A Question for the Vintage Guitar Experts

[Atterbury Dodd]

Just saw this on Ebay, and cannot figure out whether it is a light colored Gibson LG-1 from the 1950's or one of the Gibson LG-0's from the late 1960's. Can anyone enlighten me on how to tell? Thanks!

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

What, no experts? haha!

 

[Mark G]

Most of the LG-0's had mahogany tops and the 1's had spruce. Some 0's had spruce but not many. Some also have the horrible adjustable bridge (which I would change), and some even had plastic bolt on bridges.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

So it looks like it is probably a LG-1 that has had the front re-finished.

 

[Mark G]

From the closeup of the sound hole/fret board it looks as though the head block has slipped and caused the neck to shift toward the bridge (this happens a lot with guitars left in cars in summer). It has also been very poorly repaired and with the shift won't intonate very well. I see a lot of these and they're not that expensive (compared to other vintage guitars from that time).

I'd pass on this one.

 

[Atticus Finch]

My guess is that its a spruce top LG-0...from earlier than the late sixties, when they came with adjustable saddles.

But it looks like there are neck joint issues with this guitar that would cost more than the value of the guitar to repair.

AF

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

It has 19 frets, which I understand was not likely on a lg-0. I also read that Lg-0's only had Spruce in 1968-ish... I guess a lot of weird stuff went on so maybe it still could be a lg-0?

 

[Atticus Finch]

It has 19 frets, which I understand was not likely on a lg-0. I also read that Lg-0's only had Spruce in 1968-ish... I guess a lot of weird stuff went on so maybe it still could be a lg-0?

Interesting. I didn't count the frets on the ebay guitar. I guess there were both 19 and 20 fret LG-1s, but I don't know if there were any 19 fret LG-Os. Frankly, I was looking more at the shape of the ebay guitar's bridge (lower belly, bolt on) as a clue. Someone over on AGF has written that there was much swapping of parts at the Gibson factory in the mid sixties. He said that his Gibson LG has elements of both the LG-1 and the LG-O...so he calls it a "hybrid" LG-O/1...

AF

 

[Atticus Finch]

I just found this. Seems to indicate that LG-Os were only 19 fret. The LG-1s were 19 fret when introduced, but became 20 fret when a different pickguard was adopted in 1955.

http://www.acousticmusic.org/Identi...jos-and-Mandolins-sp-82.html#gibson_LG_series

AF

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Very helpful, thanks!

 

[majormajor]

The position of the "Gibson" logo on the headstock points to a 50's, rather than a 60's, instrument.