Difference in Late '30s L-0 / L-00

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Im a Wheel

Difference in Late '30s L-0 / L-00

Lead

[-]

(05/06/09 11:00 AM)

Tags : None

Am I correct in thinking the only difference between a late 30's L-0 and L-00 is the finish, with the L-0 being black and the L-00 sunburst?

Lance

bassrun

[-]

(05/06/09 11:29 AM)

Lance--

Late '30s L-0s have binding on the back, in addition to the top.

--John

Im a Wheel

[-]

(05/06/09 12:59 PM)

bassrun wrote:
Lance--

Late '30s L-0s have binding on the back, in addition to the top.

See, I'm wondering about that; in my pursuit of an L-0/00 I've noticed most of those described as L-00's seem to have binding on the back post 1937. The only difference I can tell is the finish. All the post '37's with back binding and sunbursts on Fred Oster's site and Intermountain's are described as L-00...

Michael Segui

[-]

(05/06/09 1:26 PM)

From the VINTAGE GUITAR INFO website:

In 1937 things kind of reversed themselves, and the L-00 got back binding and shortly thereafter the L-0 lost back binding. So in 1937, the only difference between L-00 and L-0 was the finish, with one having a sunburst and the other black (but, this switched, too). See the table below to determine which flavor you have. (The biggest difference between the models is back body binding and the color.)
Identifying pre-war Gibson L-0, L-00, L-1 guitars.

Body Color Features Model Year

Black white pickguard
unbound back
"the Gibson" logo
12 frets clear L-00 1932

Black no pickguard
unbound back
"the Gibson" logo
14 frets clear L-00 1932

Black white pickguard
unbound back
"Gibson" logo
14 frets clear L-00 1933-1936

Black L-0 reintroduced 1937
firestripe pickguard
bound back
14 frets clear L-0 1937-1942

Black straight bridge saddle
heavy top bracing
firestripe pickguard
bound back
12 frets clear HG-0 1937-1938

Amber Mahogany top
12 frets clear L-0 1930-1931

Amber Mahogany top
14 frets clear L-0 1932

Amber Mahogany top
14 frets clear
L-0 discontinued 1933 L-0 1933

Sunburst white bridge pins
no pickguard
(or elevated PG)
"small" sunburst
bound back
12 frets clear
slightly arched top/back L-1 1930-1931

Sunburst white bridge pins
no pickguard
"small" sunburst
14 frets clear
slightly arched top/back L-1 1932-1933

Sunburst white bridge pins
pickguard
"small" sunburst
bound back
14 frets clear
flat top/back.
L-1 Discontinued 1937. L-1 1934-1937

Sunburst black bridge pins
pickguard
"small" sunburst
unbound back
14 frets clear L-00 1933-1935

Sunburst black bridge pins
pickguard
"medium" sunburst
bound or unbound back
14 frets clear L-00 1936

Sunburst black bridge pins
pickguard
"large" sunburst
bound back
14 frets clear L-00 1937-1945

Sunburst straight bridge saddle
heavy top bracing
unbound back
12 frets clear HG-00 1937-1942

Natural white bridge pins
pickguard
bound back
14 frets clear L-00 1941

Body Color Features Model Year

"small sunburst" has a yellow center about 6" in diameter.
"medium sunburst" has a yellow center about 8" to 10" in diameter.
"large sunburst" has a brown edge about 2" to 3" thick.
"frets" means playable frets clear of the body (either 12 or 14, but 13 frets clear is sometimes seen).

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/loo.html

Michael Segui
Est. 1974

"I too was once penniless."

Im a Wheel

[-]

(05/06/09 1:34 PM)

Michael Segui wrote:
From the VINTAGE GUITAR INFO website:

In 1937 things kind of reversed themselves, and the L-00 got back binding and shortly thereafter the L-0 lost back binding. So in 1937, the only difference between L-00 and L-0 was the finish, with one having a sunburst and the other black (but, this switched, too). See the table below to determine which flavor you have. (The biggest difference between the models is back body binding and the color.)
Identifying pre-war Gibson L-0, L-00, L-1 guitars.

