How much is this 1934 L-50 acoustic worth?

[Laservampire]

A (very) old friend of my dad has owned this guitar since he bought it in 1941, and it's in pretty reasonable condition considering it's 75 years old!



As you can see, the truss rod cover has been replaced and the pickguard is missing, but apart from that it's all original. The original 3-on-a-strip tuners still work fine too.

Only problem is, the bracing has separated from the back of the guitar at the bass and treble sides (it's still attached in the middle) so the back has lost it's arch. This has also caused a couple of tiny gaps between the sides and binding on the bottom/rear of the guitar.

There's also a small crack running out from the strap button about an inch towards the bass and treble sides, but it seems pretty solid (the tailpiece is screwed down either side of the crack)

As for the sound, it's a little light on bass (I'm guessing that fixing the braces would improve this) but it's got an amazing delta blues slide sound that cuts through anything! The action is surprisingly good too and the neck seems straight.

So, should I give it back to the old guy or buy it and get it fixed? (He wants about $1300 for it)

[dspelman]

[quote=Laservampire;1252001]

L50's will remain "light on bass" no matter what, brace or no. This is not a rare guitar -- it was a fairly cheap guitar (compared to other Gibsons) when new and thousands were made. Prices for these have, in good economic times and in excellent condition, have ranged from $500-1400, and I think the asking price on that last number was considerably higher than the actual selling price. A recent archtop/f-hole version of that guitar in very good shape with pickguard from 1934 sold on eBay for $800. In short, $1300 seems (to me) to be very pricey, particularly in this economy (vintage prices have gone pretty much right into the toilet). Add to that the cost of getting it fixed and you're spending big money for short return. I'd offer half that or give it back to the old guy. Oh -- and it's 68 years old.

[Laservampire]

Originally Posted by dspelman

L50's will remain "light on bass" no matter what, brace or no. This is not a rare guitar -- it was a fairly cheap guitar (compared to other Gibsons) when new and thousands were made. Prices for these have, in good economic times and in excellent condition, have ranged from $500-1400, and I think the asking price on that last number was considerably higher than the actual selling price. A recent archtop/f-hole version of that guitar in very good shape with pickguard from 1934 sold on eBay for $800. In short, $1300 seems (to me) to be very pricey, particularly in this economy (vintage prices have gone pretty much right into the toilet). Add to that the cost of getting it fixed and you're spending big money for short return. I'd offer half that or give it back to the old guy. Oh -- and it's 68 years old.

Thanks for the reply.

While common in America, finding a 30's Gibson in Australia that is still in great condition is a rare occurrence. I took it into one of Melbourne's top guitar stores/luthiers and while I was in the store 2 people offered me $2000 for it on the spot.

I ended up buying it from my Dad's friend for AU$1500 and it's gonna be another $300 to fix the bracing and the crack.

I'm not sure how you figure it's 68 years old though, it's definitely a 1934 model (the only year the L-50 featured a 14 inch bout, round soundhole and raised pickguard) and it's been 75 years since 1934 by my count...