Gibson L5 - 1934 reissue.......?

[bohemian]

Archtop guy..

I met Anthony Wilson after his Diana Krall performance at the Britt Festival in Jacksonville Oregon. He was playing his Monteleone. Prior he played a Gibson Byrdland for a decade or more. We talked guitars for sometime...
Byrdland buds. Too bad we will never be Monteleone buds. : )

[Howard Emerson]

http://howardemerson.com/music/tale-to-tell/15.mp3 played solo fingerstyle, open D bottleck

http://howardemerson.com/music/cross...al-lake/06.mp3 open D solo fingerstyle.

HE
http://www.howardemerson.com/
Skype Lessons $25 for 45 minutes

[gibsonfan]

Originally Posted by croth

Ow. I'm in pain. I wish I had had that guitar sent my way. I would have loved it. You let a historical vintage masterpiece slip through your fingers. I'm gonna cry. ;-)

Take a listen to Julian Lage playing his 1932 L5 at the Woodstock Invitational this past October and then let's talk about "tone-wise". It's my opinion that the multi-$10G's Parker guitar that Frank Vignola is playing certainly does not blow away that L5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfqop_kmvQ0

What about you?

Ah, no, I didn't let it "slip through my fingers". I sold it for $6,000.00. On purpose. The guys in the vid play great but the arch top sound is not my cup of tea. I'll take a J45 over that all day, every day. To each his own, yes?
[IMG][/IMG]

[croth]

Originally Posted by bohemian

croth

"why would you that jazz cannot be played on a flattop escapes me"

Not sue you directed that comment at me....
I simply pointed out in the provided link proving it has and is being done...
I enjoy jazz on a flattop or archtop....

Gabor Szabo has been one of my favorites .. a shame someone else later pirated his work and called it their own ..... another story.

I will either buy or build an archtop this summer. No electrics, no cutaway.

I use "QUOTE" in all of my posts, so if you go back and take another look at my post, you can see who I was responding to. For example, your post to me is quoted, above. I don't remember who it was now, but my post was directed at the guy who questioned that jazz could be played with a flattop. I think you responded to him, and I was supporting your post that pointed to Szabo as one excellent example.

I think we're on the same side of this debate...

[croth]

Originally Posted by gibsonfan

Ah, no, I didn't let it "slip through my fingers". I sold it for $6,000.00. On purpose. The guys in the vid play great but the arch top sound is not my cup of tea. I'll take a J45 over that all day, every day. To each his own, yes?

Your acoustic collection is beautiful. And, yes, to each his own is absolutely correct. My tastes run more towards Martins, but I wouldn't pass up a Gibson like any of those. I'm not sure what the smaller-bodied natural guitars are, but I'm immediately more interested in them.

Whether or not you let that L5 slip through your fingers will only be told by time, and your own personal attitude about it, which appears to be healthy to me. $6k is a lot of money to turn away, and not a bad figure for that guitar, for both the buyer and the seller. I sold that Tele Custom, for which I paid $4k, for $14k. Two years later it was selling for $35k, though that figure has come down some since then, but I'd guess it's at least $25k, if you can find one.

It's hard to know which the "real" collectibles are going to be. All I can say is that the L5 was the premier featured guitar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit, sitting right alongside a real Stradivarius violin, upon whose design the L5 is loosely based, and a couple of really old Martin guitars. That speaks to me, that's all.

What are the two small-bodied natural guitars in your picture?

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by croth

It's my opinion that the multi-$10G's Parker guitar that Frank Vignola is playing certainly does not blow away that L5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfqop_kmvQ0

What about you?

Croth - I agree 100%. In fact, I prefer the tone of the L5 to the Parker by a wide margin. At least based on that recording - we all know how difficult it is to get a true feeling for a guitar's sound via a recording. None-the-less, Mr. Lage makes that L5 sing. Here's a few more videos of him solo with that guitar. He and the instrument are inspiring. So much so, in fact, that I just purchased a 1933 Gibson L7. Same 16" body as the L5's from that era, but less fancy woods and about $6,000 less expensive. It has arrived, but unfortunately I'm out of town and won't get to open her up until tomorrow.

Oh the pain of waiting.....

I'll write a report once I get to know the instrument a bit. In the mean-time, enjoy these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdedBrenPsk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwdZJD5vB_8

[gibsonfan]

Originally Posted by croth

Your acoustic collection is beautiful. And, yes, to each his own is absolutely correct. My tastes run more towards Martins, but I wouldn't pass up a Gibson like any of those. I'm not sure what the smaller-bodied natural guitars are, but I'm immediately more interested in them.

Whether or not you let that L5 slip through your fingers will only be told by time, and your own personal attitude about it, which appears to be healthy to me. $6k is a lot of money to turn away, and not a bad figure for that guitar, for both the buyer and the seller. I sold that Tele Custom, for which I paid $4k, for $14k. Two years later it was selling for $35k, though that figure has come down some since then, but I'd guess it's at least $25k, if you can find one.

It's hard to know which the "real" collectibles are going to be. All I can say is that the L5 was the premier featured guitar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit, sitting right alongside a real Stradivarius violin, upon whose design the L5 is loosely based, and a couple of really old Martin guitars. That speaks to me, that's all.

