Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends

archtop.com


1959 Gibson L-4C

Price and Status: For pricing and hold status of this instrument, please check here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold. To be notified of examples of this or any other model in the future, please email your specific requests to [email protected].

Serial #: A-30759, orange oval label.

Body size at lower bout: 16" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16"

Materials: Carved bookmatched solid spruce top; slab-cut arched maple back; solid mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; mother of pearl parallelogram fingerboard inlay and thistle peghead inlay; 3-ply body binding, bound fingerboard, bone nut.

Hardware: Original hardware includes nickel raised parallelogram trapeze tailpiece, 5-ply wide-beveled pickguard, adjustable compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. Hand antiqued period correct nickel Kluson Deluxe style tuners with single-ring tulip keys.

Notes: One of the best-kept secrets in the vintage Gibson line, the L-4C is exceptionally comfortable to hold, and nimble indeed on the fingerboard. Introduced in 1949, the same year as the ES-175, the L-4C shares the same body shape and scale length as its electric cousin. But while its counterpart has an all-laminate body, the L-4C boasts a solid carved spruce top for maximum acoustic responsiveness.

This exceptional instrument is one of just 66 examples made in its model year. A pure acoustic model, the guitar has never had a pickup attached to it. The solid carved soundboard is beautifully aged, giving it a notably clear, open voice: bright, even and sparkling with natural reverb. Remarkably light in weight, the instrument tips the scale at barely 5lb 3 oz. in total, wonderfully balanced on the lap or the strap.

Lovingly maintained in superb condition, the instrument has all-original sunburst finish, free of pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear. A period correct hand antiqued set of Kluson Deluxe tuners has been restored to the peghead, and the guitar shows only a few random lacquer nicks for its long career. Even the typical checking one expects in a half-century old finish is almost completely absent.

A delight to play, the guitar has a fine classic C profile, with smooth low action over fine medium-jumbo frets. An unusually versatile instrument, this gleaming guitar delivers true vintage performance and unbeatable value.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, crowned and polished; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

This instrument is strung with medium heavy gauge nickel strings (.014-.059). The guitar will accommodate lighter gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Original Gibson Lifton Faultless deluxe plush lined hardshell case.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends