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Topic: 1928 Gibson L3 queston??? |
Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 31 May 2006 11:32 am |
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Really nice looking guitar. If the finish is original, I suggest extreme caution, it's easy to do more harm than help with silocone polishes, waxes, abrasive cleaners and other "quick fixes" made for newer modern finishes. A lot depends on the condition and originality of the finish - there are a lot of judgement calls in handling very old lacquer finishes. IMO, there are no hard and fast fules.
I suggest Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide", which details several techniques. In general, he suggests the use of naptha (lighter fluid) to clean the surface, but the caution is that if there is a lot of finish checking, you should do this very lightly - put naptha on one rag and rub the polishing rag up against it and wait till it starts to evaporate - and then, do not not wipe hard. On the other hand, if an old finish is heavily finish-checked or extremely thin, he suggests, alternatively, "most breath fog" or an extremely lightly dampened rag. The danger is that it is possible for the solvent to get under the finish and ultimately cause it to lift, but that's also possible with a damp rag. If you use naptha, make sure there's good ventilation, away from flames and sparks, etc. On an old finish, I always test anything I'm going to do on a small inconspicuous spot and see how it reacts.
Dan also doesn't recommend guitar polishes on an old vintage finish, although some people do just that. If you do use a polish, avoid waxes, abrasive cleaners, and silocone polishes. I agree with his advice - polishes are fine on a newer guitar, but I don't want to work polish into the wood or into the finish. My own attitude is that as long as the finish is kept reasonably clean and the guitar properly humidified during extreme dry seasons, then the gradual drying, hardening, and light crazing of an old lacquer finish makes the guitar sound better, and I like the look.
When wiping a finish, be sure to use clean polishing rags - I prefer cotton - old t-shirts, smooth flannel, and so on. If dirt builds up, it becomes abrasive and can scratch the finish.
Whatever you do, beware of any hard rubbing at all. The guitar looks great as-is, and I would just clean very conservatively, and then lightly wipe periodically to keep the scooge off. When in doubt about doing something, don't do it. My motto: never try to make a vintage guitar look like a new one.  |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 31 May 2006 11:49 am
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| Moved from 'Steel Players" section to "Music" |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 31 May 2006 12:26 pm
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Damir, it's a beaut! You're very lucky to have the pickguard. Most of these are long gone, rotted away decades ago. I had a '23 with a transitional neck. Pre-trussrod neck, with a trussrod routed and fitted into it. Gibson wasn't gonna throw any parts away. Great guitar for fingerstyle ragtime.
[This message was edited by John Billings on 31 May 2006 at 01:28 PM.] |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 31 May 2006 1:07 pm
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What Dave & John said...
John is alluding to the use of celluloid as pickguard, tuner and binding material. If ANY of those items are starting to deteriorate, it mus be addresssed immediately, as it's a "contagious" condition. Any crumbling, cracking, etc. of the "plastic" (i.e. celluloid) parts means the guitar should never, ever, be put in its case until those parts are removed or fully stabilized. Erlewine's book is a good reference on that subject, but repairs to those areas are for pros only - you can destroy parts very quickly.
Usually even if the celluloid has not started to "die" it's recommended to let the guitar breath on a stand instead of in a case - it helps prevent the aging problems.
Those guitars were meant to be played with heavy strings, and the neck joints are often weak or the "set" angle wrong. Again, this is pro work to fix. You might find, however, that the guitar is not a real "cannon" with modern medium-gage strings. That's just the nature of the beast. It often takes some heavy wire and strong callouses to play 'em right.
Naphtha as recommended is the best thing to get any gunk off it; and yes, go sparingly. Do NOT use any kind of furniture polish on any guitar, ever. Some pros recommend using "Red Oil" VERY sparingly as a polish/cleaner, and I've had good results with it for years. It also reconditions fingerboards and bridges well. Guitar Polishes - Martin, Dunlop et al - are usually not advised, nor do they even clean or polish very well on older instruments.
Get some kind of humidifier - a "Dampit" or equivalent - and hang it in the soundhole. Dry air can kill these guitars (if you do end up with it in a case, make sure to use a humidifier in the case, even if it's just a damp sponge in a perforated plastic soap holder).
Mostly - take it out and PLAY it! More vintage guitars seem to deteriorate in their cases than when regularly played.
PS - is it just the photo angle, or is the "A" string tuner shaft bent? Which brings up another point - when the tuners crumble (and eventually, they will) make SURE your tech knows what he's doing. I've seen these things hacked via installation of modern tuners - meaning routing and/or drilling of holes. Big no-no. There are vintage-style tuners made to fit, but most guitar repairmen don't use them, sadly - they open up the holes and stick on a set of Schallers, Grovers, Sperzels, whatever. Wrong.