I don't collect them. I play them. If they're not getting played they're gonna be sold. I can't afford to hang onto something i don't want to play due to perceived value down the road. Wish I could!

[bohemian]

croth...

agreed.. we agree. : )

[croth]

Originally Posted by gibsonfan

I don't collect them. I play them. If they're not getting played they're gonna be sold. I can't afford to hang onto something i don't want to play due to perceived value down the road. Wish I could!

Point taken. I play all of my guitars, regardless of their monetary value.

But, over time, i have also come to perceive guitars as art. I think the luthiers who hand built them may feel the same way. I have met several of them and it is an eye-opening experience. I am well aware that many players consider their guitars as "tools". I can respect that, but I can't help but feel that some of them are missing something with that detached view. Of course, I'm not a professional nor will I ever be, so perhaps I can afford the luxury of believing in "Guitar As Art".

[croth]

Originally Posted by backdrifter

Croth - I agree 100%. In fact, I prefer the tone of the L5 to the Parker by a wide margin. At least based on that recording - we all know how difficult it is to get a true feeling for a guitar's sound via a recording. None-the-less, Mr. Lage makes that L5 sing. Here's a few more videos of him with solo with that guitar. He and the instrument are inspiring. So much so, in fact, that I just purchased a 1933 Gibson L7. Same 16" body as the L5's from that era, but less fancy woods and about $6,000 less expensive. It has arrived, but unfortunately I'm out of town and won't get to open her up until tomorrow.

Oh the pain of waiting.....

I'll write a report once I get to know the instrument a bit. In the mean-time, enjoy these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdedBrenPsk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwdZJD5vB_8

I'm going to soak in your links tomorrow. It's late here now. But thanks in advance for them

I think choosing a '33 L7 is a great decision. Perhaps I should look in that direction myself. The L5's are getting really pricey. Please post a report and maybe a picture when you get back to it. It may sound strange, but i'm excited for you. Best of luck with it.

[Chordchunker]

I would like to try the L5 re-issue. L5`s are one of my all time favorite guitars. Maybelle Carter basically invented country music with hers.

[bohemian]

Anyone here have any hands on experiences with the original Strombergs and what is your opinion? Ranger Doug seems to appreciate them. But he also seems to favor L-5's or luthier built L-5 copies.

[backdrifter]

Originally Posted by croth

I'm going to soak in your links tomorrow. It's late here now. But thanks in advance for them

I think choosing a '33 L7 is a great decision. Perhaps I should look in that direction myself. The L5's are getting really pricey. Please post a report and maybe a picture when you get back to it. It may sound strange, but i'm excited for you. Best of luck with it.

Hi croth,

Thank you very much. I don't think that is strange at all. New guitar day is a great day, and I get excited for other people on their NGD too. That's the great thing about this forum - it gives addicts like us the support base that we need!

I hope I'll be as happy with L7 as I think I will be. I bid on a few 1934 L5 reissues in the last year that went for quite a bit more than I spent on the L7. I think it will be neat playing and enjoying a 78 year old piece of history.

If you are interested, I know somewhere you can get another 16" (1933 or 1934) L7. It was the other one that I was considering. Looks pretty clean, and nice price too. PM me if you want me to direct you to it.

[croth]

Originally Posted by Chordchunker

I would like to try the L5 re-issue. L5`s are one of my all time favorite guitars. Maybelle Carter basically invented country music with hers.

A great observation! It seems counter-intuitive compared to how we view acoustic "country" music today as being the domain of flattops, but the L5 was Maybelle's guitar choice.

In terms of "trying" an L5 Reissue, best of luck with that. It seems there were so few made and I have only seen the one I got come up for sale in the past 6-7 months that I've been aware of them. In doing a general google search, I have only found one or two others that were listed for sale over the past several years, and according to what I can tell, they sold immediately (I'm not considering the one Natural one that was on eBay for quite some time - I think $6k is a tough sell for that guitar, nice as it was).

If you happen to be in the NY area, you're more than welcome to check mine out.

[esiegel]

hey, not sure if this thread is dead, but I just traded four boring guitars for one beautiful 1947 L 12. Two guitars I traded were a heritage angel (all mahogany 17" archtop, one floater) and a Loar VH 650 (16' spruce and maple.) Both of them were nice, but the L 12 is really gorgeous. Had a few issues, but nothing major. I have 12's on it now and it sings as well as any guitar I have (my flat top acoustics are two huss and daltons and a froggy bottom). I am really happy with this trade/purchase.

I've played Ken Parker's guitars several times, and they don't really compare to the great archtops. Kens guitars are more all around instruments, much more responsive, broader dynamic range, more singing tone. One of his guitars (brownie) was the best guitar I have ever played, period. But if you want that classic archtop tone, look around for a good old gibson. I recently had a chance to play a 32 d'angelico and it sounded terrible, very thick unresponsive top, might as well have been plywood.

The Gibson L7 is becoming a bit over priced I think, 4 grand for one in really good shape. The L12's are still not so widely known, and are a better deal I think.

Enjoy!