1930 Gibson TGL-5

[Howard Emerson]

This is my 1930 Gibson TGL-5 that was converted from tenor to 6 string at the factory in 1933 according to the Gibson ledgers.

I don't use a flat pick under normal circumstances, and some carpet tape would be helpful....



Regards,
Howard Emerson

[Richard Mott]

Nice punch and clarity from that instrument. Even with the surprise ending! I wonder if Gibson did anything “under the hood” to reflect the greater pressure of moving from four strings to six? Great sound.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Richard Mott

Nice punch and clarity from that instrument. Even with the surprise ending! I wonder if Gibson did anything “under the hood” to reflect the greater pressure of moving from four strings to six? Great sound.

Hi Richard,
Thanks for listening to my meanderings! It's a piece that is still in its infancy, but I'm certain it involves the exact stuff I'm doing. The lyrics will be another thing, altogether....

It's hard to say why it's so freakishly full sounding with way more flattop quality than most. If I remember correctly: I got it in 1976 ($35.00 from the original owner's daughter), and the heel was cracked through and on both sides of the dovetail 2-3". John Monteleone repaired that for me.

At some point the neck was reset by Bob Jones in Brooklyn. It was evidently overset to begin with, so it now has less break angle than it did from the factory.

The assumption would be that it was built lighter than a 6 string (it was 1 of a batch of 5 tenors, by the way.). The braces are fitted the correct way as opposed to the kerfed versions they cheaped out on during this era.

Whatever the case, it's a very, very special instrument and I'm incredibly fortunate to be the current owner. I've played 2-3 Loar L-5's and they don't have what this one has, tonally. I'd love to have the dot markers & pearl button tuners, but hey........At least I have a 10th fret banjo position block:-)

You should come by one day, Richard.......

HE

[Richard Mott]

Fascinating history on that! Perhaps the newly-relaxed break angle with the extra pressure of six strings cancelled each other out or hit some new sweet spot. I’m sure stranger things have happened, but whatever the mechanics, a great sound. Will definitely plan to hear it in person.

[Howard Emerson]

Have you ever heard my track Nokie’s Blue Bottle? It’s this guitar solo bottleneck fingerstyle. 5 mics. It sounds incredible.



HE

[Sage Runner]

Beautiful Song Howard. Has that cool old 60s strum vibe. That old L-5 is special. Has a soul all its own.

[Richard Mott]

OK, that guitar on Nokie’s Blue Bottle sounds beyond incredible! Such depth, sustain, and bass response. I wouldn’t mistake it for a flat-top, but it has an amazing fullness to the sound. Wow.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Richard Mott

OK, that guitar on Nokie’s Blue Bottle sounds beyond incredible! Such depth, sustain, and bass response. I wouldn’t mistake it for a flat-top, but it has an amazing fullness to the sound. Wow.

Thank you for taking a listen, Richard!

Yes, it’s a freakishly amazing instrument.

H

[blews]

Great history! She's a beauty and sounds really good.....Nice chord progression...Thanks for sharing!

[ssstewart]

very nice Howard. dont cha just love that "bump" and vibration you get in your chest with every note hit on an archtop. I do

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Have you ever heard my track Nokie’s Blue Bottle? It’s this guitar solo bottleneck fingerstyle. 5 mics. It sounds incredible.



HE

Nice song Howard I like how dynamics shifted at 1:37 and it took off!

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

Nice song Howard I like how dynamics shifted at 1:37 and it took off!

That's where it goes to the first chorus, so it's working as intended!

I'm a fairly structured writer.

HE

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Richard Mott

OK, that guitar on Nokie’s Blue Bottle sounds beyond incredible! Such depth, sustain, and bass response. I wouldn’t mistake it for a flat-top, but it has an amazing fullness to the sound. Wow.

+++ I'd only mistake it for a *very* good flattop!
Listening over the small speakers of the notebook I'm on the basses are just barely there, which means they're probably perfect on a proper hifi set-up!

Maybe Monteleone injected some of his own and some left-over Knopfler mojo when he repaired that broken heel?

Parallel or X bracing, or something else yet? What strings are you using?

My archtop and I are in completely different leagues evidently, but it can definitely have a fat resonance & bass response. A bit much even in a recent practice recording I made recently, with the mic apparently just too close to the top or pointed too much towards the lower f-hole.

Originally Posted by Richard Mott

Perhaps the newly-relaxed break angle with the extra pressure of six strings cancelled each other out or hit some new sweet spot.

It doesn't seem far-fetched to assume that Gibson would be tuning their L5 builds towards the main vocation this model had found in swing bands, requiring quite heavy strings (slightly heavier top and/or bracing, for instance). A lighter build of a tenor guitar with the same vocation could then easily be spec'ed just right to give a full-bodied, resonant tone as a 6-string fingerstyle guitar, more relaxed than the focussed tone of an L5.

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Have you ever heard my track Nokie’s Blue Bottle? It’s this guitar solo bottleneck fingerstyle.

What do you play on the rest of the album (assuming there is one), if I may ask?

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by RJVB

+++ I'd only mistake it for a *very* good flattop!
Listening over the small speakers of the notebook I'm on the basses are just barely there, which means they're probably perfect on a proper hifi set-up!

Maybe Monteleone injected some of his own and some left-over Knopfler mojo when he repaired that broken heel?

Parallel or X bracing, or something else yet? What strings are you using?

My archtop and I are in completely different leagues evidently, but it can definitely have a fat resonance & bass response. A bit much even in a recent practice recording I made recently, with the mic apparently just too close to the top or pointed too much towards the lower f-hole.




It doesn't seem far-fetched to assume that Gibson would be tuning their L5 builds towards the main vocation this model had found in swing bands, requiring quite heavy strings (slightly heavier top and/or bracing, for instance). A lighter build of a tenor guitar with the same vocation could then easily be spec'ed just right to give a full-bodied, resonant tone as a 6-string fingerstyle guitar, more relaxed than the focussed tone of an L5.

It's "parallel" braced, so to speak. It's actually divergent bracing as they never made truly parallel bracing on an archtop. They are fitted as they should be, as opposed to the horrible 'kerfed' bracing they used for a while.

When I recorded that it was probably strung with EJ-16 D'Addario with a .017 & .013 substituted for the 2nd & 1st strings. It's in open D tuning.

John did the repair long before he ever worked for Mark or Eric. I played Mark's guitar before it left the shop. The one's he built for Eric Clapton had a much fuller tonality than Mark's did.

I doubt Gibson gave the 'tenor' aspect any special consideration in terms of overall tension is concerned. They actually re-used the 4 Grover G98 riveted tuners, and added 2 more when they re-necked the body in 1933.

You know how I know that? There are 4 matching string ferrules and a different pair for the extras!

Waste not, yada, etc.

HE