Lanin...

**kamlapati** · 09-27-2010, 11:55 AM

I play the 17" sitting down for sure. For what you are trying to do, there are good alternatives to the expense of an L-5. The smaller Epi's are very cool, as they almost all have the elevated fingerboard and the long scale. Here's my '46 Epi Blackstone being played by my daughter:

The Beyerdynamic mic would sound great, but it's more than you need. I have used SM57s with satisfactory results, but for live I would never go more fragile or more expensive than my AKG C1000.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 09-27-2010, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by dixiehwy25

You could try this- GIBSON L-5 (1925) L5 - Elderly Instruments Even comes with a suitable DeArmand pickup! A little on the pricey side though, so buy those lottery tickets...

$29,500 is a little on the pricey side? Heh....

Still, If you've got the cash, I don't think you need an excuse to buy a nice L-5 -- it's like owning a part of history.

**drewblue** · 09-27-2010, 01:39 PM

yeah $30k is about 5x more than i want to spend. im gonna have some cash from selling the rig i have now. i need a player. i want it to be the last guitar i buy for a while.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 09-27-2010, 01:53 PM

The flip side of the coin is that for 6 grand you could also get a guitar made by a luthier, rather than a Gibson.

**NSJ** · 09-27-2010, 02:27 PM

Isn't 30k the going rate for one of Ken Parker's archtops??? Don't know anyone that has THAT much lying around in and around the couch to spare.....

**drewblue** · 09-30-2010, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

The flip side of the coin is that for 6 grand you could also get a guitar made by a luthier, rather than a Gibson.

yes i agree with you. i am very open to suggestions on makers who make a l5 style acoustic. non cut archtop i know for the most part i would be getting a better guitar than say a gibson. for the same price.

**JohnW400** · 09-30-2010, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by drewblue

yes i agree with you. i am very open to suggestions on makers who make a l5 style acoustic. non cut archtop i know for the most part i would be getting a better guitar than say a gibson. for the same price.

Any luthier can build you one. Some may actually enjoy the project as a challenge since it's not somethimg they build everyday.

Mark Campellone builds a ggreat box in the Gibson style and he is reasonably priced. I'm sure Heritage can also build you one as well. I think Trenier makes a model like this already called a Broadway (don't quote me). I'm not sure how much he get's for one nor have I played one but I've heard good things about his stuff.

EDIT:

Here's a link that has the Trenier

http://www.archtop.com/ac_inst.html

a 2005 18" non cut for under $4700

**kamlapati** · 10-04-2010, 02:34 PM

Y'all know I like my Trenier and Grimes, but I would never say that they are "better" than an old Gibson. It's pretty darn hard (impossible?) to build a guitar that sounds like a 50 year old Gibson! For standards and Hank Williams tunes, it's hard to beat that old Gibson. It's got the sound used on the original tunes, and your old audience will connect with it too.

I was just reading Schmidt's book on D'Angelico and D'Aquisto, and the quote that lingers in my memory is D'Aquisto saying (paraphrased) "the old guitars were designed for a certain style of music, but people aren't playing the same style anymore, so the guitar needs to change."

My personal conclusion is, if you are playing that old style of music, the old guitars are the way to go.

**JohnW400** · 10-04-2010, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by kamlapati

Y'all know I like my Trenier and Grimes, but I would never say that they are "better" than an old Gibson. old guitars are the way to go.

I don't think "better". Maybe "more available". Gibson only made so many a year. I would love to have an old Gibson S-400 rather than the 2000 model year Super 400 CES that I have. Maybe a nice '48 blonde in 9.5 condition. Anybody want to trade?

**D'Aquisto Fan** · 10-04-2010, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by kamlapati

Y'all know I like my Trenier and Grimes, but I would never say that they are "better" than an old Gibson. It's pretty darn hard (impossible?) to build a guitar that sounds like a 50 year old Gibson! For standards and Hank Williams tunes, it's hard to beat that old Gibson. It's got the sound used on the original tunes, and your old audience will connect with it too.

I was just reading Schmidt's book on D'Angelico and D'Aquisto, and the quote that lingers in my memory is D'Aquisto saying (paraphrased) "the old guitars were designed for a certain style of music, but people aren't playing the same style anymore, so the guitar needs to change."

My personal conclusion is, if you are playing that old style of music, the old guitars are the way to go.

Hey, Kamlapati,

I totally agree with your post. If someone is playing that "old style of music" the old guitars are the way to go. If you're not playing that way, the more modern archtop sound might be a better bet. The best solution is to have one of both.

