Three gorgeous 1930s GIBSON acoustics (with dead strings)
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- Опубликовано: 4 фев 2025
- Early 20th century Gibson acoustics with dead strings? I know many players have found timbral nirvana with the combination of a guitar that is around 100 years old and uncoated strings that were last changed during the Reagan administration. This is, however, not an approach I have ever really understood.
I do love learning though, and I was very glad to get an invitation to visit a dear friend of mine who has a beautiful collection of vintage instruments - among them were three instruments from the 1930s which gave me a chance to explore some extremely woody and evocation textures.
A 1931 L-00 in factory black finish, a 1933 L-00 in sunburst and a 1932 L-1 in cremona sunburst!
As you will see It took me a little while to get the hang of these guitars but in the process I learned a huge amount and came a lot closer to appreciating the magic of early 20th Century Gibson acoustics - it will be fascinating to see how close the new Murphy Lab instruments are able to come to the real thing!
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The L-00 is magical. When you find a good Gibson , there is nothing like it... far excelling Martin.
Glad you enjoyed it Jeff! I’m inclined to agree!
Even the Modern stuff that saw me play a number of Dreadnoughts that just didn’t impress me. I found a 2018 J35 second hand and the second I played it boy was it worth waiting for. Even Matt Kulcha bought one, so impressed was he
@@andrewbowen6875 Matt knows guitars.
In 2009 I found a used WM-45 Gibson at a GC.. Mint . What a fantastic guitar and reminded me of my long gone 1946 J-45
I sold it to finance a custom 00-17 to replace my stolen 1939 00-17. Sadly that turned into a year long disaster.
Long story for another time. Net result, after owning 15 Martins since 1961, I will never buy another new Martin.
Time to look for that "special" Gibson.
LOL. You haven't played the right Martin.
Really brings a smile. I start my days on a classical guitar. The frets are marked by feel and by counting back from the body which lets me know where 12 is. Much easier though with the guitar propped up on my left knee. The angled frets are so much closer to my face. But you did great honor to these fantastic and honest instruments.
Thank you so much for watching! I am used to 12 frets but without positioning markers it may as well be 37 frets to the body!
just add a dab of tip ex. It won't spoil your classical. I feel a bit naughty but smug too! And you can easily remove with a blunt finger nail. My classical playing has improved...
Thanks for keeping the mistakes/extra takes in, Michael... I feel much better about my own playing now!! 🥸Once again another fabulous video. Love your playing and insights!
Ha ha! Thanks for watching. Playing an unfamiliar instrument can be a challenge and it would be disingenuous to suggest that I got the hang of it straight away!
Absolutely incredible!! 🫶🏼
Thank you Johannes!
A Triptych presentation of Guitar- Recording-Tone in your fingers.. without the last it’s just a dead box. You really make this sing!!
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me! Thanks for watching
It was beautiful 😍 and mesmerizing. Thank you for sharing.
Good to hear the old Gibsons the tone is gorgeous and mature, wish the new ones would sound as good.🤩👍
Thanks for watching Alastair! Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing what the new Murphy Lab guitars are up to.
wow, they sound gorgeous... you really bring something special out of them! But i appreciate all the misses in the different takes to make us feel better about ourselves 😅
Thank you for watching mate! It’s always a good idea to get out of your comfort zone, especially when the guitars are that good!
I’ve now got a 1930 L-1 it’s so light you almost feel like you’re playing air. There’s so much resonance that dead strings aren’t an issue. Had a 36 L-00 which was pretty cracked but still sounded amazing. The neck on the L-1 is thinner and is so comfortable but I thought it would have the thicker V like the L-00. These are truly amazing era guitars and once you find out you have difficulty going back IMO. You’re such a wonderful player Michael. I could listen to you all day. Just naturally organic in your playing. Thanks for the vid.👍
Thank you for watching Richard and you’re absolutely right - there is magic to be found in these guitars!
Good to see you embracing warmth!
I’m enjoying it!
They sounded gorgeous. Such character.
