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Can anyone please tell me what I have here? Any help much appreciated!
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09-30-2020 09:26 AM
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Looks like a laminated top, yes? If so:
Originally Posted by Bjrev10
Mid-50s Gibson ES-130 / ES-135, based on neck binding and trapezoids
Stripped & refinished
All hardware replaced
Routed for humbucker
Here's an example in the Archtop.com archive.
No collector value remains. Play it!
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I know it can't be worth much. I paid peanuts for it several years ago, honestly I use it as a wall hanger in my practice room, I think it looks kinda funky/cool.
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Thanks for the info! Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
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Originally Posted by Bjrev10
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Hello, I'm hoping to revive this old thread because I would like some input on this guitar. I've attached pictures. It's listed as a 1940's Gibson L-50 for $1400 Canadian dollars. I've been looking to get an acoustic archtop. And a vintage unit is specifically alluring to me. However, I have some suspicions and perhaps someone can help confirm them. Judging by these 3 photos, I think the fingerboard, nut, and tailpiece do not look original. The seller also admits the tuners and bridge are not original. Where the headstock meets the neck it looks messed up, something weird about it. The back has a seam as if the two sides were bookmatched (if that's the right term). I have not seen it in person yet.
I'm wondering, might it really be an L-48? I say this because of the seam on the back, I have seen photos of L-48s like that but not L-50s. I'm also wondering what a fair price is for this guitar, assuming it's playable, but considering how little is original or in good shape. Where I live you don't see old archtops that often, and I am alternatively looking at a Godin 5th Avenue for a third of the price.
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Never seen those position markers on either an L-48 or an L-50...... or on any Gibson for that matter. Replaced fretboard? Custom order?
Also the wood of the back seems too nice for an L-48 and I think also for an L-50.
Don’t know what it is, but I do know the bridge is in the wrong place: like this the guitar must be unplayable....
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Originally Posted by oldHaus
Hello, I'm hoping to revive this old thread because I would like some input on this guitar. I've attached pictures. It's listed as a 1940's Gibson L-50 for $1400 Canadian dollars. I've been looking to get an acoustic archtop. And a vintage unit is specifically alluring to me. However, I have some suspicions and perhaps someone can help confirm them. Judging by these 3 photos, I think the fingerboard, nut, and tailpiece do not look original. The seller also admits the tuners and bridge are not original. Where the headstock meets the neck it looks messed up, something weird about it. The back has a seam as if the two sides were bookmatched (if that's the right term). I have not seen it in person yet.
I'm wondering, might it really be an L-48? I say this because of the seam on the back, I have seen photos of L-48s like that but not L-50s. I'm also wondering what a fair price is for this guitar, assuming it's playable, but considering how little is original or in good shape. Where I live you don't see old archtops that often, and I am alternatively looking at a Godin 5th Avenue for a third of the price.
I have an L-48. That is not it. I've never seen those position markers on any guitar.
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The fretboard end, where it meets the body, also doesn’t look like Gibson work. It looks like an L-50 with either a replaced fretboard or an entirely replaced neck to me. Doesn’t happen to have a factory order number on the back, inside the treble side f-hole?
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what's going on w/the headstock above the nut? looks like reptile dentistry.
and the back of the neck looks wonky, not to mention the bridge placement.
I'm guessing it's a Gibson headstock mounted on a new neck, or likely a neck from another guitar.
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The L48 did not have binding on the edge of the fingerboard. Looks like this one does. So,in that way, it's more like an L50. But,I've never seen those fingerboard inlays on any Gibson I can recall.
Price looks very high for a guitar with inauthentic features. In fact, it's high for the genuine article.
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What does the back of the neck around the nut look like? That appears to be serious damage under the e and b strings. I think I would run far away, as fast as my feet could carry me.
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That would be about $1100 US which would be a bit below the current market value for an all original post-war L-50, but definitely seems high for what we see here. The top looks like spruce rather than mahogany which for the era this appears to be pushes me toward L-50 over L-48. I’ve seen backs like that on the L-50, but I don’t think I have in the L-48.
