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
Comments
I bought a '67 J-45 a few months ago and it just sounds magic compared to the ones being made now.
https://edmorgan.info
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/242708/peter-daffy-custom-l-00-demo-vid
Especially for 12 strings.
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!
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.
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/
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
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
It's great!
here's one. Good value too.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.