Thanks for listening Rob! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Wonderful sounds from all three guitars
Thanks for watching Bill! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lovely playing as usual Michael loved the 1933 i just like that music you played very much.
Thank you very much for watching John!
Nice, enjoyable video Michael. All sound good but the last one in particular was my favourite.
Thank you Phil!
Lovely sounds and lovely playing!
Thank you Justin! Glad you liked it
Gibson and you BRAVO love your tone All the Best Svend Withfelt,Denmark
Thank you Sven, that means a lot to me!
It's sounding so pretty
Thank you!
Trust Your fingers, Michael, they know where to go! (No fret Markers needed!) Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Jim!
Fabulous stuff from a truly underrated guitar line. I have a 1959 L2 that is also tuned down a whole step and I just love it. The strings are only 2 years old so I'm waiting. Lovely playing , Michael, as usual.
Ha! Brilliant, yes those strings will still be a bit fresh - another couple of years and they’ll be wonderful!
Wow, that black one is just a bright sunny day, walking along the beach with your loved one, breeze in your hair, pet dog chasing after birds, coconut trees in the distance, gentle waves crashing onto the shore. Amazing😮 do you think any of the many master luthers you know can recreate something like that?
By the way watching you struggle has given me much more self confidence in my playing😂😂😂 thanks for keeping that in
Poetic! And ha ha, you’re very welcome!
If you want an affordable one try the Eastman E10 00 SS/v, without without old strings...My favourite new guitar. They took an old one apart and copied every detail. Nice Adirondack top from a 20 year old batch, which is probably long enough to hear a differenece in any case. Must be the /v one with super thin french polish finish...
with or without old strings 😉
Yeah I’m be been really impressed with Eastman recently - great kit and well priced.
Great Video! Amazing Guitars and Playing !!
Thank You 🙏🏼
Thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have a 1936 L-OO and have owned it since the early 70's. I've built around 150 guitars yet even today it's the guitar that spends the most time with me in the popa chair. I truly love the little thing.
That’s good to hear!
❤Absolutely fascinating video
Thank you Remo!
You’re forgiven MW❤ you should check out Steve Earle’s L-00 with floating Bridge on his brilliant channel where he shows his collection of vintage Martins and Gibson’s. Earle known for his early stuff with Gibson and now a Martin convert, mentions an ongoing thing with T Bone Burnett who swears by Gibson
best sounding guitars I've heard in a long time. I'm never buying new strings ever again. lol
Ha ha glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching Rick
I had to com back and watch/listen again.
I have concluded I need a Gibson small body guitar such as the L-00.
@@jeffhildreth9244 what a lovely thing to conclude!
Yes you do. I’ve had 3. 1936 L-00, 1930 L-1 and a new Murphy Lab 1933 L-00. The new ML sounds almost the same and feels the same as the 36 (nice fat V neck). The 1930 has thinner bracing and not the big V neck but is super light. The projection is fantastic. In to the later 30s for the L-00s they could have used up to 4 pieces of red spruce for the top. The early 30s with “the Gibson” L-1s were 1 or 2 pieces as far as I remember and the quality of the mahogany was better than the L-00s. They all project and sound superb. I prefer these over larger body dreads or round shouldered Martin’s or Gibsons. Just my preference though. The ML has a 1.77 inch nut so great for both flat picking, finger picking and strumming. Can remember the nut size on the 36 L-00. Anyway the ML 33 is quite a bit less expensive and frankly it’s really similar so you can always go that route and not be disappointed. It’s very light and they use the ML’s own nitro and not very many layers plus the torrified top and good grade red spruce and mahogany. Another plus is you don’t have to worry about a few dings or dents. Sorry about the long note but there are options to get that 30s sound and feel at a lesser cost. Forget to mention I also had a Robert Johnson Gibson L-1 which was not top notch IMO so sold it.
@@Richard_Lush Thanks for all the info.
Another note, Gibson was known to use "African" mahogany way back when.
