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1940 Gibson L-37
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FON #: 1462F-38
Body size at lower bout: 14 3/4" Depth at full taper: 3 1/2" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 3/4"
Finish: Original sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type
Materials: Hand carved solid spruce top; solid maple back and sides; one-piece mahogany neck; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, single-bound body, bone nut.
Hardware: 100% original hardware includes contoured firestripe celluloid pickguard, nickel trapeze tailpiece and three-on-a-plate open back tuners, adjustable truss rod, adjustable compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. K&K Pure Archtop internal soundboard pickup with 1/4" endpin jack.
Notes: The Gibson L-37 model was introduced in 1935, with a 14 3/4" body, carved spruce soundboard, solid flat maple back, and red mahogany finish. By 1937 the color was changed to a chocolate brown, with a distinctive lateral sunburst on the sides, a rare variant seen only on a few Depression era Gibson instruments. A short lived model, the L-37 was discontinued altogether by 1941, just months after this instrument rolled off the line in Kalamazoo.
This gleaming specimen would have to be on any short list of the finest surviving examples of the model. With 100% original hardware and finish, this guitar has survived in uncannily pristine condition, without cracks, pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear. Even the typical finish checking one expects on a 70 year old instrument is happily absent. Original hardware includes the contoured firestripe celluloid pickguard, nickel trapeze tailpiece, three-on-a-plate open back tuners, adjustable truss rod, adjustable compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. Enhancing the versatility is a K&K Pure Archtop internal soundboard pickup with Tapastring Vintage Jack endpin mini-jack, which installs without enlarging the endpin hole.
The fingerboard has smooth low action over fine original fretwork, and a generous 1 3/4" nut with a gently rounded C profile neck. Tipping the scales at a scant 4lb., the guitar has a brilliant clear voice, with excellent projection and reverb. Completing the time-warp scenario is the original two-tone brown Gibson fiber case, every bit as clean as the instrument it carried. A charming reminder of a lost age of elegance, this petite wonder has waited the better part of a century for its closeup. Call now.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as required; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted as required; 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; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel strings (.013-.057). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier 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 brown two-tone Gibson fiber case.
