The 16-inch L-5 is considered by many to be the holy grail of acoustic archtops.  Designed by Lloyd Loar, this model is the beginning of the commercial f-hole archtop guitar and many believe that it has never been beaten or possibly never even equaled.  This example sports the early large 3-ply maple neck with ebony fretboard which has mother of pearl dot markers which start on the 5th fret.  The straight script "The Gibson" logo is the second variation of the logo which followed the slanted version. The maple back and sides are beautifully flamed and the Adirondack spruce top shows a fantastic array of medullary rays at a level rarely seen.  Shipped in 1929, this is likely one of the very last guitars to get a Master Model label.
 
While the guitar has a factory level refinish, I estimate probably done in the 1980s, the guitar still has all of the original hardware, including the engraved 6-on-a-plate tuners with pearl buttons and the oh so cool laminated pickguard mount.  This guitar is completely free of cracks with no identifiable repairs other than the lacquer refinish.
 
The bridge is set to maximize acoustic tone with medium action, but the bridge has plenty of room to adjust down if the player desires.  The frets are in very good condition with lots of life left in them.  It plays great and really delivers on tone.  It's not as punchy as some 16-inch archtops but has a wonderfully balanced, warm and sweet tone.
 
Weight - 5.0 pounds
Nut width - 1.73 inches
1st fret depth - 0.92 inches
9th fret depth - 1.24 inches
Scale length - 24.75 inches
 
The guitar comes with a non-original hardshell case that appears from the 1980s and is in very good condition with all latches and hinges working.
 
Ships free in the United States and for very reasonable rates worldwide.