Product Description

Here we have a very special Advanced L-5 Acoustic Archtop guitar from 1935. This is one of the earliest 17" builds to come through the Gibson factory, featuring a beautifully quilted maple back and a mix of transitional specs. Additionally, this guitar was previously owned by Ry Cooder.

This L-5 is serial number 92284, with Factory Order Number 128A-1. It is an X-braced instrument, with small unbound F holes. It has a 20 fret fingerboard with wide block markers, and a pointed neck heel. The tailpiece is an early flat engraved L-5 trapeze unit. The tuning machines are open-back Grover Sta-tite tuners with butterbean keys. The scale length is 24 3/4" and the nut width is 1 3/4".

The guitar is in excellent condition considering its age. One of the tuners has been replaced with a slightly later version, installed with no additional holes. The original broken tuner is included. The pickguard is a modern reproduction with a new mounting bracket. The finish and remaining hardware are present and in excellent condition. There do not appear to be any cracks or repairs. There are some topical scratches and playing marks over the surface, but nothing too extreme.

The guitar sounds excellent. It reaches volume effortlessly and the top drives easily. It has a nice mid range bite you might expect from a 17" guitar, but with the X-bracing we find it to have a bit more bass response and a glassier top end. It's a touch less spanky than a parallel braced top might sound, but it still sounds of the era. It weighs 5lbs 13oz. The neck measures .920 to 1.060 at the 1st and 10th frets and has a bit of an oval shape with a hint of V apex. The shoulder fattens subtly in the higher register.

Overall an excellent instrument. Ships in the original tweed hardshell case. Includes a Ry Cooder COA from Truetone Music.

Product Specifications

• Hand Carved Adirondack Spruce Top
• Hand Carved Highly Figured Maple Back
• Maple Sides
• Two Piece Figured Maple Neck
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Wide Block Inlays
• Straight Script Logo
• Grover Sta-Tite Open Gear Tuners
• 20 Frets
• Pointed Neck Heel
• Small Unbound F Holes
• Rosewood Bridge
• Engraved Flat Trapeze L-5 Tailpiece
• X-Braced Top
• 24 3/4" Scale Length
• 1 3/4" Nut Width
• 17" Wide Advanced Body

Product Details