I wish You could test the l-00 against the l-00 Murphy Lab and give us your thoughts
Thanks fot the video!
Coming soon!
I have a 1933 Gibson/Kalamazoo 00 with the solid interior binding, 'target burst', and soft V neck. I can't play anywhere in your league, but I agree that those particular guitars, most of which weigh significantly less than three pounds, sound phenomenal with strings that have had most of the overtones played out of them, so that you're hearing more of what the guitar brings to the mix, rather than the strings. I also prefer them tuned down a tone, or in open G or D.
I also have a pair of Waterloo WL-K 00s, which are perfect copies, made by Collings of Austin TX, of the 1930 Kel Kroydon 00 (catalog guitars) made by Gibson. They compare very favorably to these old 1930s Gibsons and Kalamazoos, but being new builds they don't have all the cracks and neck-angle issues that many older Gibsons do...
These guitars are all 00 size I believe, that being the size and shape roughly of a classical (nylon string) guitar. And they seem to respond more like a classical guitar (if you have the necessary right hand technique).
I'm not saying that they sound at all bad with newer strings, but there can be an overbearing abundance of certain overtones that get played out by the time the strings are several years old... :)
The other thing to consider and experiment with on these guitars is to use nickel strings, not phosphor bronze or the like, because only nickel/steel strings existed in the 20s and 30s, so these guitars were more or less designed for those strings, not for phosphor bronze type strings, which have way different overtones.
In fact, I'd say that starting out with a set of medium /light gauge nickel (electric) strings will get you a better, more 'authentic' tone, especially for finger-style playing, out of these old Gibson 00s, than most 'acoustic' type strings will out of the box... And I think the nickel string actually can last longer, as they don't corrode in the same way as PB strings do...
Great comment - thank you! 80/20 bronze strings originated in the 1930s so that could still be a strong choice for someone interested in authenticity. PBS came out in 1974 - not a lot of people know that every classic acoustic recording prior to that was made with 80/20s!
The guy spend so much money on those guitars that do not left for the strings😂. Seriously, i'm stupefied about the sound of these guitars certanly the most beautiful i heard in my whole life. Thank you
Fascinating! I’d love to hear these old Gibsons with fresh sets of your usual Elixir strings to fully appreciate the difference…
That could happen! Thanks for watching Terry!
Great video! I love old Gibson’s but I don’t care for vintage guitars in general, I think there are modern luthiers today that get so close to that sound with better playability. For example my favorite builder is Kevin Kopp, have you ever played any of his guitars?
Thanks for watching Rich! I know Kevin’s work by reputation but I am yet to meet one of his guitars in person. Looking forward to it when it does happen!
Now you have a whole new purpose in life!
Good luck on your upcoming vintage Gibson journey, lol
Ha ha - maybe!
The last one, L-0? Has the raised finger board extension? I’ve heard that adds interesting depth to the sound?
I finally understand the appeal of these old Gibsons! Thank You Michael. Oh, and please play some Elvis! Hahahaha. Paul
@@paulnichols6047 Ha ha you’re very welcome!
Ah... some kind of wonderful!
Thank you very much for watching!
Dead-wound strings rob the guitar of the - nowadays - typical bright overtones and bring out the fundamentals which most often sounds very warm and charming, intimate. When plucked without fingernails this is even more apparent. My major gripe with these old guitars are the huge V-shaped necks, most often the deal-breaker. Maybe I'll eventually find a beater model and have the neck shaved down some .... but I won't show it around because having the vintage-guitar-police on your back is no fun prospect....
I can hear the sirens already! Thanks for watching Christian!
Always educational to watch and listen to your comments - I don't always agree but you don't participate in the widespread procrastination of mojo/BS that nobody needs ... One thing I'd really appreciate is a little more love and attention for nylonstring guitars ; not from the ivory tower of the strict classical school but in the context of modern, contemporary music and playing styles ! @@MichaelWatts
I wish Gibson were making this level of acoustics today. Looking forward to hearing those with new strings!
I think we all wish that!
