Gibson

Gibson really started to put together nice flat top guitars around 1930. My favorite Gibson guitars are from the 1930-35 period when the build style was quite light, making the guitars exceptionally responsive. I’ll feature all flat top Gibson models made during this period, particularly the magical 12 fret L-1, L-2, and Roy Smeck jumbo hawaiian models. From 1936 until the wartime years, the build grew steadily heavier, with sharper clearer tone and great volume when pushed. I’ll feature all flat top jumbo models from this period as well as L-OOs, L-Os, and HG-OOs. Some of my favorite Gibson flat top guitars were made during the “Bannerhead” wartime and just postwar years of 1942-46. Some of these guitars have Mahogany tops that ring with more of a midrange tone than Adirondack or Sitka Spruce from this time. The 1947-54 era post-bannerhead flat top guitars all have scalloped brace voicing except for the ladder braced LG-1. I like the flat top guitars from the era quite a bit and try to stock them when they are available. Gibson guitars made after 1955 can be hit or miss, so I have to audition them before I will take them in. Archtops are kind of a hard sell for me, so from now on I will only take super clean archtops from any era.