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1998 Gibson L-4CES

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Serial #: 93348003, orange Custom Shop label

Finish: sunburst, nitrocellulose type

Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 11/16"

Materials: Solid carved Sitka spruce top; mahogany neck; solid ebony fingerboard; highly flamed maple back and sides; dual-parallelogram mother of pearl fingerboard inlay and thistle peghead inlay; triple bound top, bound back and fingerboard. Compensated graphite nut installed.

Hardware: All gold hardware, including L-5 style deco tailpiece; Grover Rotomatic tuners; compensated tuneamatic bridge with inlaid feet; Gibson PAF style humbucking pickups and electronics; 5-ply bound tortoise pickguard; gold bonnet knobs; 3 way control switch.

Notes: Introduced in 1911 as an oval hole archtop, the L-4 is the oldest model in the Gibson catalog. The company's top-of-the line guitar until the L-5 debuted in 1922, the L-4 was redesigned with f-holes in 1935. It's comfy 16" body has always been popular with players reluctant to wrestle with a huge guitar, and its fast 24 3/4" scale rewards the hand with effortless stretch chords and lightning arpeggios.

This example incorporates design features from a number of Gibson's most distinguished guitars. Just as found on the L-5CES, the L-4 is crafted with a solid carved Sitka spruce top, and fitted with the ornate art deco tailpiece, twin gold humbuckers, bound tortoise guard and pearl inlaid bridge. The 16" Florentine cutaway body shares the same dimensions as the ever-popular ES-175, but has a deeper cutaway for better access to the uppermost frets, and positions the neck pickup right at the end of the fingerboard, to maximize the richness of the tone.

This guitar is a product of the Gibson Custom, Art and Historic Division, and is finished in a rich sunburst, with a solid carved Sitka spruce top. The mahogany neck produces an instrument that is distinctly lighter in weight, and notably better balanced as well. The fingerboard is fast and sleek, the 24 3/4" scale facilitates fast fingerwork and the twin humbuckers are fat and sweet. The contoured body is warmly resonant, and nicely resistant to feedback. This guitar is fitted with all-gold hardware, and is in immaculate condition, without pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and all original hardware and finish. An outstanding instrument in a distinguished lineage that spans almost a century of gorgeous, hard-working guitars.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as needed; 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 (.013-.056). 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: Black Gibson custom hardshell case with plush lining.

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