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1969 Gibson Byrdland

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Serial #: 539971, orange oval label

Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 23 1/2" Nut Width: 1 11/16" Body depth: 2 1/4"

Materials: Solid carved bookmatched spruce top; arched figured maple back and sides; solid 3 piece maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; L-5 style block mother of pearl fingerboard inlay and flowerpot peghead inlay; 7 ply top binding, triple bound back and neck, bound f-holes, newer bone nut.

Hardware: Original gold hardware includes twin Gibson Pat. sticker humbucking pickups, loop style trapeze tailpiece with engraved crossbar, compensated Tune-o-matic bridge with rosewood base, 3 way control switch. '60's vintage gold reflector cap knobs, vintage correct hand bound 5-ply tortoise pickguard, hand antiqued gold Kluson Super 'waffleback' tuners.

Notes: It was a disc jockey convention in Nashville, and the year was 1955. Gibson, Inc. had a booth demonstrating their new offerings, and ace session guitarists Hank Garland and Billy Byrd were sampling the merchandise. Then, according to Garland, Gibson rep Clarence Havenga asked the fateful question: "What would you like in a guitar that we don't already have?" By the time the three had finished brainstorming, a new guitar was born.

Christened the Byrdland after its co-creators, this innovative guitar started life as an L-5CES, with its solid carved spruce and maple body, block and flowerpot inlay, and multi-ply binding right down to the pointed finial of the ebony fingerboard. But Hank and Billy wanted more. First, both the scale length and nut width were shortened, to create Gibson's fastest neck ever, specifically tailored to facilitate stretch chord voicings and lightning fast leads. Special pickups had to be fabricated to accommodate the narrower pole spacing as well.

Finally, Hank had been playing a custom Stromberg with a slimmer body depth, and he asked Havenga if he could match it. The traditional body depth of Gibson archtops had been unchanged since the Loar era, but by April 4th 1955, Gibson ledgers recorded the creation of four L-5CES guitars with the handwritten designation 'special thin model'. Thus did the Byrdland become Gibson's first ever thinline guitar, pioneering one of the most popular and influential body designs of the modern era, and Hank and Billy's brainchild has remained in the catalog to this day.

This gleaming instrument is one of just 60 produced in natural finish in its model year. One of the last Byrdlands built in the pre-Norlin era, it's also one of the first with the resurrected Venetian cutaway and the full 1 11/16" fingerboard. With twin original gold Patent Sticker pickups, and solid carved quartersawn spruce soundboard, the guitar shows handsome figured maple in the arched back and sides. Original gold hardware includes the engraved Byrdland tailpiece and Tune-o-matic bridge, and the guitar arrived with a beautiful set of '60s vintage gold reflector cap knobs. The finish is all original, and notably free of pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear. The deep blonde lacquer is warmly ambered, with some scattered lateral checking and a few random nicks, consistent with an instrument of its vintage.

A vintage correct bound dark tortoise pickguard has been installed, along with a set of hand antiqued gold Kluson Super 'waffleback' tuners, and the case is the original deluxe black arched Gibson logo hardshell in fine condition. The original medium jumbo frets are in great shape, with smooth low action over a comfy gentle D neck with solid ebony fingerboard. The tone is warm, rich and woody, with the resonance only decades of age can impart.

A rare and striking example of a landmark in the evolution of the modern electric guitar. Call now.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as required; 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 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 (.012-.054). 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 deluxe black arched Gibson logo hardshell with gold plush lining.

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