2022 Gibson L-5

[Jabberwocky]

Shaken, not stirred. Very Sean Connery Bond!

[vinnyv1k]

Amen Jabbs !

[2bornot2bop]

Vinny, as you know well, when clean black stands above all others, for nothing provides a reflection like it. I’ve always admired black guitars with golden trim. Black and Gold, are colors of aristocracy, and extremely beautiful. Mega Congratulations!

[skykomishone]

Congratulations Vinny! That's a black beauty! But please don't do what JD suggested, post a nude shot of you with it. It looks fine naked by itself!
Really happy for you brother. I love it.

[vinnyv1k]

No worries Steve…no beauty and the beast shots.
Don’t want all my buddies going blind from a trauma visual.

[jazzkritter]

Well if you carefully placed the guitar in a strategic position Vinny, maybe the nude shot would work?
If the flute too big to hide behind the L5, maybe the Super400?

[blkjazz]

Nice!

[Strbender]

What a beautiful guitar. I'm sure you'll be fighting yourself to put it down evey so often.

[skiboyny]

Congratulations! So nice to see Gibson still producing this iconic model. So how do you feel this stacks up in the sound department to some of the earlier made guitars?

[vinnyv1k]

The build quality of this one is pure perfection. I can’t find a flaw.

[wintermoon]

Well if you carefully placed the guitar in a strategic position Vinny, maybe the nude shot would work?
If the flute too big to hide behind the L5, maybe the Super400?

1935 Epiphone Emperor ad

[Marty Grass]

I love the smell of fresh nitro in the morning…..

The smell gets even better with age!

I love a black finish done right. It requires respect and will show every smudge. It's a harsh mistress, as they say.

[silverfoxx]

I know that Vinny ordered the Black L5 , in February 2021, with the dealer pessimistically saying
that he was doubtful Gibson would build it !
It came as a surprise recently when the dealer ( who shall remain anonymous , LOL ) called to
advise it was ready. I purchased its doppelganger , Crimson Custom shop model in 2014, i had
to dispose of it a few years later. regrettably.
Congratulations to my friend on this superb acquisition.

Silverfoxx

[Zigracer]

That is gorgeous! Bet it sounds phenomenal. Enjoy!

[Woody Sound]

Is that a cassette deck in the background?

[vinnyv1k]

Is that a cassette deck in the background?

yup

[AKA]

Exquisite! Wes is smiling!

AKA

[vinnyv1k]

For me my favorite Gibson’s are the L5 Wes, TF, S400, and the 175.
If I could only have 1 it would be the TF. The king of Thunk.
You can get a great 175 that will have some good thunk but not that long scale sustain. Laminates do require more volume to sound great.
Low volume the L5 wins.

[Max405]

Bro, as far as I am concerned. You put the Tal on the map here. Just like you did with Campellone..
I wouldn’t own either if it weren’t for you.
The Tal is an amazingly versatile and capable guitar. I remember when I had boo-boo, I always told you that didn’t know why I needed any other guitar other than a Tal. And I understood why, when you told me i was because a nut bag.. and I agree.
And the best part is, you don’t really need to draw thunk out of it in order for the Tal to be great.
The Tal is a meat and potatoes guitar. It will be the guitar you reach for, even when you have multiples of the greatest guitars ever made. It does everything great. Single note, rhythm chord and chord melody. It is equal to the most elegant guitars I’ve ever owned.
JD

[jazzkritter]

JD:
“The Tal is a meat and potatoes guitar.”

When i got my L5, Tal was ‘yes, Wes liked those’

Then when i got my 175, brought it to a lesson he said “Now Dave thats a real working man’s guitar”. (This was before they reissued the TF”)

JD Tal would be very happy with your post!

jk
dave

[Max405]

I’m pretty happy knowing that Tal would have liked my post.
But it’s even cooler knowing Wes liked the Gibson Tal Farlow guitar. But that point on the pickguard would have been an issue for Wes!
It amazes me that this guitar wasn’t more popular over the years. It’s a masterpiece.
JD

[jazzkritter]

It is a great guitar, I agree. I like it more than my L5, but I’m biased

Wes wore out the body and pickguard;
Tal wore the neck till it looked liked scalloped frets

The ‘prototype #2’ he played looked nothing like the production model: No scroll, switch on the bout not behind the pickguard. Viceroy Brown faded to, oh, variegated antique yellow. He wouldn’t play the production model cause he couldn’t get to that buried pup switch fast. He used it to go to the bridge pup for harmonics. Someone in France I think paid like 30K for it.

I think the problem in the 90’s was HJ was too busy working on robot tuners

[Max405]

All these great posts about stuff!
Vin, now that you had some get acquainted time, what do you think?
How does a Doug Culbertson signed guitar compare?
JD

[vinnyv1k]

I will get a lot of flack for this but IMO as I have owned multiple of both the present 2008-2022 James D.Culbertson era and the Hutch era.
In fit and finish the Culbertson era wins hands down at least to me.
They are built heavier though but I like the thicker tops.

The build quality of that 2016 S400 I had far exceeded this 2002 Hutch I just got in fit and finish. I believe once it became the Crimson shop everything got better. Probably because of upgrades in the build process not any individual.
This new 2022 has the quality of a Campellone.
Hutch was great. Culbertson is better. Just my single opinion. I don’t think it’s the 2 men. I believe it is better build technology.

[wintermoon]

I've owned Huctch and Culbertson signed guitars but I've said it many times, I don't put a lot of stock in a name on a Gibson label unless it's Lloyd Loar.