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1967 Gibson L-4CN 'Johnny Smith Double'
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Serial #: 700746, orange 'Union Made' label Body size at lower bout: 16" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16' Neck depth: .83/1.03, 1st/10th frets
Materials: Solid carved bookmatched Sitka spruce soundboard; slab-cut arched maple back and sides; solid mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with pearloid fingerboard inlay and thistle peghead inlay; 3-ply body binding, bound fingerboard.
Hardware: Original hardware includes: twin gold Johnny Smith floating pickups, gold triple parallelogram trapeze tailpiece, 5-ply bound tortoise pickguard with individual volume and tone controls, pickup selector switch and 1/8" jack with cable, adjustable compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. Gold Gibson Kluson Deluxe double ring tuners of later vintage.
Notes: One of the best-kept secrets of Gibson archtops, the L-4C is exceptionally comfortable to hold, and positively 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 simply wonderful, amplified or unplugged. And the suspended fingerboard affords plenty of clearance for the installation of floating pickups as well.
This unique example is one of just 10 blonde L-4Cs shipped in its model year, and was factory customized with a number of upmarket features. The standard nickel hardware was upgraded to gold, with the typical black 5-ply pickguard swapped for a deluxe version in 5-ply bound tortoise. Most notably, the guitar was also custom fitted with twin gold Johnny Smith floating pickups, individual volume and tone controls, a pickup selector switch, and an 1/8" output jack with cable, in the manner of a Gibson Johnny Smith Double.
Beautifully maintained, the instrument is exceptionally free of pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, with fine original fretwork in excellent condition. The honey blonde finish has been warmly ambered, with some scattered wisps of light checking to vouch for its originality. At barely 5lb 8oz, the guitar is happily light in weight, and deftly balanced in the lap or the strap.
And in an era when Gibson made the slimmest necks in its history, this gentle C profile neck is nicely solid in the hand, with a full width 1 11/16" nut, an echo of Gibson's coveted classics of the 1950s. With smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup, and fine original fretwork, the instrument is a delight to play, with the warm, open voice of tonewood now aged over half a century.
Rare, handsome, and wonderfully versatile, this striking guitar offers a matchless pallete of tonal colors for the contemporary player. 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 wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge flatwound strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with light relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Deluxe black arched hardshell case, with plush lining.
