1925 Gibson L-1, Sunburst

From the listing

Seller's description

A stunning example and an increasingly hard to find piece of Gibson’s pre-war acoustic history, this 1925 L-1 comes from the final year of the original round-soundhole archtop L-1 before the model was discontinued. Introduced in 1902, the L-1 began life as one of Gibson’s earliest archtop acoustic designs, and by the 1920s had evolved into the elegant small-bodied format seen here, with its carved Spruce top with round soundhole and 13 1/2" concert-size Birch body with archback. This example is in excellent condition, finished in a lovely wide sunburst with stained back and sides and all the character you’d hope to see from a well-preserved 1920s Gibson. The neck has a notably large, chunky V profile that feels substantial in the hand typical of this era. It measures 43.5mm at the nut, with a depth of 25.5mm at the 1st fret and a full 31.2mm by the 10th, so there is no shortage of wood here! The ebony board is punctuated with dot inlays, with the frets showing only light wear overall. Action is presently around 3.5mm on the high E and 2.5mm on the low E at the 12th fret. Cosmetically, it is a very honest guitar that presents very well for its age. There is light checking throughout, some light play wear and dings to the top, light buckle scratching to the back, and the expected small dings and scuffs to the neck but overall it remains in excellent condition. Hardware is in good order, and it comes housed in its original hard case. One especially interesting feature is the plaque on the headstock inscribed “Gibson Guitar Made for Ken Kapua, Birmingham.” Ken Kapua, also known as Ken Reese, was active as a steel guitarist in England from the late 1920s into the mid-1930s, and is noted for his 1933 article “Joseph Kekuku, The Originator of the Hawaiian Guitar,” published in Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Magazine. A nice layer of period interest and a nice link to the early Hawaiian and steel guitar scene. Sound wise, it has the dry, direct voice you would expect from a