I can’t imagine anyone doing this type of thing better than you Mark. There’s a deep saying from Sadi of Shiraz: “The king may become poor, but the artisan will always have money in his pocket”. Keep’em coming Mark. Go well! I’m forwarding to all my guitar friends here in England.
I think my 36 L-00 had a “V” neck. Loved it. So comfortable to play. It was by far my favourite acoustic. Traded it for a Santa Cruz H model and regret it to this day. It was great cracks and all😢
Hi Mark, man your knowledge of Gibson acoustics by far exceeds. I appreciate all you share. On my previous L-00 build I used a plan of early 40's. Of all things on the build I had spent much time comparing the breakaway curve from the bottom peak of headstock to the fretboard side of nut which is 2 1/6" on the plan. Gibson did shorten it and the truss cover as well like you pointed out. As a finger-stylist I favor this extra length which allows good space for 1'st fret chording maneuvers. Great to see how you pick up on even these smaller specs in your teachings. keep up the good work.
Hi Mark... I recently got a 33 L-00 and love it. I'm kinda lost without side dots, though. I keep thinking I'll get used to it and it will be good for me, but I also imagined how someone could add them... and then I saw this video... I couldn't tell for sure whether you approved of the added dots or not? -Mike
Mike - It's really a case-by-case thing. If the guitar is collectible or minty I'd suggest just using a little bit of off-white acrylic paint for side dots. These can easily be removed without a trace. You can even make a 'stencil' so they turn out round (drill a hole in masking tape - it works great). Don't use solvent-based paint though. In other instances, I'll install period-correct side dots (same size, color, and spacing as dots on an original guitar from the period). It's easy to do correctly, but it's not easily irreversible . I have painted-on side dots on some of my guitars, and installed plastic dots on others. Mark
@@TheFolkwayMusic Thanks Mark! Acrylic paint... the more I play it the more I get used to it as it is... and the L-00 is a 1933 Tuxedo with an elevated fretboard in great shape...
Another great video. I wonder how many more pre-war Gibsons (and other marvels) are lurking just out of frame. I would love to know how you reshaped the top. Perhaps in a future video?
I have a question pertaining to the debate as to which is best - ladder bracin or x-bracing. I am a piano tuner/technician, and I can say catagorically that I've never seen a piano soundboard with x-bracing. Rather, the bracings - often known as 'belly bars' on pianos - are ALWAYS parallel. I'm curious to know why, if x-bracing is superior, such a design has never been used on piano soundboards?
Interesting question. Guitars and pianos are built very differently and employ significantly different designs to produce sound. The astronomic difference in string tension, size, bridge design, resonating chamber, soundboard thickness, etc etc etc renders this comparison impossible. There are just too many variables. I suspect piano manufacturers have played with soundboard bracing almost as much as guitar builders and the parallel bracing is the popular end result of this experimentation. in flat-top guitars X bracing is widely considered superior as it does a very good job of supporting the top AND bringing about a quality of tone that most players prefer. It's warmer and bassier that ladder bracing.
Your videos and FJ interviews gave me L-00 gas for years. I finally got one, a '36, an I love the way it sounds and plays. I think the bridge is in the wrong place though. Is that common? Wondering if I should send it to you. Thanks!
Monkey - It's not usually that the bridge is in the wrong place by 1936. Those issues were more apparent on the early 12 fretters. That said, MOST 30's Gibsons have fret spacing that can result in some serious intonation challenges. This is more likely what's going on in the case of your L-00.
Mark, Was this an elevated fingerboard or just shimmed? Every once in a while I come across.... or used to see these elevated fingerboard, sometimes mahogany topped and always wondered how these might sound and behave differently. I have it in mind that they were a bit brighter but I have no memory of the if'? and or but's... of the argument or if anything Im saying has any fact. Please elaborate if you know anything about these anomalies?
Sorry for the 5 month wait. This wasn’t an elevated board. Just one that had a fingerboard shim. The elevated board guitars have a different neck angle and pull on the bridge at a different angle. There are other differences about them as well, so it’s impossible to isolate how the elevated fb affects tone.
Excellent video and analysis
Thank you for your attention to detail.
After all these years Mark, I finally get to see your face! This was a great intro to your channel!
Loving these little history lessons and insights into your work.
I can’t imagine anyone doing this type of thing better than you Mark. There’s a deep saying from Sadi of Shiraz: “The king may become poor, but the artisan will always have money in his pocket”. Keep’em coming Mark. Go well! I’m forwarding to all my guitar friends here in England.
