1937 Gibson L-00

How black is this guitar? As Nigel Tufnell would say, “There is none more black.” This Gibson L-00 was made around 1937, the same year Gibson started using binding on the back and the year before they discontinued the black finish. This was Gibson’s cheapest flattop guitar when it was built when it cost a whopping $25, about double what a similarly appointed guitar from Kay or Harmony cost. (Gibson’s most expensive guitar was the $400 Super 400.) The L-00 was built from all solid woods. The top is spruce while the neck and body are mahogany. The bridge and fretboard are rosewood and the script Gibson logo is silk-screened on the  headstock rather than inlaid, a way to keep the price down. Even though L-00s were cheap in their day, they tend to sound much better than the price would suggest. They have a lovely, dry tone with lots of treble and mid-range. They sound great for old-time country and they really sound good for Delta blues, particularly when played with a bottleneck. Because they were so inexpensive, players in the past would sometimes treat them casually and not many examples have come down to us in good shape. Happily, this example has survived the decades in excellent structural and very good cosmetic condition. It has recently been refretted and it’s had a neck reset so it plays like a new guitar. If you’d like to take this black beauty home with you, just send $4995 to the good folks at Gryphon Stringed Instruments.

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