**kamlapati** · 10-04-2010, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by D'Aquisto Fan

Hey, Kamlapati,

I totally agree with your post. If someone is playing that "old style of music" the old guitars are the way to go. If you're not playing that way, the more modern archtop sound might be a better bet. The best solution is to have one of both.

Only one of both? Why only one?

**D'Aquisto Fan** · 10-04-2010, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by kamlapati

Only one of both? Why only one?

True. So very true.

**FatJeff** · 10-04-2010, 06:27 PM

You guys are making me feel like a street urchin...all I could afford was a Samick JZ4.

**mr. beaumont** · 10-04-2010, 07:03 PM

One of life's saddest ironies-- Jazz guitars are among the most expensive, jazz gigs are among the hardest to find that pay well...

**drewblue** · 10-04-2010, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

One of life's saddest ironies-- Jazz guitars are among the most expensive, jazz gigs are among the hardest to find that pay well...

exactly thats why im doing this i think i can get gigs with it. and some of the old country stuff is close to jazz and i can slip a little in.

**gianluca** · 10-05-2010, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by FatJeff

You guys are making me feel like a street urchin...all I could afford was a Samick JZ4.

@fatjeff - not so bad these samicks/greg bennett: i own a JZ/1 and I prefer it to my gibson es175;

about L-5,
my the Loar LH600 doesn't sound too much different from the clips I listen of you lucky L5 owners. and it doesn't looks too different. it is about 1k$ or 850,00€.
of course I never played a real gibson L5, only copies, and of course I listen L5 clips only by PC's monitor, ...so my opinion could be a little unreliable...

**Steve Hoffman** · 10-05-2010, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

One of life's saddest ironies-- Jazz guitars are among the most expensive, jazz gigs are among the hardest to find that pay well...

Well, that's not really true. I mean, a mint (I mean DEAD MINT) acoustic 1959 Gibson L-5-C is $20.000.00. But a 1959 Gibson worn out Les Paul is $100,000.00.

It's all relative.

Thing is, one can buy a Les Paul from 1990 for a grand. But a 1990 L-5 still costs 7 grand.

Best thing? Get a vintage hand carved Guild or Epiphone!

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 10-05-2010, 01:13 PM

I guess we're lucky that rich collectors have not turned their heads toward archtops they way they have toward rock guitars.

**Steve Hoffman** · 10-05-2010, 02:38 PM

Yeah, as I've written many times, the hand-carved archtop guitar is the last great deal in vintage guitars.

Rock players can't use them because of the feedback so they remain at the bottom of the vintage chain.

Thank goodness for us.

**stevedenver** · 12-22-2011, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

I guess we're lucky that rich collectors have not turned their heads toward archtops they way they have toward rock guitars.

well i have to disagree-repsectfully of course

there are far more in love with rock and rock icons and badges-therefore even thought there are so many more rock guitars-there are far fewer of vintage

as for jazz guitars
i think indeed they are collectable (perhaps like a fine collection of buggy whips to some players) -and the fact that the prices stay so high -like $6-9 k for older L5s, and other recognized makers, etc tells me the market has not softened-these are still viable and apparently someones buying them-oto perhaps its a "hangover" from a few years ago, before the crash, when it seems all guitars of vintage were rising in price, simply due to increasing retail prices driving up used prices-perhaps the market will soften for jazz guitars in a few years-it could simply depend on fashion trends-

im not saying at all that the intrinisc value of a jazz guitar is changed-nor do i think a solid body has anywhere near the labor and craft that a good archtop has-so the price never reflects 'value', imho-a new L5 at about 7500-8500 is a bargain when you think that a high end Les Paul is close to 4500 plus -in terms of wood and labor and detail-but one sells thousands and the other doesnt

its simply market-and like jazz itself, more folks like rock and pop than jazz-

and a theres a finite number of 'iconic' genuine vintage instruments
-there are (or at least were) $250K 1950's era les pauls, , $35K 335s, $20K teles and strats
and of course those DAngelicos and DAquistos, Strombergs, etc-not only gorgeous but also limited

I don tknow about you, but to me, a good jazz guitar is pretty expensive-not as expensive as it shoud be-
but still imho at least twice what a comparable rock insturment will set you back for comparable quality and bells and whistles

as for the original post-i think youll love an accoustic L5-
-have you considered the 34 reissue-i understand it is a wonderful instrument, but non cutaway