Product Description
The instant you play it you are fooled that it is a full hollow body archtop by the clarity and note separation. And when you are playing in an organ trio and need to turn the amp up, the feedback is non existent. This Archtop was born as a 1950 L50 full bodied Guitar with a scale 24 3/4” length and body size as the L-4 and the ES-175 models. This archtop is now 1.80″ deep at the rims, Easy to hold and fun to play, the neck allows for faster soloing, and more accurate chording of stretch voicings. It is built using a 16 inch wide arched Maple laminate back and arched solid Spruce top, braced with parallel tone bars and bound top and back. The carved solid top gives this archtop great clarity and note separation.
Modifications: The Fretboard is now EBONY, neck is Mahogany with a bound Ebony L5 fingerboard inlays and headstock which provides a nice warmth. The headstock bears a Gibson L5 logo and Kluson Deluxe individual tuners. A stop tailpiece as added to the mahogany tone bars that was fitted inside the guitar from thr neck block to the tail block. But the hinge for the trapeze tailpiece still remains, and the trapeze tailpiece is included with this guitar. Generally a trapeze tailpiece provides more clarity, and probably the reason the hinge was left on the guitar, but once you hear this guitar, you realizing that there is no reason to re install the trapeze tailpiece. Great guitar! Wonderful tone, punchy but articulate for single notes and chord work is full and strong. Jazz, swing, roots and blues jump out of this guitar. You can still hear the L50 acoustic tone coming out of this guitar. This L50 has all new frets, virtually no fret wear and is in amazing condition. Single, mounted 2009 Lollar Imperial Humbucker pickup.
Summary we started with a 1950 L50 with a value of about $2500, the back was removed, the sides were reduced to 1.80″, a new headstock logo and 24 3/4″ ebony fretboard was made, a set Lollar Imperial humbucker was fitted to the top, and a mahogany tone bars were fitted to the full length of the inside of the guitar and finally the back was reattached and a florentine cutaway was installed. This work was all done by a very well known professional luthier. We actually do not know the cost of all these modifications but have a pretty good idea that about $8-$10,000 put into making this wonderful archtop. It is the ultimate jazz semi hollow like hollow body and I can unequivocally say that I have never heard another hollowbody feedback resistant with this clarity and so well suited for all types of music, especially Jazz.
Specifications:
Year: 1950
Model: L-50
Top: Spruce
Back and Sides: Laminated Maple
Thickness at Rims 1.80
Serial: 19551022
Nut Width: 1 10/16″
Scale Length: 24 3/4″
Lower Bout Width: 16″
Inlays: trapezoid
Stop tailpiece
Lower Bout Width: 16″
Pickup: 2009 Lollar Imperial
upgraded newer 335 style case included
Reviews
There are no reviews yet, would you like to submit yours?