The Gibson L-1 is an

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

that was first sold by the

Gibson Guitar Corporation Gibson Brands, Inc. (formerly Gibson Guitar Corporation) is an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company was forme ...

in the early 20th century. The L-1 model was introduced first as an

archtop An archtop guitar is a hollow electric or semi-acoustic guitar with a full body and a distinctive arched top, whose sound is particularly popular with jazz, blues, and rockabilly players. Typically, an archtop guitar has: * Six strings * An arc ...

(1902), and later as a flat top in 1926. The model is famously associated with the legendary bluesman

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

History

1902 L-1 introduction specs (acoustic archtop): single bound round soundhole with 2 rope pattern wood rings, single bound top, ebony fingerboard, dot fingerboard inlays, orange top finish, dark mahogany back and sides, 2 sizes. 1908 L-1 specs: 13.5" wide, narrower waist, trapeze tailpiece with pins anchored in tortoise celluloid plate, elavated pickguard, 13 frets clear of the body, bound fingerboard, slated "The Gibson"

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...

. 1912 L-1 specs: No pickguard. 1914 L-1 specs: Pickguard added again. 1918 L-1 specs: Sheraton brown finish. 1920 L-1 specs: Double 5 ply soundhole rings. 1925 Discontinued. 1926 Re-introduced as a flattop. The L-1 was introduced in 1926 and was available until 1937. This model cost $50 (). The L-1 featured a tighter grained two piece spruce top and Honduran mahogany back and sides. In some cases the back was single piece and in others it was two. Top and back were bound in ivoroid. A 2-part bridge was used in the 1928 model. In 1930 Gibson squared off the bottom to a more traditional shape as opposed to the previously "egg shaped" bottom commonly known as the Robert Johnson style. In the early 1990s Gibson reissued the L-1 using the same specifications as the earlier version. These guitars were crafted in the Montana shop and were hand built using the same techniques as the original offering. In the late 1990s or early 2000s, Gibson introduced the L-1

acoustic guitar model, the guitar features the historic small L-series body design (25" scale length), ebony bridge with carved pyramid wings, 3 3/4-inch soundhole diameter, and a Robert Johnson signature inlay at the end of the fingerboard.

References

L1 Products introduced in 1902 1902 in music {{guitar-stub