The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    It was a rainy Sunday and something possessed me to watch the following YouTube video called 'Opry Video Classics Legends'.
    At about 18:42, the caption says Ray Price and 9/25/1962.
    And there was Ray with a Gibson I had never seen before, with an L5 or Byrdland neck on a thinner body that appears flat, with a round hole, L5 tailpiece
    and no pickup. I'll take a wild guess...one-off custom order. Cropped screenshot from the 1962 B & W video.
    Any thoughts?
    Attached Images Attached Images Vintage Gibson Guitar-rp-unique-1962-gibson-c-jpg 

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  3. #2

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    It looks like a Gibson George Gobel L-5 but w round soundhole, definitely a one off custom order.
    Gobels are extremely rare, made from '58-'62 iirc

  4. #3
    I think about 43 of the George Gobel's were made initially.
    I actually passed on buying one many, many years ago that was one of the few that had a JS pickup mounted from the factory.
    What was I thinking??
    If you watch the video, Ray's guitar really seems to be a flattop with a round hole, at least to my old eyes.
    Further along in the video, the guy playing guitar for the Statler Bros. was playing some sort of archtop that I could not figure
    out what it was either.

  5. #4

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    I thought it might be an archtop due to the floating bridge and trapeze tailpiece.

  6. #5

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    Here's another video @ 15:00 where he turns it sideways. I think your tired old eyes are right....


  7. #6

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    It's on the cover of his album Night LIfe from the early '60s. I always thought it must have been a one-off special order based on the Gobel. The reflections off the top do make it look like it has a bit of an arch to it, and that bridge probably wouldn't do well on a traditionally braced flat top. Pin bridges direct most of the static string force into compression of the top parallel to the strings and some into a tipping force on the bridge and the top under it (with many belated thanks to my high school math teachers and the vectorial analysis I thought was useless at the time). Archtop bridges apply static string force as compression perpendicular to the plane of the top, which I'd think would cause sinking of a flat top without special bracing.

    Vintage Gibson Guitar-ray_price_l5_roundhole-jpg

  8. #7

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    Found this pic, full on frontal.
    Look around all around the edge, my tired old eyeballs think they see the typical flattening of a pressed archtop as it nears the edge. Or maybe not. Posted full size so hopefully you can zoom in and see it. Original: Album The Honky Tonk Years (1953-1954), Vol.2 (HD Remastered), Ray Price | Qobuz: download and streaming in high quality
    Vintage Gibson Guitar-71a0cf1f-86ad-4bc0-acf5-12b4ea8203f6-jpeg

  9. #8
    Thanks to all for the updated photos which certainly indicate more detail about the instrument.
    I was thinking it was red, too.
    I guess Ray needed some guitar bling in an attempt to keep up with the suits.
    I wonder if the instrument is still around and functioning?

  10. #9

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    I watched a bunch of those classic country videos last night, there were loads of Super 400's which seemed to be the archtop of choice among a lot of folks, especially bandleaders. well. in country you go big or not at all. does make you wonder where a lot of these guitars are today.
    there was a video of Carl Smith w/ a red Super 400 w/double pickguards and what looks like rhinestones on the headstock @ 35:00

    Opry Video Classics Pioneers - YouTube

  11. #10

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    Get better glasses.
    It's an archtop.
    It's carved.
    Next.

  12. #11

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    That’s a really cool guitar. I wonder where that one is today.
    Keith

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by MtnCat
    I think about 43 of the George Gobel's were made initially.
    I actually passed on buying one many, many years ago that was one of the few that had a JS pickup mounted from the factory.
    What was I thinking??
    If you watch the video, Ray's guitar really seems to be a flattop with a round hole, at least to my old eyes.
    Further along in the video, the guy playing guitar for the Statler Bros. was playing some sort of archtop that I could not figure
    out what it was either.
    You may have been thinking that it didn't sound very good. With a short scale, and a thinner body, they were not particularly great sounding guitars acoustically IMHO.

    Sound-wise I would certainly prefer a longer scale full size L5 any day.

    Beautiful looking guitars though, in my mind more of a collector guitar. Its rarity is the reason that it's so valuable.

    I may be wrong, but the Ray Price guitar kind of looks like a full length neck to me, hard to tell. I definitely haven't seen one of those before.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazzkritter
    Look around all around the edge, my tired old eyeballs think they see the typical flattening of a pressed archtop as it nears the edge.
    I see the same thing on both pics. Combined with the reflections seen on the pic I posted, it really does look like a somewhat shallow arched top. Hopefully, someone will have more info.

  15. #14

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    Archtop.com had a round hole L7-C on their site some time back.
    From memory it was a full depth guitar, with the same carved top etc. like the normal L7-C. Only difference was the round soundhole.
    This looks a lot like that guitar, other than being an L5.

  16. #15

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    Apparently, according to the notes in the Bear Family CD boxed set, The Honky Tonk Years 1950-1966, his bandmates and recording engineers thought it sounded like a cardboard box with strings.

    I'll get my coat.

  17. #16

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    This reminded me. Watching Ken Burn’s History of Country Music on PBS I was constantly rewinding to drool over all the old guitars. Especially the Gibsons and Martins.

  18. #17

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    Here's the bastard stepson of that guitar. It does an excellent job when amplified.

    Vintage Gibson Guitar-50464489428_2200a15d74_k-jpgVintage Gibson Guitar-25344308807_7acee826da_o-jpg

  19. #18

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    Golly. I’ve been drooling over old gibsons for over 30 years and I never stop being amazed at some of the custom stuff back in the day. Just when you think you’ve seen it all.

  20. #19

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    Like many country singing stars, Ray was not a great guitar player. If you look, he only plays open chords, mostly with his thumb, not trying to be heard. The guitar was a prop, and looks were much more important than sound. As long as it looked good, nobody cared. The thin body made it easier and more comfortable to hold. He had lead and rhythm guitar players in the band, and there was no need for him to be heard. Not a lot later he stopped using a guitar at all in his act.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    Get better glasses.
    It's an archtop.
    It's carved.
    Next.
    That side shot looks like it's flat. If it's a carved archtop it's the shallowest I've ever seen.

  22. #21

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    The color pictures show it much better. I'm convinced it's arched, although not especially deep.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    The color pictures show it much better. I'm convinced it's arched, although not especially deep.
    Looks well arched to me and carved (or laminated) in the pre 60's/Johnny Smith style. Interesting guitar.