Gibson 1968 Wes Montgomery L5

[daveg]

Hi Wintermoon,

Wes was photographed in Ike Isaacs home playing a couple of guitars - an L7 and an L5.

Neither were his - they were Ike's or Cedric's.

DG

[daveg]

All,

I should have returned to what I reported all those years ago and refreshed my memory before appearing to contradict myself. Apologies. Dementia rules!!

I am now back!

As stated above the L5 and L7 seen here:WES MONTGOMERY PHOTOGRAPHS belonged to Ike Isaacs and Cedric West. I once visited Ike's home and was allowed to play his Johnny Smith and his D'Angelico but no one was allowed to go near the L7 - his favourite guitar.

The Heart L5 was the only guitar I saw him play at Ronnie's.

The last time I remember seeing the "heart" guitar advertised for sale was in Just Jazz Guitar magazine when Richard Glick (Fine Guitar Consultants) was offering Wes' guitar, George Barnes' guitar and a Merle Travis guitar. But I also vaguely remember that George B might have bought the one we were talking about. He had the L5CES for many years but (I believe) he has now sold that.

By the way, I no longer have control of the site refered to above. I can neither add nor delete anything. It just sits there in the state that I left it some years ago.

I hope I have covered everything and that we can go back to discussing Hank's guitar.

DG

[floatingpickup]

All,

I should have returned to what I reported all those years ago and refreshed my memory before appearing to contradict myself. Apologies. Dementia rules!!

I am now back!

As stated above the L5 and L7 seen here:WES MONTGOMERY PHOTOGRAPHS belonged to Ike Isaacs and Cedric West. I once visited Ike's home and was allowed to play his Johnny Smith and his D'Angelico but no one was allowed to go near the L7 - his favourite guitar.

The Heart L5 was the only guitar I saw him play at Ronnie's.

The last time I remember seeing the "heart" guitar advertised for sale was in Just Jazz Guitar magazine when Richard Glick (Fine Guitar Consultants) was offering Wes' guitar, George Barnes' guitar and a Merle Travis guitar. But I also vaguely remember that George B might have bought the one we were talking about. He had the L5CES for many years but (I believe) he has now sold that.

By the way, I no longer have control of the site refered to above. I can neither add nor delete anything. It just sits there in the state that I left it some years ago.

I hope I have covered everything and that we can go back to discussing Hank's guitar.

DG

Thanks for that helpful info and those great pics. Sorry for helping to take the thread away from Hank's guitar. Back to Hank's '68 - I just love it. I sure don't know what those things are on the tuner posts though? I guess we don't know if Hank's was made this way or was originally an L5C, do we? It's nice to hear about a guy who plays one guitar for so long. Especially one like that!
Keith

[daveg]

Guess what guys?

There's a '64 L5 for sale at Gruhn Guitars with a Johnny Smith PU and what looks like a flattened pointy bit at the end of the fingerboard.

DG

[customxke]

Guess what guys?

There's a '64 L5 for sale at Gruhn Guitars with a Johnny Smith PU and what looks like a flattened pointy bit at the end of the fingerboard.

DG

You mean the one with the Byrdland neck?

[Jimmy Mack]

Weird, my guitar teacher from years ago, has a Johnny Smith, with H/bers factory installed in the spruce top, like an L5CES. He also plays an early 60's L5 CES. Says he's never been happier, after owning all the Gibson archtops, and a Guild Artist Award.

Danny Caron's L5CES has a Varitone (from the factory).

[Jimmy Mack]

So one day, I was in and out of used guitar shops on 48th St. back in the early '80's, just browsing. Didn't have money for guitars back then, and I was hardly playing at all.

48th St. Guitars was a tiny shop back then. Walking in, the salesman was coming out, locking up to get some lunch. He asked what my interest was, and I said "Gibsons". He said "do you like jazz guitars?" Fearing he would abandon me there before I got in the store, I said "absolutely".

He then told me that he just "bought an L5 from George Benson. Was I interested? $1200.00". I was speechless, and broke at the time. Imagine that deal !!!!!!!!!!

I read where GB said that he had so many guitars thru those earlier years - he didn't even know what was in the closet! He recorded the album "Breezin" with guitars that were new to him( I think it was a Johnny Smith), and a Polytone amp. Just because he's pictured with one guitar, doesn't mean he cut the tracks with it. Photo sessions are like that.

[Patrick2]

So one day, I was in and out of used guitar shops on 48th St. back in the early '80's, just browsing. Didn't have money for guitars back then, and I was hardly playing at all.

48th St. Guitars was a tiny shop back then. Walking in, the salesman was coming out, locking up to get some lunch. He asked what my interest was, and I said "Gibsons". He said "do you like jazz guitars?" Fearing he would abandon me there before I got in the store, I said "absolutely".

He then told me that he just "bought an L5 from George Benson. Was I interested? $1200.00". I was speechless, and broke at the time. Imagine that deal !!!!!!!!!!

I read where GB said that he had so many guitars thru those earlier years - he didn't even know what was in the closet! He recorded the album "Breezin" with guitars that were new to him( I think it was a Johnny Smith), and a Polytone amp. Just because he's pictured with one guitar, doesn't mean he cut the tracks with it. Photo sessions are like that.

These occurrences are what makes our world of jazz . . . and jazz guitar truly spectacular.

[gcb]

Hi to all,

I remember that around 15 years ago the Heart guitar was offered by Mandolin Bros. It first appeared in their web site with no price and a long description along the lines of the text showed in DaveG's article. I sent an e-mail asking for the order of magnitude an offer should approximate to. Didn't receive a reply. Then, the asking price price was set if I recall well at U$S 200.000 but it took a while to sell. I share the curiosity expressed by others as to where that guitar ended.

[floatingpickup]

Hi to all,

I remember that around 15 years ago the Heart guitar was offered by Mandolin Bros. It first appeared in their web site with no price and a long description along the lines of the text showed in DaveG's article. I sent an e-mail asking for the order of magnitude an offer should approximate to. Didn't receive a reply. Then, the asking price price was set if I recall well at U$S 200.000 but it took a while to sell. I share the curiosity expressed by others as to where that guitar ended.

I can confirm that it didn't end up with me!
Keith