1965 Gibson LG-0 Mahogany

This 1965 Gibson would have been (maybe even was) very comfortable at Woodstock, or the first Newport Folk Festival, maybe when Pete Seeger tried to unplug Bob Dylan's electric guitar. The LG-0 was created in 1958, presumably for the coffee-house concert-in-the-park kind of atmosphere of the early folk revival. Somewhat smaller than the dreadnoughts and jumbos, it had a 24 ¾" scale and was only 14 1/8" wide at the lower bout—similar to the size of Joan Baez's Martin. This made it light and easy to handle, while its all-mahogany body made it tough enough to sling over your back for the trek to the next jam. But it was still a Gibson, and had the power and resonance to fill the spaces and send the message. And 54 years of seasoning that mahogany has only made this guitar stronger.

The LG-0 has a solid mahogany top, back, sides, and neck, with a 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay and a one-stripe rosette. As is frequently the case with 1960’s LG-0s, there is some question about the exact date of manufacture. The serial number visible on the back of the headstock (363108) indicates the 1965 date, and the bridge obviously is one of those plastic bridges which Gibson used only from 1962 to 1965; this one is still solidly fastened to the top with very little sign of a lift. The screw-on tortoise pickguard, which largely replaced the original black ones in 1963, is no longer around, but the tortoise binding is in very good shape. However, the three-on-a-plate open nickel tuners may have been replaced (I don’t recognize these amber tuner buttons), and obviously one button has broken off (the pieces are included, but it would probably be easier to replace all six).

Now, I can only assume that somewhere in its 54-odd years this guitar has had an owner who loved it too much to turn it loose and started to do whatever it took to keep it playing. For example, it appears to have been lightly sanded and the finish sealed for some reason (perhaps that’s when the pick guard disappeared—along with the Gibson decal on the headstock). Four back braces are missing entirely, and the truss rod cover is colorful but clearly hand-made. There is a 5” crack in the back which appears to have been glued but not cleated. The good news is that all of these deficiencies are fixable at your convenience, and the guitar is quite playable as it is (although the back braces will be necessary soon to prevent further cracks).

Some good news: the top is flat, the neck is straight and never broken, there is very little fret wear or fretboard wear, and the action is still a reasonably comfortable 4/32” at the 12th fret low E (with a very tall saddle). Bottom line: this is now pretty close to once again being a great-sounding, great-playing music machine with tons of character which can bang with the banjos or just keep the porch warm for decades to come. And for those of us who like to play old Gibsons, an LG-0 is a wonderful alternative—or addition—to that 15-pound J-45 with its five-ply case.

The included vintage chip board case is in pretty good condition, and the hinges and latches all work well. Unfortunately, like most cases it’s a bit too large for the guitar, although it has some value in its own right. It offers more than adequate protection, and it is a vintage complement to your vintage instrument.

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 checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.

I have made every effort to describe and illustrate this vintage guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy, but note that it is a project and is being offered as is. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before you offer to purchase it. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.

Thank you for your interest in this cool project Gibson guitar.