1918 Gibson L - 1 Vintage Archtop Acoustic Guitar Sheraton Brown W/ Case
Item History & Price
Up for sale, a 1918 Gibson L-1 round soundhole archtop in excellent condition and perfect working order. Made in Kalamazoo, MI, and perhaps most notable for its use by Robert Johnson, the L-1 model delivers quintessential vintage blues tone. With a carved spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck, and an ebony fretboard, this acoustic has an incredibly rich harmonic midrange, with a dry, crisp top end, and deep, focused bass response that never gets too boomy. Chords can be gutsy and w...arm too, with a great dynamic range that lends itself to finger picking and strumming alike. The lower bout measures just under 14” wide and just over 3” deep. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 12-53 phosphor bronze strings, this guitar plays quite comfortably with a unique and complex tone ideal for filling out a mix in the studio or in an ensemble situation.
The mahogany neck has a deep and pronounced V profile carve that feels very substantial, filling the palm while still being manageable and easy to chord. The profile measures 1.030” deep at the first fret and 1.250” at the 9th before gently tapering into the heel. The ebony fretboard sports pearloid dot position markers and 13 frets clear of the body. The stock fretwire is in surprisingly good shape for a guitar over 100 years old, showing only light flattening of the crowns with well dressed ends and no untoward buzzes. The nut measures a full 1 13/16" in width, providing ideal string spacing for fingerpicking. On the headstock, the original three-on-a-plate open gear tuning machines with white plastic buttons are still intact, turn quite smoothly and hold pitch as they should.
The body boasts a bound soundhole, and the original patent number trapeze tailpiece and compensated ebony bridge are present. Inside the soundhole, the original label is still intact denoting that it was built by what was then known as the "Gibson Mandolin - Guitar Co." in Kalamazoo, MI. The hand-written serial number can still be read in pencil on the label, and the heel block has the original Factory Order Number.
The neck sits at an ideal angle, and the break angle across the bridge to the tailpiece is excellent as well. The carved top has a consistent curvature, with no unwarranted dips, and the original braces are still firmly intact. The bracing on the L-1 is similar to Gibson mandolins from the time, with one ladder brace near the soundhole as the main support, but a second one also near the bridge.
For an instrument over a century old, this acoustic is surprisingly crack-free, barring one small inconsequential binding split at the soundhole. Cosmetically, this acoustic shows some expected shallow marks and scuffs in the original Sheraton Brown finish, mostly relegated to the sides and back. The neck profile exhibits light marks in the finish that have settled in over time, presenting an inviting surface with no distraction to the palm. As the photos attest, this L-1 is a prime example of early Gibson craftsmanship.
A modern Gibson hardshell case with blue interior is included, and while the case is larger than the L-1, it still provides a secure tote.
The mahogany neck has a deep and pronounced V profile carve that feels very substantial, filling the palm while still being manageable and easy to chord. The profile measures 1.030” deep at the first fret and 1.250” at the 9th before gently tapering into the heel. The ebony fretboard sports pearloid dot position markers and 13 frets clear of the body. The stock fretwire is in surprisingly good shape for a guitar over 100 years old, showing only light flattening of the crowns with well dressed ends and no untoward buzzes. The nut measures a full 1 13/16" in width, providing ideal string spacing for fingerpicking. On the headstock, the original three-on-a-plate open gear tuning machines with white plastic buttons are still intact, turn quite smoothly and hold pitch as they should.
The body boasts a bound soundhole, and the original patent number trapeze tailpiece and compensated ebony bridge are present. Inside the soundhole, the original label is still intact denoting that it was built by what was then known as the "Gibson Mandolin - Guitar Co." in Kalamazoo, MI. The hand-written serial number can still be read in pencil on the label, and the heel block has the original Factory Order Number.
The neck sits at an ideal angle, and the break angle across the bridge to the tailpiece is excellent as well. The carved top has a consistent curvature, with no unwarranted dips, and the original braces are still firmly intact. The bracing on the L-1 is similar to Gibson mandolins from the time, with one ladder brace near the soundhole as the main support, but a second one also near the bridge.
For an instrument over a century old, this acoustic is surprisingly crack-free, barring one small inconsequential binding split at the soundhole. Cosmetically, this acoustic shows some expected shallow marks and scuffs in the original Sheraton Brown finish, mostly relegated to the sides and back. The neck profile exhibits light marks in the finish that have settled in over time, presenting an inviting surface with no distraction to the palm. As the photos attest, this L-1 is a prime example of early Gibson craftsmanship.
A modern Gibson hardshell case with blue interior is included, and while the case is larger than the L-1, it still provides a secure tote.
