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1957 Gibson L-4C
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Serial #: A-25034, orange oval label.
Body size at lower bout: 16" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 9/16"
Materials: Carved bookmatched solid spruce top; slab-cut arched maple back; solid mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; mother of pearl parallelogram fingerboard inlay and thistle peghead inlay; 3-ply body binding, bound fingerboard, bone nut.
Hardware: Original nickel raised parallelogram trapeze tailpiece. Hand antiqued vintage correct hardware includes nickel Kluson Deluxe style tuners with single-ring tulip keys, 5-ply wide-beveled pickguard. Compensated rosewood adjustable bridge. Armstrong floating humbucker. volume and tone controls, endpin jack.
Notes: One of the best-kept secrets in the vintage Gibson line, the L-4C is exceptionally comfortable to hold, and zippy 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, which sounds terrific either amplified with a floating pickup or unplugged in the studio or living room.
This guitar is one of just 73 examples made in its model year. The solid carved soundboard has been nicely aged, giving it a notably clear, open voice: bright, even and sparkling with natural reverb. Happily light in weight, the instrument weighs barely 5lb 9 oz. in total, with a bright, clear acoustic voice with excellent projection. A well-cared-for instrument with all-original sunburst finish, the guitar is notably free of pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, with only a few random lacquer nicks, and some scattered longitudinal checking on the back.
The floating Armstrong humbucking pickup is warm, quiet and faithful to the acoustic tone. A breeze to play, the guitar has a particularly sleek neck profile, with smooth low action over fine high traditional medium frets. Interestingly, the fretboard has an extra factory-installed inlay at the 20th fret, and no inlay at the first, perhaps a custom specification. A particularly versatile instrument, whether amped or unplugged, this handsome 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: Deluxe plush lined hardshell case.
