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1969 Gibson L-5 Hybrid

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Serial #: 802018, back of peghead. Body size at lower bout: 17", Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .76/.91

Materials: Arched laminate spruce top; arched curly maple laminate back and sides; solid tiger flame maple neck with walnut centerstripes; solid ebony fingerboard with block mother of pearl inlays; pearl torch and headstock logo; 5-ply body and neck binding; bound f-holes; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Original gold hardware includes twin humbucking pickups, engraved gold art-deco tailpiece, rosewood bridge base with vintage ABR-1 adjustable Tuneomatic bridge, three-way pickup selector switch, adjustable truss rod with 'Custom' cover. Vintage gold Grover Imperial tuners, vintage correct 5-ply bound tortoise pickguard with gold bracket, aged 60's style gold bell volume and tone knobs.

Notes: The original Gibson L-5 neck has a serial number from 1969. The gold Gibson hardware and pickups all appear to be of the same vintage. And the case has the burgundy lining and Gibson logo of the era. The body itself has gorgeous curly maple in the back and sides, and a warmly aged laminate spruce soundboard with multi-ply binding. All the assembly on the guitar was professionally executed. The one thing we just don't know is where exactly the body came from.

The body appears to have been crafted in a major factory, as the construction is immaculate, from the inner kerfing to the multi-ply binding, which all remains tight to the body. The pickups were installed properly as well, without cutting the parallel braces. With its highly flamed 17" Venetian cutaway body, the guitar is now functionally similar to a Gibson Tal Farlow, or full depth ES-350. Wherever its origin, the resulting guitar has the snap of the long L-5 scale neck, combined with the stability and feedback resistance of a well crafted laminate body.

While many Gibsons necks from this era were particularly narrow, this one has a generous full width 1 11/16" ebony fingerboard, without the volute bump seen in years to follow. Its gentle D profile is notably easy and elegant in the hand, with a fresh high precision setup over fine original medium-jumbo fretwork. The classic engraved art deco tailpiece retains its Varitone height adjuster, and a set of period gold Grover Imperial tuners have been fitted to the peghead, with some spot finish covering a few old screw holes.

The twin humbuckers have been epoxy potted for improved feedback resistance, and the wear on the gold covers matches that of the tailpiece, suggesting they are in fact the original Pat. Sticker pickups. A vintage correct 5-ply bound dark swirl tortoise pickguard has been installed, along with a lovely set of aged gold 60's style bell knobs. The original blonde finish has ambered to a rich honey color, and is notably free of pick or thumbwear, with a few incidental finish nicks, with some spot finish added to a small patch of buckle wear on the back, and some older pick wear under the guard. The multi-ply binding remains tight to the body, and apart from a small soundly resealed crack running halfway across the heel, the guitar shows no other cracks or structural repairs.

With L-5 elegance at a player's price, this intriguing player is a true best buy, a superb player, and an even better mystery. One only, call now.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation strobe tuned; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard conditioned; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with light relief. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Deluxe black Gibson logo arched hardshell case with burgundy plush lining.