1951 Gibson L-50 Vintage Carved Top Archtop Acoustic Guitar Sunburst w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1951 Gibson L-50 in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. A model that enjoyed a particularly long production run (1932-71), the L-50 holds the distinction of being the most popular Gibson acoustic archtop ever produced.

A premium archtop with a 16" lower bout and the same general dimensions as the upscale L-4, the L-50 boasts a hand-carved spruce top, maple back and rims, and a one-piece Honduran mahogany neck capped with a bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard. This Gibson delivers ample projection and power; plucky and percussive, the midrange is both warm and immediate, yielding a lively response with the ideal combination of woody chop and articulation. The trebles are sweet and punchy, and there’s a distinctive focus and depth to the wound strings. This L-50 weighs 4lbs 10oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 12-53 bronze strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Honduran mahogany
-Shape: “Baseball bat” C, measuring .925” 1st fret, 1.015” 9th fret
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, flared trapezoid inlays
-Frets: Sender “banjo,” lightly leveled/crowned, faint wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-3
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 11/16”, nylon
-Tuners: Kluson Deluxe single-line (replacement)

Body Specs:

-Wood: Spruce, maple
-Hardware: Brazilian rosewood bridge, trapeze tailpiece (replacement, original present in case)
-Plastics: Bound tortoise pickguard (replacement)
-Serialization: Factory Order Number dates to ‘51
-Factory Markings: Model stamp

The pickguard is a high quality bound tortoise replica furnished by Fox Guitars, and the trapeze tailpiece is a nickel-plated vintage replacement (original tailpiece is also included, with a broken hinge). There is a small repair on the top edge adjacent to the bass-side f hole, and the gloss Sunburst nitro lacquer finish is 100% original save for limited touch-up over a few small dings around the edge of the top. Cosmetic wear is quite restrained, with some light pick wear on top, a bit of buckle worming on the lower bout of the back and some small nicks and finish scratches. On the back of the headstock is a small “2,” denoting a Factory 2nd for some small cosmetic mark indistinguishable after decades of careful use. The smooth nitro gloss on the neck profile is free of palm wear with just a few shallow marks.

A vintage black tolex hardshell case is included.