Body Color Features Model Year

Black white pickguard
unbound back
"the Gibson" logo
12 frets clear L-00 1932

Black no pickguard
unbound back
"the Gibson" logo
14 frets clear L-00 1932

Black white pickguard
unbound back
"Gibson" logo
14 frets clear L-00 1933-1936

Black L-0 reintroduced 1937
firestripe pickguard
bound back
14 frets clear L-0 1937-1942

Black straight bridge saddle
heavy top bracing
firestripe pickguard
bound back
12 frets clear HG-0 1937-1938

Amber Mahogany top
12 frets clear L-0 1930-1931

Amber Mahogany top
14 frets clear L-0 1932

Amber Mahogany top
14 frets clear
L-0 discontinued 1933 L-0 1933

Sunburst white bridge pins
no pickguard
(or elevated PG)
"small" sunburst
bound back
12 frets clear
slightly arched top/back L-1 1930-1931

Sunburst white bridge pins
no pickguard
"small" sunburst
14 frets clear
slightly arched top/back L-1 1932-1933

Sunburst white bridge pins
pickguard
"small" sunburst
bound back
14 frets clear
flat top/back.
L-1 Discontinued 1937. L-1 1934-1937

Sunburst black bridge pins
pickguard
"small" sunburst
unbound back
14 frets clear L-00 1933-1935

Sunburst black bridge pins
pickguard
"medium" sunburst
bound or unbound back
14 frets clear L-00 1936

Sunburst black bridge pins
pickguard
"large" sunburst
bound back
14 frets clear L-00 1937-1945

Sunburst straight bridge saddle
heavy top bracing
unbound back
12 frets clear HG-00 1937-1942

Natural white bridge pins
pickguard
bound back
14 frets clear L-00 1941

Body Color Features Model Year

"small sunburst" has a yellow center about 6" in diameter.
"medium sunburst" has a yellow center about 8" to 10" in diameter.
"large sunburst" has a brown edge about 2" to 3" thick.
"frets" means playable frets clear of the body (either 12 or 14, but 13 frets clear is sometimes seen).

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/loo.html

Where in the chart does it state the L-0 lost the back binding?

sugarinthegourd

[-]

(05/06/09 1:51 PM)

L-0s had back binding in the early '30s through ~ '36 and L-00s did not. Then, in 1937 L-00s got back binding, L-0s kept their back binding, and from then on, I believe the only difference was that L-00s were sunburst/firestripe and L-0s were black/firestripe.

You can download a 1937 Gibson catalog which shows the two models here : http://www.acousticmusic....talogs-sp-87.html#Gibson

"The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge."
- Bertrand Russell
"Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men."
- Confucius

onewent

[-]

(05/06/09 3:21 PM)

..and for the most part it's a semantic point, because of Gibson's back-and-forth nature of the binding and nomenclature and the catalog listings often lag, too, so, it's like 'what's in a name'? Like Martin w/ the early 20th cent. 0-18's w/ Brazillian b & s, and the -17 w/ mahogany b & s and spuce top! ..but, two things to point out regarding the L-s ..one is in terms of sound, it's my studied opinion that the 12-fretters, with the bridge more centrally located, tend to sound better, as a group, and, the bracing sizes and shapes changed slightly throughout the run of these L's, too, in effect, changing sound, albeit in a probably imperceptable way. There are some other dimensional changes, too, that I've noticed when A-B-C-ing the various eras ~ 1930 - ~ 1942-ish. ..especially in neck profile. Regards, Tom

Dave in Tejas

[-]

(05/06/09 3:39 PM)

Gibson was variable in the specs of their guitars, a trait that is well-known here.

I have enjoyed studying the scans of the late 20's - 30's catalogs, and have noticed that even the catalogs don't agree with themselves. Case in point is the statement, with a box around it, that all Gibsons are furnished with 14 fret necks, but all pictures show 12 fret necks.

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/

John Thomas

[-]

(05/06/09 4:29 PM)

Clay's chart is about as accurate as one can get. His 1936 reference to the L-00 with "bound or unbound back" reflects the transition underway. Willi and I have discovered that some of those dates of introduction and cessation of production are rather inaccurate. But, we're still working out those details.

.... John
www.johnthomasguitar.com

Please visit www.bannergibsons.com to see what Willi and I are doing!

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