Gibson L1 archtops
 

I have a lovely 1908 Gibson L1. It sounds good and plays in tune.
Do owners of such guitars refret these and shave down the huge neck?
Is that even possible with the metal/wood reinforcement inside the neck?
I want to play it more often than the neck will allow.

What gauge strings are you using? Lighter should help reduce stress if that is a concern.

String gauge on L1
 

It is strung with extra light phosphor bronze.
Have contacted Champlin Guitars in Bellingham.
It’s going in for a serious tune-up.

Sounds good. Let us know how it goes when you get it back.

Shallow body Gibson L1
 

My L1 is only 3 inches deep. Anyone seen the like?

Jay,
Thousands of them were made, actually.

Does yours still have the tailpiece with the faux tortoise 'pin bridge' cross piece?

A good friend owns a totally original, pristine example with original hard case from 1917, and it is also 3" deep around the rim.

While you may be able to have the neck thinned somewhat, you probably will still be disappointed with the end result in terms of sound. They're an acquired taste, at best.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

It's a niche sound for sure. A friend of mine has one, and I always enjoy playing it when I visit him. But I do tire of it after a while.

Hi,
I assume that you mean one like this :
I had a 1915 (ish) L-3 loved it , sold it when financially desperate in the '70s and still miss it.
Guitars donlt sound like that any more but largely, Gibsons made in the era were made to last the odd 100 -200 years or sol, and many seem to continue to thrive.
However, they don't sound like we expect guitars to sound nowadays.

I consider refrets as maintenance - new tyres on your car doesn't diminish the car - same ethos.

Thinning down the neck - No. not allowed - its the law - the guitar will last longer than you!

No. not allowed - its the law - the guitar will last longer than you![/QUOTE]

Fully agree with the above.

I have a natural finished 1918 L-1, and yeah, the neck feels like a baseball bat, but all that wood transfers the string energy into the top and these smaller bodied guitars ring out louder with the stiffer neck.

I got a 1930's Kalamazoo KG-31 that someone butchered the neck with a kitchen knife, so that it had a profile like a Les Paul. It took me a few days to route and fill the slots with new mahogany strips, and then hand carve, sculpt and refinish the original soft V shape profile to correct the damage.

Your L-1 will have greater resale value if it is left original :)