Some are terrible I played a brand new so called 1936 era J35 and it sounded like cardboard and had glue marks ect and all for four grand. The cheap modern J35s like the 2018 model I got however are superb. See Matt Chulkas review who despite owning instruments costing twenty times as much he liked it so much he bought one for himself
I have a 1930's sunburst L-00 that was my father's guitar. Which type of strings and gauge do you recommend? Thanks in advance for your help.
I generally use Elixir 12-53 PB but I guess the authentic approach for this sort of thing would be uncoated 80/20 bronze - I hope that helps!
I have a 1937 L-00 which im trying to find the best way to lower the action without replacing any parts since its all original and was my grandfathers. But, as most know, the action from like, fret 7 and up is ridiculous. The neck is straight, but since the intonation is a hair out, it may be a bridge thing. Any advice?
Well played, but how did you miss the fretboard markers?
Good question! For the past 20 years or so I’ve been playing guitars without fretboard markers and just got used to not having them!
I have one that has super old strings on there , glad I never changed them
Actually I was afraid to tune it up even close lol I have other guitars for that 😊…. Nice playing btw
I definitely DO get the sound of these lovely small-body vintge Gibsons. HOWEVER, I would put on D'Daddario Flat Tops on instead of just old strings - because the Flat Tops give a mellow tone even when brand new. I'd love to own one of these if ever I had the money to buy one - it's right up my street.
@@timelwell7002 that’s a strong approach Tim!
@@MichaelWatts D'Addario FLat Tops are phosphor-bronze half-rounds, which greatly reduce the unwanted 'squeak' when doing glissandos. For me this is a win-win situation...
The L-00 sounds like 2 different gtr's. The woody boing of the bass and the clear open trebles at the same time. Like 2 different Time domains at once.
It is remarkable - kind of a 3D ting going on there
Did you retune them (they were in ST, not)? As to angling vs. clamping: did people already play ''folk'' guitars in ditto position or was the classical left-leg position still common? In my experience that gives you enough angling to see the dots and frees up the back.
As to the dot markers: I've often wondered if they're not there mostly so others you're playing with can see more easily where you are - that would explain why you don't find them on classical guitars!
During your pause at around 1.18 I said 'nothing'. I have a 1939 Harmony deco (not in the same league as the Gibbo, I admit) which likewise weights nothing. Also, this is one of the few guitars where you don't sound like you (and I have heard you play a lot of different guitars). Slightly more tonally familiar with the sunburst, but still a distinctive vibe. Incidentally, I think the reason you don't see many in such condition is because of the light build (and probably use of heavier strings in the early years). I got a busted 1963 Gibson B45 12 string a while back - No top. They were braced just like a 6 string and it is rare to see one with a top (I retopped mine and fixed the neck back on - it fell off when I took the guitar out of the case!) Later in 1963, Gibson changed the bracing pattern and they are reputed to sound nowhere as good. I've only heard a few them on RUclips, and even then the difference is obvious. The cremona responded well the Spanish influenced piece, again with outstanding sustain. A lovely clip with both of you enjoying yourselves!
Thank you for watching Robert! It’s true, these are strong flavours, but definitely a taste worth acquiring. I do regret being so dismissive in the past.
The '31 sounds heartbreakingly good
Glad you approve
Guitars can be measured objectively by many things; tonewoods, construction, finish, tone, sustain, intonation, overtones and more but ultimately if one can inspire the player in surprising ways then these characteristics can become subjective. There are many ways to judge a 'good' guitar.
That’s very true! Thank you for watching!
Ha! I have had the pleasure of playing a 1958 Gibson J-200 with strings from 1982 that were put on in 2006 (I'm well-acquainted with the owner). The strings are not dead (to my continuing surprise), and the instrument is a cannon with responsiveness, volume, and unusual articulation. One of the owner's friends constantly hammers him to change the strings. Given who he is, he'll probably die before the strings are changed.
