1970 Gibson L-5 CES

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 12:46 PM

p.s. John needs to cancel that auction before someone else hits the BIN button and the bleep hits the fan.

**nopedals** · 05-13-2016, 12:47 PM

No cure for outgassing, right? No way even to store and stabilize a pickguard starting to die (eg, airtight baggy, store in freezer, whatever)?

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 12:50 PM

some people have been known to coat a dying guard in clear epoxy or similar, but it can't be stopped.
just get a new one and be done w/it.

**Stringswinger** · 05-13-2016, 12:51 PM

While many have questioned the originality of the guard, how about the bridge? Shouldn't there be pearl inlays in the bridge base?

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 12:54 PM

bridge is definitely replaced as well, the tune-o-matic was likely corroded from the guard.
I like the mid 70s ebony Johnny Smith type w/prop inlays Marc mentioned.
my '64 has the t.o.m., my '69 the ebony

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by nopedals

I think that humidity and temperature issues are not so critical with this guitar; it is carved pretty thick. Very common for an L5C to develop cracks; not a CES. I suspect that if you have it out all the time indoors, it is unlikely to develop any issues that it has not developed in the last 46 years.

Re the outgassing; at some point Gibson stopped making pickguards that are problematical. I kind of associate it with 30s-40s guitars. Anybody know when the pickguards became stable?

I've seen L-5's that are less than 15 yrs old w/shot guards.
the nitro varies from batch to batch and is probably affected by it's environment as well..

**rio** · 05-13-2016, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by JazzNote

Rio, here are three shots of mine, serial is 185570. What's yours?

Attachment 31256

Mine is 120236. Similar backs!

Wintemoon- I was thinking you were the original owner when I saw that picture until I realized that is a photo the store posted hahah. The dot was apparently a way for the original owner to personalize the guitar so he would know it was his if it was ever stolen, at least that's the story.

Thank you all for the congrats and all of the info. I am going to look into the linked gig bags - I didn't know Mooradian made guitar cases. I've had one for my upright bass for 17 years and it is good as new so that is where I will start.

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by rio

Mine is 120236. Similar backs!

Wintemoon- I was thinking you were the original owner when I saw that picture until I realized that is a photo the store posted hahah. The dot was apparently a way for the original owner to personalize the guitar so he would know it was his if it was ever stolen, at least that's the story.

Thank you all for the congrats and all of the info. I am going to look into the linked gig bags - I didn't know Mooradian made guitar cases. I've had one for my upright bass for 17 years and it is good as new so that is where I will start.

no rio, I'm not 80 something yrs old.....yet

**JazzNote** · 05-13-2016, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by nopedals

No cure for outgassing, right? No way even to store and stabilize a pickguard starting to die (eg, airtight baggy, store in freezer, whatever)?

Yep, i stored mine airtight when it started. Didn't help at all.

**JazzNote** · 05-13-2016, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

While many have questioned the originality of the guard, how about the bridge? Shouldn't there be pearl inlays in the bridge base?

Yes the original bridge most likely has been a tuneomatic with pearl inlays on the base.

**lawson-stone** · 05-13-2016, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by JazzNote

Yep, i stored mine airtight when it started. Didn't help at all.

Freezing? If there is some kind of oxidation going on, freezing it might pause it.

Just a thought, no experience or actual information to back it up...

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Freezing? If there is some kind of oxidation going on, freezing it might pause it.

Just a thought, no experience or actual information to back it up...

that's fine if your going to be playing outdoors in Siberia.

**lawson-stone** · 05-13-2016, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

that's fine if your going to be playing outdoors in Siberia.

Duh... I meant if he wanted to save the original but arrest the deterioration. If he sold the guitar at a later time, perhaps the original would be in decent shape if the storage in freeze worked.

**wintermoon** · 05-13-2016, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Duh... I meant if he wanted to save the original but arrest the deterioration. If he sold the guitar at a later time, perhaps the original would be in decent shape if the storage in freeze worked.

duh, just havin' fun Lawson...

**lawson-stone** · 05-14-2016, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

duh, just havin' fun Lawson...

Sorry-I have replaced the batteries in my Acme Online Humor Detector and now have two things to chuckle at!

**Greentone** · 05-14-2016, 09:06 AM

FWIW, there wouldn't be inlays in a 1970 bridge base. The inlayed bases show up about the time volutes do in the 70s.

**MaxTwang** · 05-14-2016, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Sorry-I have replaced the batteries in my Acme Online Humor Detector and now have two things to chuckle at!

Watch out, part of that devices reboot cycle is dropping an Acme anvil on the owner.

BTW in the past couple days I've spotted a roadrunner and a coyote on my lawn.

**wintermoon** · 05-14-2016, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Greentone

FWIW, there wouldn't be inlays in a 1970 bridge base. The inlayed bases show up about the time volutes do in the 70s.

on L-5's and Supers, yes. the prop/bowtie ebony bridge was first used on 60's Johnny Smiths and made it's way onto the other high end carved tops in the mid 70s. for some reason my '69 L-5 came w/one though.

**Stringswinger** · 05-14-2016, 04:00 PM

I think the first year of the TOM on the ES-175 was 1976. Would this be the first year of the TOM and inlaid bridge base on the L-5 and Super 400?

**2bornot2bop** · 05-14-2016, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by JazzNote

Yep, i stored mine airtight when it started. Didn't help at all.

and I had an experienced luthier who'd restored many an old Gibson say to me, "don't store an old deteriorating guard inside your house as doing so can cause airborne illnesses." Seemed logical...why push your luck?

**MaxTwang** · 05-15-2016, 12:46 AM

if the pickguard is truly outgassing then there's probably nothing you can do to stop it as the solvents, and other highly toxic chemicals, are dissolving the plastic and escaping into the air and being trapped in the case. Early plasitics or nitrocellulose parts, like early faux tortoise shell, may be beautiful but the chemicals used were pretty nasty.

**JazzNote** · 05-15-2016, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

on L-5's and Supers, yes. the prop/bowtie ebony bridge was first used on 60's Johnny Smiths and made it's way onto the other high end carved tops in the mid 70s. for some reason my '69 L-5 came w/one though.

I bought my 1970 L5 in 1990 from the second owner and everything seemed to be original. But of course i can't be a 100% sure if the bridge with the bowtie inlay base really is original. I think i'm going to start a new thread to find out.

**plasticpigeon** · 05-15-2016, 03:29 PM

Have a look here

Gibson L-5CES showcase 1972 Part 1

It seems in 1972 the L-5 still had a rosewood base, but the Johnny Smith seemed always to have the ebony one with inlays. I wonder if the inlaid one was ever fitted to an L-5 from new in that period. I have a 1972 L-5 with a rosewood base.

**JazzNote** · 05-15-2016, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

on L-5's and Supers, yes. the prop/bowtie ebony bridge was first used on 60's Johnny Smiths and made it's way onto the other high end carved tops in the mid 70s. for some reason my '69 L-5 came w/one though.

wintermoon, were you the first owner of the '69 L-5 which came with that bowtie inlay base?