Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends
archtop.com
1950 Gibson L-48
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].
Factory order #: 3297-(x) Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .88/1.00
Materials: Solid carved spruce top, arched maple back, mahogany sides and neck, solid rosewood fingerboard, trapezoidal fingerboard inlays; bound body and neck.
Hardware: All original nickel hardware includes three-on-a-plate open back tuners, compensated adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge, contoured tortoise pickguard, trapeze tailpiece, and adjustable truss rod. Kent Armstrong Handwound floating 2D humbucking pickup, with thumbwheel volume and tone controls and 1/4" jack.
Notes: Gibson's postwar L-48 model was introduced in 1946, and remained in production until 1970, becoming the firm's all-time most popular acoustic archtop. With its comfy 16" body, the L-48 has the same scale length and body size as the L-50, L-4, and the ES-175. Easy to hold and fun to play, the fast scale allows for nimble soloing and easier fingering of stretch chord voicings.
Unlike the all mahogany bodies of earlier and later examples, this guitar boasts a solid, carved spruce soundboard, arched maple back, and mahogany sides and neck. A bandstand veteran, this guitar features all original hardware and finish, with attractive slab cut maple figure. Free of buckle wear, the guitar shows some light thumbwear, a patch of pick wear near the low E string, and a single soundly resealed crack below the treble f-hole. The solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard has original fretwork in good condition, with smooth low action and a fresh high precision setup, over a traditional gentle C profile neck with a full 1 11/16" nut.
At a mere 4lb 11oz, the instrument is happily lightweight, and balances nimbly on the lap or the strap. All original binding is tight to the body, and both neck angle and bridge height are excellent. With its well-aged solid carved spruce soundboard, the voice is bright and clear with excellent projection. A special plus, the guitar is fitted with a Kent Armstrong Handwound floating 2D humbucking pickup, with thumbwheel volume and tone controls.
The perennial best buy in a genuine carved-top Gibson jazz box: one only, call now.
Setup: 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 gauge nickel roundwound 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 with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends
