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1936 Gibson 'Advanced Model' L-10

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Serial #: 93944 Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 3/4" Neck depth: .85/1.02, 1st/10th frets

Materials: Hand graduated solid Sitka spruce top, solid Northern Michigan Bigleaf maple back and sides, solid Honduran mahogany neck, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, mother of pearl fingerboard and peghead inlay, checkerboard body binding, bound fingerboard and peghead, solid bone nut.

Hardware: Original hardware includes chrome concentric diamond tailpiece, bound tortoise pickguard, compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, adjustable truss rod, and ivoroid endpin. Vintage correct chrome Grover Stat-Tite tuners.

Notes: It's the Great Depression. We got too many lookalike models, and not enough customers. Let's just cut loose here...

The Gibson L-10 is the firm's rarest prewar 17" archtop, built in very limited numbers for a little over a decade. Originally a 16" model, the L-7 first appeared in Gibson's catalog in 1931, and was the first and only alternative to the L-5 for some time. Like its upscale counterpart, the 16" L-10 had a parallel braced top, and was finished in a solid ebony lacquer. (Though $100 less than the L-5, the L-10 was still priced higher than Martin's most costly model, the ornate OM-45.)

Upsized to an X-braced 17" body in 1935, the 'Advanced Model' L-10 was distinguished with ornamentation utterly unique in the Gibson line. With its distinctive arrowhead fingerboard inlay, checkerboard binding, and unique 3 tone cherry sunburst, the L-10 was also fitted with gleaming all-chrome hardware, unseen on other Gibsons until the mid-60's. While the later L-7 and L-12 models survived well into the prewar era, the Advanced L-10 was discontinued by 1939 after a scant four years of production.

This veteran player is from the first full year of production, and is fitted with the rare concentric diamond tailpiece, adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, and its lovely original bound celluloid tortoise pickguard, quite a rarity in an instrument of its vintage. At just 5lb 6oz, the instrument is exceptionally light in weight for a 17" guitar, and balances easily on the lap.

The neck at the lower frets has a notably slim depth for a prewar guitar, tapering to a fuller, traditional C profile toward the heel, with a particularly comfy 10' radius. Neither clubby nor veed, the neck has smooth low action over classic narrow fretwork, and a fresh high-precision setup. The three tone sunburst finish is shows some typical scattered pick and buckle wear for a working instrument of its vintage, and some spot finish, mostly near the rims. A pair of tight hairline cracks at the bass soundhole have been soundly resealed, and the neck shows the smooth thumbwear of a professionally played instrument, a clue to its clear, vibrant tone.

The voice is open and juicy, with the enhanced bass response and sustain these X-braced prewar Gibsons are renowned for. Ready for the pickup of your choice, the guitar is fitted with a standard 1/4" in jack in the conventional side location. An eyecatching treasure from Gibson's greatest era, and one of the most intriguing models the company ever created. One only: call now.

Case: Deluxe black plush lined hardshell case.

Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. This instrument is strung with medium gauge phosphor bronze strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

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