Gibson LG-2 or similar - easy to come by?

robinbowes

So, I'm looking out for a parlour-sized acoustic, and I've been really digging Chris Stapleton recently. He plays a 50s Gibson LG-2:



I'm wondering how easy it is to pick up something similar? Something from 1968 would be good (my birth year). Are guitars like this generally available at a reasonable price?

R.

Strangefan

Have you thought about the guild f20? I have one and it's beautiful sounding and so easy to play, it's a 60s one, the LG 2s are lovely bit for me the guild beat the one I played some years back 

robinbowes

I've not got anything specific in mind, although I do like that Gibson.

wrinkleygit

I searched for an LG series at a sensible price for ages, most of them were beaten to death & general way overpriced in my opinion, eventually picked up a '66 Epihone Caballero , made in the Gibson factory to the same specs as the lg & nearly half the price, good luck in your quest, mike b.

ICBM

I know someone with a 50s LG-2. Beautiful sounding guitar... and absolutely not for sale. I've asked many times .

Sorry, that's no help at all .

oh_pollo

There's 4 LG2's for sale on Glenn's guitars: http://glennsguitars.com/guitars/gibson/gibson.html

ICBM

oh_pollo said:

There's 4 LG2's for sale on Glenn's guitars: http://glennsguitars.com/guitars/gibson/gibson.html

It's probably worth mentioning that that the LG-1s they have are much cheaper for a reason - the LG-2 has X-bracing, the LG-1 has ladder bracing… so although they look nearly identical they sound very different. The LG-1 is good, but in a much more middy/bluesy way - which may be your thing, or not.

Elvis had an LG-1 .

robinbowes

oh_pollo said:

There's 4 LG2's for sale on Glenn's guitars: http://glennsguitars.com/guitars/gibson/gibson.html

Hmm, so from that link I have learned that the LG-2 was made between 1942 - 1962 so I'm not going to get one from my birth year (1968). This is not a deal breaker - I will have to choose something else for my birth year guitar

R.

TimmyO

Pretty sure I saw one on UK eBay in the last day or so 

KKJale

By 1968 the LG-2 had become the B-25.

I had a '68 B-25 once. They can be pretty okay, as can the Caballeros, but late 40s'early '50s LG-2 are generally far, far better. 

Bridgehouse

What's the rub with the LG-0?

ICBM

KKJale said:

By 1968 the LG-2 had become the B-25.

Is the B-25 not ladder braced? In which case it's a LG-1 descendant, not LG-2.

Bridgehouse said:

What's the rub with the LG-0?

It's an even plainer, all-mahogany version of the LG-1.

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

Bridgehouse said:

What's the rub with the LG-0?

It's an even plainer, all-mahogany version of the LG-1.

It it (all things being equal) any good?

Interestingly there is a B-25 12 string on ebay at the mo.. yeah, a 12 string....

ICBM

Bridgehouse said:

It it (all things being equal) any good?

Yes, if you like that rather dry bluesy all-mahogany tone.

Bridgehouse said:

Interestingly there is a B-25 12 string on ebay at the mo.. yeah, a 12 string....

Be careful - a lot of them suffer from serious top warping, which is another reason I'm fairly sure they're ladder braced. 12 strings is too much for them really. I once went to see one which seemed a good price from an ad in the local paper, but it was unplayable - the bridge was sitting up at about 30 degrees...

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

Bridgehouse said:

It it (all things being equal) any good?

Yes, if you like that rather dry bluesy all-mahogany tone.

Bridgehouse said:

Interestingly there is a B-25 12 string on ebay at the mo.. yeah, a 12 string....

Be careful - a lot of them suffer from serious top warping, which is another reason I'm fairly sure they're ladder braced. 12 strings is too much for them really. I once went to see one which seemed a good price from an ad in the local paper, but it was unplayable - the bridge was sitting up at about 30 degrees...

I've been musing on a new acoustic for some time now for writing. In some ways I'd like a 12, but there's no way I'd go for an L sized 12'er! 

On the other hand I like these old smaller body shaped Gibsons - I do also have half an eye on the Epi one as well..


Either that or I'll throw the towel in, go the full John Paul Jones and finally cave and buy a pre-1920 Gibson A1 or A2 pumpkin top Mandolin..

KKJale

ICBM said:

Is the B-25 not ladder braced? In which case it's a LG-1 descendant, not LG-2.

The B-25 is X-braced (at least, mine was). The cheaper and nastier B-15 was the ladder-braced one. 

Either that or I'll throw the towel in, go the full John Paul Jones and finally cave and buy a pre-1920 Gibson A1 or A2 pumpkin top Mandolin..

Those I recommend. They're still affordable (actually they're hardly gone up in price in 20 years) and they sound incredible  

<a href="http://imgur.com/n9WXvSS"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/n9WXvSS.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Bridgehouse

KKJale said:

ICBM said:

Is the B-25 not ladder braced? In which case it's a LG-1 descendant, not LG-2.

The B-25 is X-braced (at least, mine was). The cheaper and nastier B-15 was the ladder-braced one. 

Either that or I'll throw the towel in, go the full John Paul Jones and finally cave and buy a pre-1920 Gibson A1 or A2 pumpkin top Mandolin..

Those I recommend. They're still affordable (actually they're hardly gone up in price in 20 years) and they sound incredible  

<a href="http://imgur.com/n9WXvSS"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/n9WXvSS.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Yep. That's the one. I love the lower end pumpkin tops. You can keep your snakeheads and f4/f5's - the a0/a1 and a2's are where it's at.

Problem is finding a good one in the UK...