The PL1, a Gibson L1 replica - added some videos
 

I’d like to introduce the PL1, a replica build of the 100 year old Gibson L1. I've been obsessed with this guitar for quite some time, it's sound and look are such a throw back to the early blues era. The L1 is an iconic, great old guitar, now hard to find and even harder to find in good shape. They were originally a carved top with a trapeze tailpiece and baseball bat style necks. I've braced this version but with a 15' top radius compared to the "normal" 28' radius to give it more of an arch top look. I’ve carved a much thinner, more playable neck I've also made a deeper body (similar to the "Nick Lucas Special" era of Gibson) for a bigger and fuller sound that is often missing from small bodied guitars. This guitar has a great old twang and will immediately transport you back in time and make you want to try all your blues licks, but is also a great finger picking guitar and strummer.

Western Red Cedar top, Sapele back and sides, Mahogany neck, Ebony finger board and bridge, Black Pearl inlay, aged Nickel hardware and a French Polish. Removable black Maple pick guard. Custom TKL brown alligator case.

$2100 with a natural finish and $2300 with a burgundy finish. Plus shipping costs.

I have a couple available now. I ask for a $500 deposit to add your place and in line for new orders.

In the next few days and weeks I’ll be adding more pictures and video to this thread. My website http://www.wideskyguitars.com/ is not completely done yet but there you can find specs and more info as well as see what else I’m up to. Also https://www.instagram.com/wide_sky_guitars/ on Instagram is a good way to see what’s going on in the shop and also some phone recordings there that will give and idea of the PL1s sound.

I'm just window shopping, but it looks great.

That is great looking - I love the raised pick guard! Great prices too! I look forward to more details, especially recordings.

Thanks! I'm sending one out to Sean Hayes next week, so there ought to be some great sounding audio/video coming soon. In the mean time I'll make some of my mediocre playing over the weekend.

Those look very cool.

Can I play with the cat?

beautiful, but honestly, I think you need to raise your prices, another 2k on that and I'm sure it would still sell quick enough, with a case even, jeepers...

regional economic realities play into these economic factors and you are at an advantage by not being in a super high real estate market area,comparatively, and yet you are selling national/international, reaching areas with high regional incomes and cost of living markets, and well, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, or be bossy, or rude, I just think your selling yourself short...I'm sure we'd all rather have 2k vs no'k, or a sale vs not, but really unless there's something I'm not seeing or hearing, unless your buying these from China and retooling and varnishing them, I'd say that you, and many makers on this site really should up your prices a bit, I really do think this could sell for quite a bit more in not that much longer a period of time than what it's listed at now.

just my 2

Great looking guitars!

I appreciate your feed back. I agree, handmade custom guitars should go for 3 or 4 times what they are actually able to go for, but it seems to me the market really doesn’t support that.

My goal with this was to make something that I could offer at a lower price than what I’m asking for for commissions and open up more opportunities to get my instruments out there. I was a professional musician for almost 20 years. I know lots and lots of players and know that once you start getting over $2500 they can’t think about it. So in discussing the PL1 with my “focus group” I decided to try and make these for the prices I’ve listed above. I imagine in a little while I’ll raise the price about $200 but wouldn’t want to more than that. I’m hoping the PL1s help sell the customs and that the customs help sell the PL1s.

Other than the hardware, case, and Kerf lining (I get those from Ryan) I’m making everything by hand. Because these are a set design I can make parts and pieces in groups, that cuts down on time. The aesthetic and construction decisions have already been made and that cuts down on time. I’m building these in groups of 4 and that cuts down on time as well. I buy the material and cases in bulk so that cuts down on the costs. Still, I’m not making as much as I’d like but I am making guitars and getting them into hands that appreciate them.

I've been following these on IG. Very cool guitars!

Then we form a union!!!! :D....No really it's just a great deal, I'm sure you know just what your doing....great case, cool guitar

I experimented with making some videos off my phone tonight and uploading them to YouTube. They are nothing fancy but hopefully they give a sense of what the PL1s are sounding like…

That's Olive, she is in charge of quality control.

Took a few more photos. A friend of mine has a few random train cars on his property, they make a perfect back drop for the PL1.

Sean Hayes got his PL1 last week and has been sending me little iPhone clips of him playing around on it. He has a new album coming out in August and in a few weeks he’s going into the studio to record some video of him playing a few solo versions of songs that are on the album as well as some of his older tunes and a cover or two. So more and better quality videos in a bit.

The first clip is acoustic. The second he’s got a LR Baggs Lyric plugged into a Matchless amp that's dialed up to get that bluesy grit sound.

Check out his music at http://www.seanhayesmusic.com/ His albums are full of magic but 'Alabama Chicken' is just one of those perfect albums.

Super cool, thanks for sharing!