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Jonathan, you have a knack for finding some really cool stuff!
That L-5 suits you well.
Was the price in line with the refin and repairs needed?
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06-09-2015 01:44 AM
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https://reverb.com/item/494542-gibso...ic-guitar-1934
I'm guessing the price can be haggled based on the needed repairs.
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That one has been for sale for many many years and quite overpriced
1934 Gibson L5 Archtop-05042012 Sunburst > Guitars : Archtop Electric & Acoustic - House of Guitars
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The two ads, on Reverb and Gbase, are the same guitar, just a very different price. I've noticed it this week (on Reverb with the lower price), and I thought that it was still a little high considering the refin, and not even being aware of the issue with the neck.
I got a kick at the description "This guitar will be inspected by our repair shop before shipment.", thinking: "Why didn't you inspect it before pricing it and posting an ad? Wouldn't it make more sense?"
As an aside, I don't recall seeing Gibson guitars having the serial number stamped on the back of the peghead in 1934. Anyone knows what the deal is with that? I know they did it in the late 1930s, but I find this odd on a 1934. My 34 L-5 is about 600 s/n lower and my 34 L-4 is less than 20 s/n away, and none of them has that. Even those I was referring to from the late 1930s, it was 1938 to 1940 only if I remember correctly, and it was just the FON that was on the back of the headstock, and only on lower models. Maybe they did that on this guitar when and if the guitar was refinished at Gibson's?
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Still, Jonathan thought it sounded sweet. If the price was right, it could be a great player.
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Who would want to buy anything from a store or person that doesn't even disclose the fact that it's been refinished?
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So, when I called about the guitar a couple weeks ago, given the lack of a description online, they immediately said it'd been refinished and that it would need some fingerboard/fret work. Given the way that store works, I could see it had been listed online mostly as a place holder, but wasn't out in the store, but rather was upstairs in the shop area, where it was in the queue to be fixed up when they get to it.
They had a several old archtops in storage in the shop, which were basically in the "someday" pile of stuff to be restored when they got to it, not least of which was a (I'm guessing) '37 Walnut-backed Broadway, that'd been refinished black. Neither I, nor the shop guys, could say walnut for sure given the refin, but it was an early frequensator and an asymmetrical headstock. Besides the terrible refin, the binding was pretty much completely F-ed, as can happen on old Epi's. They basically said I could get the guitar for pretty cheap if I wanted to work with them on the restoration. That was tempting, to be honest, but I have just enough bread to get something pretty darn good, but not enough to go fixing up beaters on a lark. Still, tempting.
As for the L-5, the number on the headstock was the same serial as the inside label, and given the quality of the refin, it wouldn't surprise me if it were a factory refin. Plus, I always negatively associate reddish bursts with the 60's, but I know there are some that naturally fade that way over time, depending on UV exposure and other factors. So, maybe it's a seriously old refin? It didn't seem like a modern finish, to be sure.
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Jonathan
Given that you have said "I'm a bigger dude......" and indeed, the L-5 looks rather small against you, I can only say......that Stromberg must be immense, since as you say, it dwarfs you in the original picture.
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Having lived in that area most of my life, I can tell you that the guys at HOG march to a very different drummer.
Originally Posted by Eddie Lang
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The photo was obviously shot with a wide angle lens which tends to distort proportions (old trick for real estate agents when photographing interiors). But yes, a 19" guitar IS big. Originally Posted by mangotango
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[QUOTE=campusfive;537497
Now, I've only played one or two Emperors, and one Triggs Stromberg copy (which I did NOT care for), so perhaps I wasn't fully prepared for the sheer mass of sound. But, damn.
The instrument has so much interior volume that it almost feels like playing a guitaron or a string bass. Not surprisingly, the single notes didn't really sing, and it was just "ok" for chord melody. But, chunking rhythm chords was profound. The projection of the D and G didn't cut like a knife, but rather filled the room with punch and fullness. Like a fist to the chest.
The true test was after I gave the guitar back to the sales guy. He had been cool enough to offer to take the photo of me above, and he asked if I'd be willing to take a picture of him with guitar. He played at little bit of rhythm on it, and I couldn't believe how loud it was when I was standing 4 feet in front of the guitar taking the picture. The "monitor"-ing of sound back to the player isn't anything close to the wall of sound coming off the top. I could totally see one of these actually being audible acoustically, sans amplification, at least in a vintage-sounding big band.
[/QUOTE]
Here's a young Laurindo Almeida using his to cut through the blaring Kenton band. But with a pickup.
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The master 400 is one of my dream guitars. Such a unique and fascinating instrument.
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Trenier Model E, 2011 (Natural Burst) 16"
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