Gibson 1928 L-0. Played by Jason Fowler, recorded with three Ear Trumpet Edwina microphones.



The road to the modern Gibson flat-top acoustic began in 1926 when the L-1’s arched top was replaced with a flat, braced top. Those first flat-tops featured the familiar small and round L-body shape, a carved back, a long and narrow ebony pyramid bridge, and a unique early version of H-pattern top bracing. A year later the guitars had flat backs and the first sunbursts were being rubbed on flat tops. By 1928, Gibson flat top designs had evolved into the guitar shown here. The long and narrow ebony pyramid bridge was replaced with a stout multi-layered rosewood one with interesting architecture and a 7th pin that was likely used for location and gluing accuracy. The H-bracing evolved as well, becoming slightly lighter and more flexible, with angles that were tweaked to improve mid-range presence, volume, and overall sweetness. The first adjustable truss-rods show up in flat tops in early 1928, and necks become a bit more comfortably rounded, narrower at the nut and more highly radiused at that same time. It’s an interesting transition, and one that continued through 1933 when the first truly modern 14 fret steel string models are shipped from Kalamazoo.

This all-mahogany Gibson L-0 was stamped in mid 1928, and features the then-new features of lighter H bracing and truss-rodded neck. It’s a wonderful fingerstyle guitar with all kinds of sweetness and strength in the middle-range and a beautiful treble string fullness higher-up the fretboard. The guitar is right at home in ragtime and blues, and it’s a good choice for comped jazzy chords with a pick, too.

The guitar has just come through our repairshop with a neck reset, new saddle, and a handful of minor crack repairs. The original frets are well dressed, and the set up is low and easy-playing with a set of 12s and an action of 5-6 64ths. Original nut and bridge pins, original finish throughout. There is some wear and tear to the finish and repaired inconsequential damage to the endgraft at the bottom of the guitar.

The neck carve is particularly comfortable, with a rounded shape and a depth that feels similar to a late 50’s Gibson. The nut width measures 1-3/4”, the scale is a bit shy of 24-1/4”, and the string spread at the bridge is 2-3/8”.


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