Gibson L-5S tailpiece

[telephone]

I'm restoring a '75 L-5S (solid body). Any condition

[Gilpy]

I was wondering if you could modify a L-5 type tailpiece, which might be easier to find, by cutting off the extra depth. So I measured my L-5. The L-5 tp is an inch longer than the L-5s, so that wouldn’t work.

[telephone]

Yep, I thought about that. Also, the vestigial top crusher hole would be in a weird place. The ‘80s TPs with the ebony medallion might work…

[jads57]

Try Pete Wagoner at Lavonne Music Savage,MN. 952,890-7288

[wintermoon]

There always seemed to be an L-5S t.p. for sale in the usual places, but now that someone needs one....
But one will pop up sooner or later, even the rarest parts do from time to time and this isn't really a super rare part.

[Woody Sound]

What kind of tail is on it now? (Or with what kind did it come to you?)
EDIT: Ah, I just saw your NGD post. That guitar has been moving around for years now.

I owned two of them in my life. HEAVY guitars!

[telephone]

That guitar has been moving around for years now.

I owned two of them in my life. HEAVY guitars!

Interesting - the fella I bought it from says he had it since ‘93. Where have you seen it?
Fortunately, this one is in the upper 8 lb range; about the same as my Super 400CES.

Edit: just figured it out. That wasn’t my NGD post, I just replied to it.

[Bob_Ross]

this isn't really a super rare part.

Thread Drift: Anyone know how many L-5S Gibson made in total...or, more importantly, how many with the trapeze tailpiece they made?


EDIT: Nevermind, I just asked Google AI.

Gibson manufactured a total of 1,813 L-5S guitars during its primary production run.
Production Breakdown
The model was officially launched in 1972 (with initial prototypes), but official factory shipping ledgers trace the vast majority of the instruments to the 1973–1979 window:

• 1973: 197 units shipped (the first official year of distribution, initially only in Cherry Sunburst).
• 1974: 555 units shipped (peak production year for the model).
• 1975–1979: 1,061 units shipped.

Notable Details

• The Norlin Era: Because they were built in the 1970s, structural changes occurred. Early variants featured low-impedance pickups, which were later replaced by standard humbucking "Tarback" pickups designed by Bill Lawrence.
• Later Runs: While official ledger data stops counting after 1979, a limited number of remaining bodies were finished and sold into the early 1980s. Additionally, the Gibson Custom Shop released a limited run of 300 Ron Wood L-5S signature models in 2015