photo's of my vintage Gibson lg3 i found last week

Keira-WitherKay

here are some pics of my 1955 Gibson lg3 flat top acoustic i found , didn't need in any way but bought none the less ? we all know how that feels

however i admit i need to go to 'vintage guitars anonymous" cos i can pass by shiny new guitars even be impressed by them like i was by that Gibson custom shop ES330 i saw 2 weeks ago but i can resist .......... i walk by all the amps and the high tech gear no problem .... but show me a vintage guitar and i literally get weak in the knees and all resistance crumbles...........

ok so this "beat up " old dame is a 1955 Gibson Lg3 flat top..... i dated it easily since there is a FON number (factory order number) stamped on the in the neck block inside the guitar ...... which starts with a "W" which designates 1955 ....... and thanks to a well organised vintage gibson site online ... all the info on the guitar and the dating was so easy and all on one site ......

ok so it's a small bodied spruce top with mahogony back/sides and neck ...... there are 3 models mine being the lg3 which was the most expensive at the time ... as earlier lg1's had mahogony tops ... so this is a spruce top and the other difference is that the lg3 is X braced while the lg1 is ladder braced ..... the lg 2 and lg 3 are from what i can tell the same x braced spruce top but the lg3 came out as a natural and the lg2 was always a sunburst .

tone wise it's a real blues/fingerpicking guitar with a strong mid but nice tight bass....... i have played a lot of my multipart fingerstyle jazz on it and it sounds great for fingerstyle...very clear no muddy low mid/bass like the dreadnoughts very crisp and clear

so will i keep it .......... i think so ...... looks great on my wall .......

are they rare ... well they were made from 1942 till 1962 when production was stopped .......this one of mine is a '55 ....... apparantly the lg 3 is harder to find than the lg 2 as less were made (although in ttuth i would personally have preffered this one to be in sunburst (lg2) as i love that vintage sunburst look ...... but hey one can't be choosy when unearthing these gems

* see next post for some extra pics and futher "waffle"

Keira-WitherKay

ok so this guitar has been played hard for 58 yrs ... and the neck is worn off in places ........which is bad for vintage value but as most of you know it's way cool......to me i love road worn guitars ......

interesting that the stamp on the back of the neck says "made in the USA" the use of the word "the" seems strange since if i recall most these days just say 'made in usa" not "the USA "

tuners are not original but they in the same style as the originals ...and anyone having any old 50's kluson 3 on a strip tuners lying around let me make you an offer...although i know the buttons crumble in time as the cellulose decays but love to find an original set .....

this guitar may need a neck reset ........ i would not be surprised....... it has a truss rod tho and the bridge could be lowered ...... so that will improve the action ....... however it also needs some humidifying as i think this has laid in someones garage neglected for decades.....

so a "beat up " blues guitar but one filled with 'mojo" and history ...... and one i'm glad i bought albeit an impulse buy ...it's a piece of history and as i said above for some reason i am so drawn to vintage gear ...especially this old........

so amazingly in jan 2013 i have come to own 2 vintage guitars... the 1960 Hofner 457 archtop .... and this 1955 Gibson lg3 flat top ...... this is surely a great year so far ..... and best thing is i was NOT hunting for vinatage guitars both just happened to find me ..............

vic

Lovely guitar Keira ! I like the blonde.... ?

My 1946 LG-2 also has the "made in the USA" stamp ....so no worries there.

Enjoy it...great sounding guitars as you say !

Chabenda

Keira, that's a lovely guitar! I'm jealous!

singemonkey

Great guitar from some of Gibson's best years. Congrats. Sounds like it'd be well worth getting it back to ideal playing condition even if it costs a bob or two.

PeteM

Great find Keira... have fun.

kapepper

nice !
I also saw this one. Louis was selling it for a nice price (but then comes the neck reset and prob other stuff)
I wonder what he has paid for it since his price was also very decent
(and i think louis is a lowballer when it concerns buying gear for reselling)

Keira-WitherKay

kapepper wrote: nice !
I also saw this one. Louis was selling it for a nice price (but then comes the neck reset and prob other stuff)
I wonder what he has paid for it since his price was also very decent
(and i think louis is a lowballer when it concerns buying gear for reselling)

yeah the price was nice....... and yeah i bet he bought it in dirt cheap ...... but hey thats biz ......

but even after a neck reset ....... this guitar is worth it at the price i paid.....

i seen 1955 lg3's granted in better condition but selling for up to $3000 and everyone seems to think they a delight to play and like the clear tone so ..definitely a well loved model ..... .

for me ....... if i keep it ............... i'd want to get it 100% playable and use it ..( at the moment it plays well, has great tone and stays in tune just the action is way too high .......) i never been a collector ... i just like old guitars ? and i love playing em live even more ......

Keira-WitherKay

well amazing what a setup and clean can do ....... i was "fearing" but expecting to hear i needed a neck reset ... on this baby ..... but all it took was a pro setup ( everything they do for that ) .... and new tusq saddle and nut adjustment ..... it got a good check and NO loose brace s ect .......

it now plays well and sounds great....... and looks so much better cleaned up and with the fretboard and bridge oiled ( which is brazillian rosewood) and frets lightly dressed ...... when i bought it it looked like a pawn shop special NOW it's pure vintage that rosewood is rich and dark and the spruce is golden ...and the grain on the one piece mahogony neck swirls around the heel.......... all invisible under the grime.......... ?

starting to look like a gem of a vintage guitar now.......

ajileguitar

Very nice !!!

tiller

Nice Gibson. They look so simple, like average guitars but they sound divine. I wonder how Gibson makes that guitar sound so brilliant? Anyone knows the Gibson wood secret? ?