I think my 36 L-00 had a “V” neck. Loved it. So comfortable to play. It was by far my favourite acoustic. Traded it for a Santa Cruz H model and regret it to this day. It was great cracks and all😢
Learning so much about Lutherie that I have not read before from you and your videos. Thank you for sharing these🤓
fantastic, thank you
Quite a detailed report about this special instrument
Hi Mark, man your knowledge of Gibson acoustics by far exceeds. I appreciate all you share. On my previous L-00 build I used a plan of early 40's. Of all things on the build I had spent much time comparing the breakaway curve from the bottom peak of headstock to the fretboard side of nut which is 2 1/6" on the plan. Gibson did shorten it and the truss cover as well like you pointed out. As a finger-stylist I favor this extra length which allows good space for 1'st fret chording maneuvers. Great to see how you pick up on even these smaller specs in your teachings. keep up the good work.
Thanks for the comments!
Great stuff. Thanks for taking the time to share the knowledge.
Very entertaining and very very informative. Thanks for your videos !!!!
Hi Mark,
Thx so much for sharing your work with us...love the Gibson history lesson.
Well done, Mark!
great video, thanks Mark!!!
Hi Mark... I recently got a 33 L-00 and love it. I'm kinda lost without side dots, though. I keep thinking I'll get used to it and it will be good for me, but I also imagined how someone could add them... and then I saw this video... I couldn't tell for sure whether you approved of the added dots or not?
-Mike
Mike -
It's really a case-by-case thing. If the guitar is collectible or minty I'd suggest just using a little bit of off-white acrylic paint for side dots. These can easily be removed without a trace. You can even make a 'stencil' so they turn out round (drill a hole in masking tape - it works great). Don't use solvent-based paint though.
In other instances, I'll install period-correct side dots (same size, color, and spacing as dots on an original guitar from the period). It's easy to do correctly, but it's not easily irreversible .
I have painted-on side dots on some of my guitars, and installed plastic dots on others.
Mark
@@TheFolkwayMusic Thanks Mark! Acrylic paint... the more I play it the more I get used to it as it is... and the L-00 is a 1933 Tuxedo with an elevated fretboard in great shape...
Another great video. I wonder how many more pre-war Gibsons (and other marvels) are lurking just out of frame. I would love to know how you reshaped the top. Perhaps in a future video?
Very intriging instrument
I have a question pertaining to the debate as to which is best - ladder bracin or x-bracing. I am a piano tuner/technician, and I can say catagorically that I've never seen a piano soundboard with x-bracing. Rather, the bracings - often known as 'belly bars' on pianos - are ALWAYS parallel.
I'm curious to know why, if x-bracing is superior, such a design has never been used on piano soundboards?
Interesting question. Guitars and pianos are built very differently and employ significantly different designs to produce sound. The astronomic difference in string tension, size, bridge design, resonating chamber, soundboard thickness, etc etc etc renders this comparison impossible. There are just too many variables.
I suspect piano manufacturers have played with soundboard bracing almost as much as guitar builders and the parallel bracing is the popular end result of this experimentation.
in flat-top guitars X bracing is widely considered superior as it does a very good job of supporting the top AND bringing about a quality of tone that most players prefer. It's warmer and bassier that ladder bracing.
Your videos and FJ interviews gave me L-00 gas for years. I finally got one, a '36, an I love the way it sounds and plays. I think the bridge is in the wrong place though. Is that common? Wondering if I should send it to you.
Thanks!
Monkey - It's not usually that the bridge is in the wrong place by 1936. Those issues were more apparent on the early 12 fretters. That said, MOST 30's Gibsons have fret spacing that can result in some serious intonation challenges. This is more likely what's going on in the case of your L-00.
@@TheFolkwayMusic thank you for the reply. I can live with it. I hope you do another FJ web thing with TJ (and JV) :)
Mark, Was this an elevated fingerboard or just shimmed? Every once in a while I come across.... or used to see these elevated fingerboard, sometimes mahogany topped and always wondered how these might sound and behave differently. I have it in mind that they were a bit brighter but I have no memory of the if'? and or but's... of the argument or if anything Im saying has any fact. Please elaborate if you know anything about these anomalies?
Sorry for the 5 month wait.
This wasn’t an elevated board. Just one that had a fingerboard shim.
The elevated board guitars have a different neck angle and pull on the bridge at a different angle. There are other differences about them as well, so it’s impossible to isolate how the elevated fb affects tone.
Can you please tell me what the distance is from the nut to the 12th frett. How to calculate it. Thanks
The measurment varies guitar to guitar. On one of these it's about 12.35 inches.
What strings are on this guitar? Thanks.
We're sorry, we don't recall. 12-54 of some variety.
yes, those trebles were fat and luscious-a little boomer of a guitar!