This sunburst L-12 is a incredible playing blast from the past!
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Condition: Used, Vintage
A box full of magic if ever there was one! This is the kind of guitar that will quiet an audience for you before you even start playing. From the original case (all parts, too) down to the curious wear on the finish from a previous owner who favored a picking stance just behind the bridge, this is guitar is mojo embodied. Your hands will immediately notice how light the L-12 is and how the neck sits just right in the left hand. I could alternate between percussive chunk-chunking and picking out solo lines all day. The former comes across bone-dry, concentrated, and loud, while the latter brings out the ghostly singing qualities this L-12 has to offer...I don't think I've ever played a guitar that really "glows" in the mid and high ranges like this. And let's not forget the masterful work our luthier put in, either, leaving the player with a setup that sits just high enough to achieve the volume and projection you'd expect without compromising fast, buttery playability. Mint condition? No, it's seen plenty of active duty since 1934. But take that storied history of real playing into account with the wizened sound and fine-tuned playability and this L-12 is downright perfect.
In this video, Sound Pure acoustic/archtop expert Barrett Brooks describes and demonstrates one of his favorite pieces in our inventory: the Gibson 1934 L-12 Sunburst Archtop #91632. This vintage gem features a spruce top, maple back and sides, and also includes the original guitar case.
The home of Gibson electric guitars today is "Gibson USA," built in 1974 in Nashville specifically for the production of Gibson's Les Paul guitars. Although the entire guitar industry went through a slump in the late '70s, the spirit of innovation remained strong at Gibson. In response to a growing demand for vintage stylings, Gibson tapped its rich history and reissued the dot-neck version of the ES-335 in 1981 and the flametop sunburst Les Paul in 1982. At the same time, two legendary guitarists joined Gibson- B.B. King in 1980 with the Lucille model and Chet Atkins in 1982 with his new concept of a solidbody acoustic guitar.
Gibson world headquarters moved to Nashville in 1984 with the closing of the Kalamazoo plant. The financially troubled company was rescued in January 1986 by Henry Juszkiewicz and David Berryman, and the new owners quickly restored Gibson's reputation for quality as well as its profitability.
Today's Gibson electric guitars represent the history as well as the future of the electric guitar. The models whose designs have become classics-the ES-175, ES-335, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, SGs and Les Pauls-are a testament to Gibson's wide appeal, spanning more than four decades of music styles. Gibson's close relationship with musicians is manifest in endorsement models from King, Atkins and jazz greats Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis, plus new Les Pauls made to the personal specifications of rock stars Jimmy Page and Joe Perry. In 1994, Gibson's Centennial year, the new Nighthawk model won an industry award for design, setting the stage for a second hundred years of Gibson quality and innovation.
Today's Gibson electric guitars represent the history as well as the future of the electric guitar. The models whose designs have become classics-the ES-175, ES-335, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird, SGs and Les Pauls-are a testament to Gibson's wide appeal, spanning more than four decades of music styles. Gibson's close relationship with musicians is manifest in endorsement models from King, Atkins and jazz greats Howard Roberts and Herb Ellis, plus new Les Pauls made to the personal specifications of rock stars Jimmy Page and Joe Perry. In 1994, Gibson's Centennial year, the new Nighthawk model won an industry award for design, setting the stage for a second hundred years of Gibson quality and innovation.
1934
Serial Number: 91632
*All original*
Work done by our in-house luthier on 8/16/16: neck rebuild, complete fret dressing, finish touchup and buff
Spruce top
Maple back and sides
Mahogany neck
Rosewood fingerboard
Single-ply binding
Sunburst finish
Gold-plated hardware
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