NGD: Gibson HG-2

Choivert

Finally, finally got this back from the luthier. It needed a lot of fixing up. I got in in January when my wife brought it back from Canada with many things wrong with it. It's turned out lovely and I am super happy with it. It started life as a Hawaiian guitar but seemed to be closer to a 12 fret LG-2 that never had its neck carved, I think this was classic Gibson being chaotic and throwing together a Hawaiian guitar, from parts lying around. For example it was never braced for heavy strings (hence soundboard issues), the Hawaiian bridge was made by glueing a piece to a standard bridge, it has a bridge plate in the initial 14 fret position and then one slapped in the 12 fret afterwards, the fretboard is radiused and the nut width is only 47mm. Also the fretboard I think is gumwood (with Heartwood) [perhaps Tannin or someone else knows better] and I've only ever seen this wood on Gibson's from the war era. I suspect this fretboard was a reject lying around that as deemed okay for a Hawaiian guitar. It came to me as a wreck and apparently these were never good Hawaiian guitars, now it is a beautiful 12 fret version of an LG-2 and I love it. 

If anyone is particular worried about originality, this guitar was quite a basket case anyway. Also there is an absolutely mint HG-2 in noTom guitars (advertised as HG-00) that has sat there for years unplayed/not sold for those that love the idea of keeping a guitar original. I've never seen the HG-2 in a Gibson catalogue and it doesn't even feature in 'Gibsons fabulous flat tops' or Gruhns guide. 











I've certainly done a huge u turn on sunburst acoustic guitars, used to hate them but now I absolutely love an old worn sunburst.

TDubs

I’ve seen the one at No.Toms a few times. How is the neck profile on it? Chunky?

Choivert

The neck profile on this is chunky but for me very playable. It's kind of similar in depth to my Kalamazoo and much less deep than a harmony archtop I had. The Kalamazoo has a vee neck and this is more of a U. I like big necks so this doesn't bother me so much. I thought I would struggle with the 47mm but but it's been absolutely great  

Honkycat

So nice! Your Luthier did a great job!

Choivert

Yeah, they really did do a great job. Very pleased with how it turned out.

roberty

Beautiful guitar and much better for being fixed. Congrats!

Doulin

I've had the pleasure of playing this and i'm often jealous of guitars @Choivert has for me to play but this is envy on a different level. 

Admittedly I am no acoustic player really (my fingers softened by electrics and my eyes drawn to the brighter colours just like a moth) but this thing can do anything, rag, blues, play it like an electric.

Best thing that ever happened to it was getting it converted and keeping the original gum fretboard. I'll argue with any purist! Challenge is to not play it like it's brand new.