Quick notes:

• Most instruments I sell are consigned but some are my own.
• Repairs and adjustments have been done, if necessary, and this item is ready to go unless otherwise noted!
• I usually ship within 2-3 days to allow for me to inspect and adjust instruments if need-be before boxing. If you need faster shipping please get in touch right away!
• Buyer pays shipping expenses both ways on returns. I include shipping in my listing pricing but returns are not free. Please consider carefully and ask all questions before buying an item.
• Please read the following text for full details and specs -- it's borrowed from my original blog post on it...

Update November 2026: Our buddy David (who owns this at the moment) just isn't jiving with the 12-fret thing, so he's releasing this one back to the wild. I've updated the description/post/listing info where necessary. We had the year pegged wrong (eyes viewing FON vs camera viewing FON, haha) and now realize it's a 1930 and not a 1929! Now back to it...

Overview: This style of L-1 was nothing like its earlier, smaller-bodied, flattop L-1 cousin of the famed "Robert Johnson" photograph. It's basically a proto-L-00 instrument with a 00-sized body and 12-fret construction. Kel Kroydon models are very much similar to this as well. The "Sheraton Brown" sunburst look is gorgeous, though, and the super-de-duper lightweight build means that these sound tip-top. If you like a 12-fret L-00 but want more of that warm, sweet, '30s Martin thing... I mean... these sort-of get you right there...?

Interesting features on this guy include a very thin fretboard that's not all that radiused and a comfy, almost modern-feeling, medium-C neck profile. It's also obviously been played-in a ton and its bigger-than-life sound rewards all that woodshed time.

Per the usual, it has a solid spruce top over solid mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood board with a rosewood bridge (now two rosewoods removed).

Note that the guitar was strung a little heavier and tuned-down to Eb in the video. We've restrung it with 11s and tuned it up E to E, now.

Repairs included: This one already had a neck reset and new bridge in its past and some crack tidying-up, but it arrived in definite need of fresh frets and yet another new bridge. Jose took care of all that -- giving it an excellent refret with vintagey-moderny medium wire and making and fitting a repro-ish-style, Madagascar rosewood bridge. We opted for a drop-in saddle on this one so that this third bridge wouldn't have the torn-out front wall that the first and second ones did with their through-slot saddles. I know through-slots are pretty but... I'm not a fan for this very reason.

• Weight: 2 lbs 15 oz
• Scale length: 24 3/4"
• Nut width: 1 3/4"
• Neck shape: medium C
• Board radius: flat
• Depth at first fret: 0.82"
• Depth at seventh fret: 0.91"
• Body width: 14 3/4"
• Body depth: 4 1/4"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid mahogany
• Bracing type: x
• Bridge: rosewood
• Fretboard: ebonized maple or similar
• Neck wood: mahogany
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 50w-11 custom light
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: modern medium

Condition notes: The bridge, saddle, nut, and pins are replacements. The frets are new. Otherwise, it appears original throughout. There are a few repaired hairline cracks on the back and the finish has tons of scratches, scuffs, nicks, small dings, and playwear throughout. The top has a little distortion around the soundhole just as you'd find on any other L-1, 12-fret L-0/L-00, or Kel Kroydon from the time. They're built light! It's nothing to worry about and all the bracing is glued pat.

It comes with: It has an older hard case.

Consignor tag: DCHP