Topic: Gibson LG-1?

[Rivers]

TeeHee! You oughta see what I got. Not old. Not small. It's a new Montana Gibson J-45 Custom. Not just any old J-45 though. It's Koa back & sides with a mirror-finish Loar-style Honeyburst which is real subtle and suits the koa perfectly.

Played this thing and realized I didn't want a #1 guitar that sounded only like country blues, I wanted a guitar that sounded like ME. I play a lot of different stuff so it had to be versatile. Cheryl bought it for me secretly after I'd spent a few days gassing for it, wedding anniversary present. What a gal!

Never thought I'd fall in love with a koa guitar, the low bass is rock steady, tops are loud and clear though not piercing, have to work on that cause I like 'piercing', might mix and match strings a bit. Fingerpicker's dream w/the shortish scale, wide-ish nut, preinstalled with an undersaddle saddle pickup it plugs in wonderfully and will be great for playing out. Rare too. There's not a single pic of anything like it on the net that I can find, at least til I get round to posting one here.

In other news we're off to see acoustic Hot Tuna at the Cactus tonight. That might be a vision of hell to some c/b purists but those guys were instrumental in getting me into this musical mess in the first place, circa 1970, I love them for it and still secretly dig Jorma's c/b picking style. NAMM's in town so it'll be interesting to see who shows up to shmooze.

[rpg51]

Played this thing and realized I didn't want a #1 guitar that sounded only like country blues, I wanted a guitar that sounded like ME. I play a lot of different stuff so it had to be versatile.

Sounds wonderful and I can relate completely.  I just had a Greven L-00v prototype in my house for a week and it serves this exact purpose.  I fell head over heels in love with this guitar.  Very versatile. Lovely tone - it can do country blues and rags very very well, but also a lot of other stuff.  So, my order is in. If you're looking for an L-00 reproduction with "the tone" - this Greven might be worth consideration.

[Rivers]

Well as noted in another thread I finally did get an LG-1, not the one I was looking at when I posted earlier in this thread but one that's totally mint. So anyway I figure this is a great little guitar for Lemon, Blind Blake tunes so I broke out Ari's Lemon DVD which I picked up at Port T this year.

Am I crazy or is Ari playing an LG-1 on the video? As you can see from these frame grabs it's definitely ladder braced, probably a couple of years later than my '55, has the J-45 style D-shaped belly bridge (mine has the older rectangular shape). The bridge had me thinking it was a J-45 and I thought it seemed quite large but ladder bracing surely would make it an LG-1?

[Slack]

Yes, it's a 60's LG-1.  He bought it to travel with has an airline bunged up his 30's L-00 (I think on an overseas trip) and he didn't want to risk traveling with his L-00 anymore.  He brought it to PT last time he was there - it sounded real good, 'course Ari could make a strung 2X4 sound good.  I recall it also needed a neck reset.

[Rivers]

Well I just knew I could rely on you guys to know everything about it!   

Makes me feel even better about my LG-1. BTW does anyone know if Ari's CD is on general distribution, what label it's on etc.?

[Slack]

Order it direct from Ari.

http://www.secondmind.com/album.html#1

[dave stott]

I absolutely love my 1960's vintage sunburst finish Epiphone FT-45, which I am told is the Epiphone version of either the LG-1 or LG-2.

Mine is covered with lacquer cracking, but is otherwise in perfect condition.

My only issue with it is the width of the fretboard, especially in the 1st position. My fingers tend to get a bit cramped while doing an A or E chord.

The bright side of the small width is that it forces me to move up the fretboard and avoid the 1st position...

LOL

Dave

[Rivers]

Dave, if it's ladder braced it's based on the LG-1. If it's x-braced it's based on the LG-2. You probably know this but you can tell by the bracing right behind the soundhole. Ladder bracing exhibits a straight brace right across. X-brace you'll see two braces intersecting in the middle.

[Dave in Tejas]

Since there's not much going on, thought I'd chime in with my LGs. I traded a brand new Gibson SJ Deluxe in 1972, straight across for a early 60's or maybe late 50's LG-0, small rosewood bridge, that was a sweet traveling guitar. It's gone. A few years ago I bought a LG-0 sight unseen over the net on an early guitar forum, and when it came I was surprised with a spruce top! Ladder braced, ticket inside said LG-0, but spruce. I assumed LG-0 would be Hog. Didn't matter anyway, it was dead. Guy I met in Houston made a speciality just buying ladder LGs and retopping them.
LG's are a good size guitar, you don't see many people reproducing them.

[Rivers]

Hey there Dave, I played several LG-1s and, as you say, some are dead as.