Introduced in 1946, the L-48 was Gibson's introductory level archtop. This 1950 example has the typical all mahogany body and neck construction with Brazilian rosewood fretboard and bridge. The back in particular is made of a stunning piece of mahogany.
The tuners are modern reproductions. Otherwise, the guitar is all original, and in excellent condition, especially for a guitar that is almost 75 years old.
Mahogany works well as a top, as is well known by Martin flattop afficianados. In a parallel braced archtop, such as this one, it yields a tone that is still punchy, but is warmer and with less top end than a typical spruce topped guitar.
The guitar plays very well. The frets have quite a bit of life left in them, but do have some divots in the first couple of frets that don't currently affect playability. The C-shaped neck feels full and very comfortable. The finish is in excellent condition for the age of the guitar with typical finish checking, but otherwise only minor wear. The fretboard shows some wear with minor divots in the area of the first couple of frets. The body and neck have no repairs or issues.
This is a fantastic guitar for someone looking for a less expensive Gibson archtop with a warmer tone.
Weight - 4.3 pounds
Nut width - 1.70 inches
1st fret depth - 0.91 inches
10th fret depth - 1.05 inches
The guitar comes with a newer Gibson J-185 case that fits perfectly.
Ships free in the United States, and for very reasonable rates worldwide.
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$1,499.00Price
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