Lovers of the zero overtone bonk can be surprisingly tenacious
@@MichaelWatts Well, this is intriguing; there are overtones. Despite being old, the strings don't sound like marshmallows falling on cement. They still sound rather good.
Just think how nice they would sound with fresh phosphor bronze strings!
Ah but wait a minute Dalg, Phosor Bronze strings did not exist until 1974 so the authentic voice of these guitars would have to come from 80/20 bronze strings which as we all know are not exactly famous for their longevity.
That said, I understand that all three guitars have been restrung since this video was shot and I hope to get back to them before the zing wears off!
Sorry to have a second crack at this, but I just read a fistful of comments where the commentators wish the new Gibsons were as good. SOME of them are (considering age), but Gibson's big problem has always been quality control. I'm left handed, so I don't get to play that many, but I did play one Southern Jumbo that completely blue me away right off the shelf. Never played another that I thought anything of. I suspect there were plenty of dogs back in the day, just like now, and they didn't survive. The best ones are more likely to be treated with respect.
Absolutely right Robert. I’d go one further and say that Gibson’s problem has been consistency too. Or rather maintaining a consistently high standard. That said, good things seem to be happening in Bozeman and I look forward to seeing the new Murphy Lab acoustic guitars soon.
Absolutely right pal. So I must of played over fifty new Dreadnoughts and none of em just did it. I am so glad I waited because the 2018 second hand j35 is just unbelievably good and I knew from the first chord. Same happened a few weeks ago in RichTone music when I sold my Brook and they gave me a modern version of a 1936 j35 priced at 4 grand and it was awful with glue marks. I could be wrong mine seems so much lighter than the rest and the top when tapped is like a drum
The only way to really compare a vintage to a new Gibson is to wait at least 50 yrs.
I’ve been through about 20 gib acoustics, some better than others.
The latest is an 2023 original L00 that has an old soul.
I probably won’t last the 50yrs, but sure enjoying it now. Be well !!
"Oh, you bastard!"😂
Sometimes you have to coax the guitars with gentle sweet talk
Michael, what was the song at 15:00?
That’s Rialto and it will be on my
Next record
@@MichaelWatts beautiful!
Or is it a Kostal?
Bingo - it’s my signature model the MDW
They were great! I could turn them into $300 Silvertone guitars with my magic fingers!
Ha ha ha! Brilliant. Thanks for watching Rick!
I’ve got a 1934 L00. Long story but it is a fantastic instrument; right up there with my high end modern luthier guitars. A big disagreement though; it comes to life with new strings!
I’m not a fan of old dead strings; to me it’s an anathema. To my ears, you loose half the instrument ( in lost tone).
Subjective I know (especially from one of such limited skill as me!) but I’d restring it!
Great video
Thanks for watching Phillip! I know what you mean, but there are players who love that sound. These guitars have since been restrung so I hope to revisit them at some point!
Now imagine for a moment… this kind of music was not being played on these guitars in the 1930s. Yet, these particular instruments can perform in entirely new genres that didn’t exist when they were built. For me, that’s a testament to the quality and pride of craftsmanship that did exist back then.
@@lynntunes that was on my mind! And they are great guitars!
Played a run of high end Gibson acoustics a few years back, from J45’s to j200’s, they honestly sounded totally forgettable. Dead, lacklustre. Lacking string separation and articulation. Nothing like the pieces in this video.
My own experience had also been less than positive but wow, this guitars are exceptional examples of the breed!
@@MichaelWatts Really good to hear some fine examples. Thanks Michael.
Let's just leave it at "not my cuppa" :)
Absolutely fine Moosey, personal taste is a beautiful thing. Thanks for watching!
Stick to your Greenfield. :)
Ha ha! I don’t have a Greenfield but Mike builds with a huge amount of delicious warmth too.
Tonesmith.
Thank you for watching Gilbert!
Hmmmm.....sounds like a dull mediocre old guitar with dead strings. Micael's a good player so pretty much anything you put in his hands he can make sound decent...doesn't mean it is.
Tough crowd… guess you had to be there!