1932 Gibson L-00 Poor, Soft, $995.00
Folks, I wish I could tell you that this is a diamond in the rough, but all I’m sure of is the "rough" part. I see no serial number or Factory Order Number anywhere, and in fact I’m not sure that this is the original neck and/or headstock. It has what’s left of a Gibson logo on the headstock, and the body dimensions are more or less those of an L-00, but given Gibson's notorious lack of consistency in specs and such these considerations don't guarantee much. If you can restore it, it's worth a bundle, but right now it's not very playable.
The previous owner[s] went to great but amateurish lengths to keep this little guy playing: the sides of the guitar have been painted, there's glue showing inside, screws, nuts, and bolts have been added to the neck block and bridge area, I have no idea of the authenticity of the interior, and there's some patch work in the body. It was being played when I got it, but I doubt that it was being played at a very high level.
Now, having said all that, I am confident that it is [mostly] a vintage small-body Gibson, probably from the 1930s. The body is actually in pretty good shape, the neck is probably Gibson but possibly not originally on this guitar, the non-matching tuner strips and super cool pick guard look authentic, and the sound--even with a slap-dash bridge and saddle arrangement--was cool, woody, and Robert Johnson-ish until I took the make-shift pins and strings off. I am including a vintage parlor case which it more or less fits, and if you've got some skills--or know somebody who does--with care and patience this could be a heck of a guitar again.
But I can't guarantee a year or model.
I have no idea what your expertise or expectations are, but if you're seriously interested, I will consider offers from someone who wants to help this guy make music again. Please keep in mind, however, that this is being sold explicitly as a project guitar, with no guarantee as to its provenance or the completeness of my amateur description of its issues.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but payment must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this vintage instrument, so its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy it.
Thank you for your interest in this potentially great little guitar.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.