'56 Gibson LG1
 

I saw this on Reverb. I wondered if anyone who knows Gibson might be able to comment on whether there are any red flags regarding it. It is my birth year and, well........

https://reverb.com/item/26324142-gib...-sunburst-1956

Hard to tell from just the Reverb listing. The biggest drawback is the P90 pickup and tone knobs that have been installed - something most probably wouldn’t want in their acoustic but is obviously up to you. I’d also be somewhat concerned about the note on the bridge, and would ask some questions about the neck reset and get some pictures/measurements of the action to make sure the reset was done well. That’s also a somewhat high price for an LG-1 so I’d try to negotiate a bit if you decided to buy it.

Edit: Just realized it's a CME listing, in which case they usually don't usually haggle too much, and you're essentially paying a higher price because the guitar is coming from a shop. I'd recommend trying to find one from a private seller or buy one for cheap ($1,000 or under) and then send it to Baxendale to have it converted to x bracing (unless you really want the ladder bracing).

It would depend on what you plan to do with the guitar. Personally I like the Elmore James/Lightnin' Hopkins vibe the single coil soundhole pickups give you and have a bunch of Dearmond 210s laying around. I also own a 1956 Harmony H40 which has a Gibson P-13 mounted underneath the fingerboard extension.

But as already noted, not much you can tell from the info you are given. The seller though is reputable which should put your mind at ease.

The OP is probably aware of this, but just to be on the safe side...

LG-1's after WWII were ladder-braced. They have a different tone than the X-braced LG-2's and LG-3's. More fundamental, with fewer overtones. They have a cool sound all their own.

This one is listed at least $500 more than what I would want to pay for it. They can sometimes be found for under $1000 in playable condition.

That seems like too much money to ask for a heavily modified LG1. It's not collector grade.

There appears to be a crack along the center seam from the bridge to the bottom. It may just be a finish crack, but something to ask about. If it is into the wood, has it been repaired/cleated?

The high-gloss finish makes me wonder if it has been oversprayed. I've worked on bunch of these, and most aren't that shiny. Not a big issue on a player grade instrument, in fact it might be a good thing to stabilize the finish, but if it has been oversprayed, that should be disclosed.

I agree with others that the price is a bit high.

Messaged back and forth a little. They do have an excellent reputation at least in their ratings. I asked for pics of the saddle lift and setup. The p/u pot has been dated to '61. They say it plays sweet and the pu sounds vintage. Very nice folks. They said it's only three days old and they wont discount. I get it. I'm not in a position to pay 2k even for birth year and vintage pu.

Messaged back and forth a little. They do have an excellent reputation at least in their ratings. I asked for pics of the saddle lift and setup. The p/u pot has been dated to '61. They say it plays sweet and the pu sounds vintage. Very nice folks. They said it's only three days old and they wont discount. I get it. I'm not in a position to pay 2k even for birth year and vintage pu.