Anyone know much about Gibson L-00 acoustic flattops?

[flatfiver]

Some kid brought one of these into the shop a few weeks back and I've been jonesing bad for one ever since.  I didn't get to play or hear it - it didn't even have strings on it and looked like it had spent the last 60 years at the bottom of a swamp, but what a sweet looking little guitar.  I've been looking into smaller-bodied acoustics for a while, starting with Martin-style 000/OM designs, but I've already got a Martin dreadnought and I'm trying to find something a little less "Martin-y."  I kind of like that dull thump that Gibson acoustics have in their bottom end.

Some very nice info and pics on Vintage Guitars Info


current Gibson 1937 reissue

[zhivago]

I've been looking into script logo J45s online and have come across these L-00s, but since they are small bodied, I haven't read too much about them (and I have only come across vintage examples)

was this one a reissue?

people online say the acoustic Gibson's making at the moment are pretty nice.

[flatfiver]

The guitar the kid brought in was a genuine 1930s Gibson in a horrible state of disrepair.  He wanted us to restore it, but our tech didn't feel confident that he'd be able to do it appropriately to exact vintage spec, so we sent him to the big-name luthier in town.

I've played a Gibson Nick Lucas model which is pretty similar to the L-00 as well as some others like an Advanced Jumbo RI and they were all very nice. 

I don't have the budget for a Gibby right now, but I'm thinking of getting something cheap to tide me over.  Epiphone makes an L-00-style guitar that certainly looks the part, but for a couple bucks more theres a company called Morgan Monroe that has a nice looking Korean-made clone.

Your thread on the J-45s is semi-responsible for my obsession.

[zhivago]

Your thread on the J-45s is semi-responsible for my obsession.

ooops, sorry about that! 

[flatfiver]

You're responsible for inspiring a lot of guitar obsessions around here - I guess that makes you the Official Offset Guitars Forum Guitar Obsession Inspirer... or something...

[zhivago]

You're responsible for inspiring a lot of guitar obsessions around here - I guess that makes you the Official Offset Guitars Forum Guitar Obsession Inspirer... or something...

heheh...thank you

I guess I've cost people quite a bit of money, eh?