This 1932 Gibson L-00 is a fantastic example of an early pre-war period Gibson flat top from the companies Golden Era of acoustic instruments. This particular example is exceptionally rare, with a construction that makes it almost unique and featuring the lesser seen black finish/ white guard 'Tuxedo' combination.
Inside this guitar is a FON number that shows 269, with research indicating this FON number is associated almost exclusively with a batch of 13 fret neck join L-00 models. These 13 fret examples are rare enough on their own, however this guitar is, and always has been a 12 fret model. The bridge placement and bracing confirm that it left the factory as a 12 fret model. We have found one other example of a 12 fret black / white L-00, featuring the earlier FON 263. We can only assume that this guitar was manufactured right at the tail end of that batch, and stamped with the later 269 FON number.
This guitar also features a very rare thin Ebony fingerboard with a Maple veneer sandwiched between the board and the rosewood neck. Again, this is seen on only two other examples we could find from this period, and appears to be a feature used for a short time between late 1931 and early 1932, with Gibson using the more commonly seen Brazilian rosewood boards both in the late 1920s and throughout the rest of the 1930s on these models.
Constructed from a solid Red Spruce with solid Honduras Mahogany back and sides, the wide X braced body of the L-00 pushes out far more sound than its size would lead you to believe, with a warm, open, punchy sound that works excellently for blues and finger style playing. Guitars of this period, specifically the smaller bodied models, are extremely lightly built, with thin cuts of wood for the top and back and lightweight bracing that makes them extremely resonant. The Mahogany neck has a comfortable 'V' style neck profile that is the usual for the period, and the headstock sports the white script style Gibson logo. The original ebony nut and rosewood bridge are in good condition and function as they should.
This guitar has had a full service from our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, including a neck reset and bridge reseating to ensure many more years of perfect playability. This guitar is in all original condition with the exception of the open gear tuners, which are later repros. This guitar is in very good condition, with the kind of cosmetic play wear you would expect to see on an instrument of its age.
This guitar also includes a 3 year warranty and a period correct chipboard case.