Have fun - great guitar! I have a '39 Kalamazoo (Gibson body, Kalamazoo headstock)) f-hole L-7 that knocks people's socks off. There really aren't guitars being made like those today, except by a few custom builders.
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 31 May 2006 1:19 pm
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quote:
HERE IS WHAT GEORGE GRUHN HAS TO SAY: Based on examination of the photos, We certify that the guitar described below is, in our opinion, a Gibson model L-3 made in the year 1928.
The guitar appears to be in exceptionally fine condition for one of this age. The crack in the back described by the owner appears to be simply a separation of the center seam which is relatively easy to reglue and have properly repaired (which now has been expertly repaired). The crack described in the front of the peghead may simply be in the veneer and, if so, it would not be serious.
The instrument conforms to the typical specifications of the model for the period in which it was made with 13 ½ inch body width, carved spruce top with round soundhole, birch back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard with white binding and pearl dot inlays, unbound peghead with "The Gibson" pearl inlay, sunburst varnish top finish, uniform cherry red stain finish on the back and sides, white binding on the body edges, herringbone soundhole trim, ebony adjustable height bridge, nickel plated original trapeze tailpiece, nitrocellulose tortoise shell grain pickguard, and nickel plated metal hardware.
| Quote: |
| I suggest Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide" |
Dave,thanks for the advice, is this a book that I can buy?And if so,would you know where can I buy it?
John, I`m so excited and I`m nervous, I never had anything like this before.I was looking at some new Martin`s but I just don`t feel any connection with new guitars, old instruments have so much personality and caracter.
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| it's recommended to let the guitar breath on a stand instead of in a case - it helps prevent the aging problems. |
Jim,another good advice,thank you guys.I really don`t wont to mess this one up.
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| et some kind of humidifier - a "Dampit" or equivalent - and hang it in the soundhole |
Jim, where can I get that stuff?
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| is it just the photo angle, or is the "A" string tuner shaft bent? |
Jim,I don`t know,I don`t have guitar yet,it should be here sometime next week.But I`ll try to post few more pics so maybe we can see it better there.
Big thank you to all of you for your time and help.
Db
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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 31 May 2006 1:28 pm
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Db
and on top of all that,that case is original too 
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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 31 May 2006 2:11 pm
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amazon.com has Erlewine's book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0879302917/103-8049458-9527840?v=glance&n=283155
It's inexpensive and a wealth of good knowledge.
The Dampit or other soundhole humidifier should be available in any serious guitar store. I use Kyser humidifiers myself, but anything that allows you to close off the soundhole should work OK. Just don't water it too much - a little humidification works great, but if water drips out onto the guitar, it can do damage. I don't do this until it gets pretty cold, with the relative humidity down below 50%.
I agree with Jim - get any structural issues fixed, and have a pro do it. Gruhn's is a good bet - they love instruments like this and have a great repair shop, IMO. Somebody like this isn't going to encourage you to do something you shouldn't to the guitar. Lemme tell ya', they ain't makin' 'em like this anymore. |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 31 May 2006 4:17 pm
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That is a BEAUTIFUL guitar!! Play it as much as you can! That finish doesn't look like it needs any cleaning/polishing, just keep 'er wiped down with a DRY cotton cloth. As Jim said, those tuners will crumble, if you plan on playing this guitar, it might be wise to get a set of modern-day copies, such as Waverlys, that will fit the existing holes, and require no additional drilling. Then hang onto the originals! You might even want to remove the pickguard, if you don't strum too vigorously.
Congratulations on a fine old axe! |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 31 May 2006 4:31 pm
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Stephen thanks,
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| it might be wise to get a set of modern-day copies, such as Waverlys, that will fit the existing holes, and require no additional drilling. Then hang onto the originals! You might even want to remove the pickguard |
that is a very good idea..ha..I knew this was a right place to ask for help
thanks all
Db |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 31 May 2006 4:51 pm
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I sold a set of those original Waverly tuners that came on a 20s L5 for $500 recently. Take care of them! Good advice to replace them with inexpensive new ones and save the original.
I am not even liking seeing the guitar in direct sunlight even for just 5 or 10 minutes while taking pics.
It is a nice guitar. The separation of the back is unfortunate.
Just wipe it down lightly with a soft cotton cloth. Don't leave it strung up to full tension. I back the tuners down about two turns on all my acoustic guitars when not being used. Just enough to still load the top. I have repaired too many instruments with neck pitch problems. |
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Damir Besic
From:
Nashville,TN.
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Posted 31 May 2006 5:00 pm
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Bill,
seller said that problem with the separation on the back of the guitar has been taken care of by an expert,so I hope they did a good job.$500 for a set of tuners?...geez..I guess I better run and find some of those cheap new ones.
Db
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"Promat"
~when tone matters~ www.promatsteelguitars.com
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