The Real Deal…1933 Gibson L-00 Vintage Dark Sunburst 

If you follow our site, you know we have an affinity for these 30’s “L” series Gibson’s. They literally make you feel like you are picking up an instrument that one of the earliest street blues artists could have played or at least would have loved to play. This is an amazing specimen. It is not a re release or a custom shop model. It is the real deal. We think you would be hard pressed to find a cleaner, nicer and more well-preserved L-00 on the market today than this gal. The aged mahogany on this particular guitar has some kind of magic. Once we got the new bridge and saddle dialed in (the action by the way is very nice), we could not believe the depth of sound. We have played quite a few of these old 00’s and can’t recall one that has the level of deep bass response (along with the clean top to mid range you would expect of course) that this beauty has. Sounds like a much larger dreadnaught on the low end. Very cool. The finish has the amount of checking you would expect on the original finish, but no peeling or chipping. There are a couple of places where the finish is slightly worn on the side (upper bout). There are some minor dings here or there, but overall, the finish, as you can see in the attached pictures, is quite amazing. She just glows. There was a crack on the side upper bout that did not penetrate. However, we decided for structural integrity to internally cleat that area and fill it. She’s strong as an ox again. There are no other cracks or breaks inside or out. And all the bracing is secure. The fretboard is Brazilian rosewood attached to a mahogany neck. The frets are plenty high for remaining play and the gentle vintage soft “V” shape of the neck makes her just fun to play. The tuners are original and function well. And the early 30’s Gibson logo is about as clean as we have seen, crowning the top of the headstock. We didn’t want to ship or store this guitar in less than a sturdy case. So, she will come in a new fitted hardshell. We can’t say enough about this fantastic little 30’s L-00. We love it, and frankly are having a hard time giving her up. So, you better hurry before we change our mind. ;-)