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Originally Posted by sgosnell
Agree. Perhaps a photo of the back of the neck where it merges with the headstock would help explain the rather odd-looking area around the nut? Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
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I'm maybe looking at this wrong and making some silly assumptions, but I'll take a chance at embarrassing myself and go ahead and say it......
Besides the inlays and other things that people have noted.....
The neck heel is not Gibson and its appears to have a 21 fretboard/neck if it meets the body at the 14th fret.
A stock Gibson L-50 has a 19 fret board and the neck joins the body at the 14th fret.
....unless with this thing the neck join is at the 12th fret! Then its might be a 19 fret board.
This way its possible to have an understanding why the bridge is set so far back, with the intentionally shortened trapeze tailpiece to accommodate it.
So as someone mentioned above....the Gibson headstock would have been been grafted onto another neck and there you have it.
Full photos of the neck and body front and back would help to confirm this "wild" idea.
oldHaus.......let it go! There will surely be many better examples to choose from.Last edited by zizala; 01-26-2021 at 08:11 AM.
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So I finally got to see the L-50, pictures of which I posted above. The body is in nice condition, and in fact I loved it. But the neck is just sadly so f****d. The action is crazy high, just barely playable. It actually does play and sounds pretty good. But the entire neck has had a very rough repair. There's a strip of the original neck that runs all the way down the middle and connects to the headstock. On either side are strips of rough wood, bumpy and not smoothly finished whatsoever. The fretboard is a new replacement on this frankenstein neck. I don't think there is a truss rod. The neck has a huge bow to it, so there's no way the action is getting any lower. Perhaps someone could use it for slide, particularly lap steel, but I don't do that stuff.
Further, I don't think any parts are original. Definitely not the tuners, bridge, or tailpiece. I'm not sure about the pickguard.
It's sad to me that this gorgeous body, no cracks, flamey back, very light, and great singing quality, is stuck with this unplayable and worthless neck. Plus the guy is now asking $1900.
My fantasy now is to convince him to take a tenth of that asking price, then find a luthier who will pair this body to a totally new replacement neck. However, I'm not sure if that is even remotely possible in the real world. Anyone have any insight to putting a brand new neck on a '50s archtop?
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couple more photos
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What that guitar needs is a replacement neck, preferably an old Gibson neck with an inlaid script logo. If only there was a member here who had an extra neck like that and would be willing to sell it....hmmm, gotta think, gotta think...
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Good day to all. im new to this site. much great info and thoughts here. I just had to chime in with the L-50 lovers. I have what I believe to be a '47, grt axe and in what I think is very good condition.
I'm hoping someone can tell me what yr my L-50 is. Also opinions of value? I recently posted it on cl for 2500 .I'm sure that's on the high end of the scale. But ,real life I don't at all want to part with it... So I guess I'll just keep plunking away.
Anyway, thnx for reading my ramble.
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Fine looking L-50!
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thnx , it aint perfect , but i luv the way it plays and sounds . just would like to know its real age ? there is a reason why they were made for 40 yrs !!!
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An X prefix in the FON should make it a 1954.
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thnx for that info.still older than me . and im pretty damb old .build quality is very good . neck is straight as a arrow . i cant remember the last time i put strings on it . so it will be like a new guitar to me when i get around to it.
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Glad to have found this old thread. I’ve had an L50 since May of 2001, purchased from the much missed Mandolin Brothers. It’s a 1960, and in very good condition.
I just wanted to say that I think these guitars are underrated, but I have noticed prices going up. These days, good examples go for $2500 to $3000. Frank Vignola calls the L50 the poor man’s L5 for a reason. It really can cop the Eddie Lang tone.
Anyway, here’s mine. I keep it strung with D’Addarrio Chrome .013-.056. It’s an extremely versatile guitar.
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I just sold an L48 with a carved L50 body. Awesome 16" Gib sound, just couldn't get with the big round neck at my arthriic age.
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