Gibson L-C Century of Progress Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1935), ser. #213A-1 (FON), original black hard shell case.

Gibson L-C Century of Progress Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1935), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 213A-1 (FON), sunburst lacquer finish, maple back and sides, Adirondack spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood and celluloid fingerboard, original black hard shell case. The L-C "Century of Progress" model is one of Gibson's most distinctive and beautiful acoustic guitar designs, and one of the most visually striking flattops of any era. Combining a 14" 3/5 wide curly maple body with flashy pearloid ornamentation on the neck and headstock, the Century is somewhat reminiscent of the look of many 1920's tenor banjos. Not just a "looker", the Century is also a sonically distinctive guitar in its own right. The maple back and sides give it a crisp powerful sound perfectly suited to blues and ragtime fingerpicking and when played with a pick the guitar is both loud and cutting enough to play rhythm in a small dance combo.The Century is single bound top and back, with finely shaded golden sunburst on all surfaces. The grain on the back has some flame figure with some attractive burl to the sides. The softly V-shaped mahogany neck is also subtly sunbursted. The pearloid headstock and fingerboard are bound in black and white celluloid. The soundhole ring is 3-ply W-B-W, while the pickguard is made of Gibson's striking pre-war firestripe tortoise celluloid. Small pearl diamonds are set into rosewood blocks inset into the celluloid fingerboard creating a dramatic three color visual scheme which nicely offsets the sunburst-finished spruce top. Legend has it that this design conveniently used up surplus pre-made banjo fingerboards, as banjo orders had dwindled substantially in the 1930s.The model was originally introduced for the "Century of Progress" exhibition in Chicago in 1933, and discontinued around 1939. This is a fairly early example dating to the first part of 1935. No production figures exist for L-C's shipped in the first few years, but the number built is fairly small compared to the L-00 family. The L-C was a comparatively expensive instrument, listing at $50.00 (soon raised to $55) while the L-00 was in the $25-30 range. While never a common instrument this unmistakable Gibson can be easily spotted in some old photos of Hillbilly and Radio Cowboy acts of the 1930's, including the Girls of the Golden West and Mainer's Mountaineers. A truly distinctive guitar, Gibson's L-C Century is a wonderful if slightly eccentric connoisseur's delight in a pre-war flat top. This particular beauty was the centerfold in the December 1987 issue of GUITAR WORLD and she's hardly aged since then!Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). This is overall a very nicely preserved nearly 90 year old example of this striking Gibson creation, with some signs of use over the past 85+ years but nothing tragic. The finish shows typical checking and minor wear spots including dings, dents and scrapes. There is one noticeably touched-up ding on the lower part of the top. The lower rim of the soundhole has a little wear down to the wood. The back of the neck is cleaner than most with only a few small scrapes, none of the heavy capo wear often found on 1930s flat tops. The rosewood bridge is original, it looks to have been lowered slightly from the forward end. Internally the original small maple bridgeplate is original and unaltered; a thin "popsicle" brace has been added under the fingerboard but all other bracing remains untouched. There is one noticeable sealed crack on the upper back running down from the heel; this has been touched up but is still visible. There are two very minor crack repairs to the spruce top in typical spots, one just off the treble side of the fingerboard and the other off the upper end of the pickguard running to the bridge. This guitar had a neck reset long ago; it is an excellent player with a comfortable action and plenty of saddle. The original frets are in very good condition with some minor wear in the lower positions. The tuners are the original early Grover Sta-tites still in good working order. With its relatively small maple body and spruce top the Century does not sound quite like any other flat top guitar, offering a powerful, well-defined yet still sweet tone. This one is one of the nicest we have had, playing and sounding great and looking spectacular in the bargain! It still lives in the fairly rare purple-lined original HSC, which has often been lost by now. Overall Excellent Condition.