I'm a luthier and guitar teacher in Monterey, and I'm selling this LG-1 for a longtime student of mine. It's an early 1960 Kalamazoo guitar. The factory order number, R 2765-17, is stamped on the neck block and there's a photo of it in the gallery. No serial number. Gibson wasn't putting them on flat tops yet in 1960, so the FON is how these get dated.

It comes with paperwork, which is rare at this price. There's a signed appraisal letter from George Gruhn dated April 30, 2021 that confirms the model and the 1960 date and goes through the repair history. There's also the original invoice from Geiger Guitars in Carmel for that work. Both are photographed in the listing and the buyer gets copies of both in the case.

Here's the history, and I'd rather you read this part than skim it. The back of this guitar cracked in a cross country move. Instead of patching it, the owner had Mark Geiger fit a completely new mahogany back, keeping the original binding, and he replaced the bridge with rosewood at the same time. That was 2019, $1,385 worth of work, and it was done well. The guitar is solid and stable. But a new back is a new back. Gruhn's letter says plainly that this kind of rebuild takes away collector value even when the work is good, and I'm pricing it as the player's instrument it is. You get the documents so you can judge for yourself.

Now the part I'd want to know if I were the one buying. I put it on my bench and measured it rather than guessing.

Neck relief is right where it should be, about .005 to .006 at the 7th fret with a capo on 1 and fretted at the body. The truss rod works and has room left in both directions.

The action is high. Roughly .130 on the high E and .150 on the low E at the 12th fret. First position feels fine and it's a great fingerpicking and slide guitar as it sits, but if you play hard up the neck you'll feel it. The saddle is already low on the bass side, so there isn't much left to take off there. What's happened is the neck angle has moved over 65 years, which is true of most Gibson flat tops from this era. It's a service item, not damage, and in this case it isn't a neck reset job. Because the bridge is the 2019 replacement and not original, a good shop can take the bridge down a little, deepen the saddle slot, and fit a fresh bone saddle without touching anything original on the guitar. I'd figure $200 to $300 for that. It's what I would do with it myself. I'm selling it as it sits so the new owner can have it set up the way they like.

Cosmetically it's a nice looking guitar. There's a small chip at the top edge of the headstock, some lacquer worn through on the back of the neck where a hand lives, and light scratches on the top. All of it is in the photos, none of it is hidden. No cracks anywhere.

Specs, for the record:

- 14 1/8" lower bout

- Sitka spruce top, ladder braced

- Mahogany back (2019 replacement) and sides

- Mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod

- Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, 20 frets, dot inlays

- 24 3/4" scale, 1 11/16" nut

- Kluson Deluxe 3 on a strip tuners with white buttons

- Rosewood bridge (2019 replacement)

- Sunburst nitro finish

Included: the guitar, a modern hardshell case (not original, black with plush lining), and copies of the Gruhn letter and the Geiger invoice.

I'll pack it properly and ship it insured. Local pickup on the Monterey Peninsula is welcome, and I'd rather you come play it anyway.