Any Gibson fans?

Gta80

I've always wanted a Gibson acoustic. When I went to buy my current guitar, a Larrivee OM-05, there was also a 1948 Gibson LG1 which I thought sounded fantastic (I play a lot of fingerstyle blues). The LG1 was twice the price and not as much of an all rounder. At some point a previous owner had also stripped the sunburst finish and it had a lot of play wear. 
I've now saved up some pennies and i'm looking for a second acoustic. I've seen a 1952 LG1 in good condition which has peaked my interest but I also really like the look of the current Gibson L-00 original vintage sunburst. 

Any advice on which way you'd go if you had a choice between the two?

Thanks

Choivert

Hi Gta80. I have a 1937 Kalamazoo KG-14. Which is Gibson made depression era instrument. You are welcome to try it out. Personally if t were me loojing for a vintage Gibson's I'd either try to go for a 30s or 40s ladder braced one or stretch to an LG2 which is X braced. The more modern ones were built a lot heavier and that really disadvantages a ladder braced guitar. 

mo6020

You'll probably get as many different answers here as you'll get people answering you, but if that '52 LG1 is a decent one it'll be better than any of the current L-00s. I'm not a huge cork sniffer, but I do think that something good happens to acoustics as they age, and they're cooler just being so much older...

I bought a '67 J-45 a few months ago and it just sounds magic compared to the ones being made now.

Choivert

I'm going to have to agree with mo that the older Gibson's do just sound better to me. 

Winny_Pooh

I like Gibsons, J45s are sweet and I record with an advanced Jumbo from the early 90's. Played LG1s etc a bit soft sounding esp in the lows but nice and mellow, not played new L00s but I have a handbuilt beautiful hifi sounding one for sale here if that's if interest.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/242708/peter-daffy-custom-l-00-demo-vid

hollywoodrox

I like Hummingbirds  because of Keef  & SJ200 because of Ronnie although I think his has pickguards top & bottom . 45 is really cool too 

ElectricXII

I've got no experience of smaller bodied Gibsons, but older acoustics are cool. I've got a J-35 which I love, although it's not vintage. To my ears it sounds better than the J-45s I've played, and it's much more unusual.

Fingers657

I prefer Martins to Gibson’s.
Especially for 12 strings.

Tannin

Gibson is probably the most controversial major brand of acoustic guitar on the market. Views are very diverse. Heaps of people here on the Fretboard and in the world at large love Gibson acoustics. Lots of people have mixed feelings about them. And lots of people plain don't like them. 

I haven't played all that many, but of those that I have played, not even one  struck me as something I'd like to own or bother playing again. It probably doesn't help that I fingerpick (Gibsons seem to be made for strumming), that I dislike sunbursts and loathe black sunbursts, and above all can't abide short scales, particularly on acoustics. (Never minded the short scale on my Les Paul back in electric days.) 

What would it take to change my mind? Well, going on the specs and on recordings as I've never seen either one in the flesh, I wouldn't be surprised if I fell in love with either a Dove (I'm a maple tragic) or an SJ-200. Both models seem to be thin on the ground in these parts. 

Have I ever played a small-body Gibson? Not sure. Not that I remember. 

Any advice from me? Only to play before you buy. Yes, yes, everybody always says that but a '52 Gibson is going to cost a bomb and the standard advice is more true than ever on that account. If you play it and fall in love, go for it!

TDubs

I went through a process when finding the right smaller bodied Gibson for me.

I picked up an early 60s LG-1 which was decent and I really enjoyed. Had a more modern feeling neck profile. Generally well rounded sound wise.

I then got offered the chance to buy a late 40s LG-2 (different bracing to the LG-1) and this was better than the LG-1. Deeper, woodier tone, more dynamic, just lovely. It has a really chunky neck that I thought I wasn’t going to get on with and would mean I’d move it on, but it feels so comfortable now.

In between the vintage LG-1 and LG-2 I tried modern reissue LG-2s and L-00s and I would say none of these were on par with the vintage LG-1 or 2 I had/have. They lacked any depth of sound for me. Felt tight and unresponsive (this may have changed as they got older) I didn’t get a chance to try any Gibson custom shop versions of the LG or 00. The brand that came closest to either of the vintage ones was Atkin and the LG47. Quite impressed.

I’ve also played a few 30s 00 and they sound incredible although I do find the hard V neck profile on them a bit too much for me. I don’t remember the reissue 00 having such a hard V.

From my, limited, experience, on paper I would say the 50s LG-1 you mentioned may be a better bet than the modern reissue 00 but the only way to know is to try them both out.

Glenn usually has various vintage and modern reissue Gibsons available so maybe drop him a line to see what’s currently in stock. You might be able to try a good selection.

https://www.glennsguitars.com/

stickyfiddle

I like a good Gibson acoustic, but those aren't a large proportion of the guitars they make, unfortunately. 

I had a Dove for a while which sounded spectacular but I didn't get on with the neck. I wanted an LG-2 but bought an Atkin 47, which is better than any Gibson LG I've ever played. 

I've played a good few J45s that I've liked but they're so often in horrible brown bursts

Stuckfast

A friend bought one of those small bodied Gibson acoustics from the 50s or 60s, not sure exactly which model. It sounded spectacular but the intonation was iffy and I never once heard it stay in tune for more than half a song.

ICBM

My Dove is my favourite acoustic ever, but it’s so different from an LG or an L-00 - or even a J-45, really - that the fact they’re made by the same company is irrelevant for any practical purpose.

stickyfiddle

ICBM said:

My Dove is my favourite acoustic ever, but it’s so different from an LG or an L-00 - or even a J-45, really - that the fact they’re made by the same company is irrelevant for any practical purpose.

I still really want another Dove. I just need to find one with a neck I like, preferably in black...

streethawk

stickyfiddle said:

ICBM said:

My Dove is my favourite acoustic ever, but it’s so different from an LG or an L-00 - or even a J-45, really - that the fact they’re made by the same company is irrelevant for any practical purpose.

I still really want another Dove. I just need to find one with a neck I like, preferably in black...

Don't I have your old Dove?
It's great! 

Gta80

Thanks for comments and advice. I actually went a completely different route and bought a Martin OM 21 Special. Another guitar I've always dreamed of owning. So far I'm really enjoying it. So much so that I'm considering selling my Larrivee in order to fund the purchase of an L-00 in future. 

stickyfiddle

streethawk said:

stickyfiddle said:

ICBM said:

My Dove is my favourite acoustic ever, but it’s so different from an LG or an L-00 - or even a J-45, really - that the fact they’re made by the same company is irrelevant for any practical purpose.

I still really want another Dove. I just need to find one with a neck I like, preferably in black...

Don't I have your old Dove?
It's great! 

Yep - still one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played! I just didn't get on with the neck profile. I'm sure it's still a fabulous instrument! 

Tannin

Martin OM-21 is straight out of the top drawer. Can't go too far wrong with one of those!

Stratavarious

Try ‘em out but don’t pay money for a label. 

Penn

My brother has a 43 or 42 LG. It’s a banner headstock sunburst x braced job.  Expensive old guitar. Nice, sounds bigger than it is and is an amazing thing just because it’s an old Gibson acoustic. Neck is huge. So big I didn’t think it had a truss rod (it does)

Nice thing though. It looks like this:

Gassage

Gibson Ceiling Fan (Blades Included) in Polished Nickel - GBN52PLN5 (craftmade.com)

here's one. Good value too.