Need help identifying vintage acoustic (maybe a Gibson)

Cool! Looks like an old Recording King I found in a thrift shop. I'll see if I can dig up a picture, but other than the finish (mine was sunburst) and no Recording King on headstock, it looks very similar. BTW, I was told it was made by Gibson. It needed a neck reset, but I got it semi-playable with a few adjustments. It was a killer slide guitar and loud, rich and deep toned while playing open position chords.

 

That definitely looks like a Gibson headstock... so it's probably a Gibson or at least made by Gibson for another company.....JH in Va.

 

No expert here,but the trussrod cover only has two screws.Gibson is the only one that I've ever seen use only two screws on their cover.But I'm no expert on these things

 

Contact Gibson and I bet they'll help you out.

 

Are there any numbers stamped on the inside? If it is an old Gibson, ordinarily there will be a batch number rubber stamped and maybe a handwritten number after that.

 

Nope. At least according to Gruhn. In the Mar. 2016 VG he says in an article about Washburns that all off-brand Gibsons did not have an adjustable truss rod. (See p. 42).

It sure seems modelled after Gibson though. They better watch it or they'll get sued.

Cheers,
Geoff

 

That sure is a cool looking guitar. It might be worth pondering/discussing whether the angle of "financial sense" is the primary consideration. It sounds like you don't expect the owner to try to sell it. If no sale is anticipated, the issue of economic return doesn't really have any bearing. In that case, the investment required to make it playable could be justified solely on an emotional basis due to wanting to make great grandpa's guitar playable again and the fact that it looks to be a super cool instrument (deep down).

Anyway - that is the kind of rationalization I would use if I were the owner!

Keep us posted.

 

It is a mid 1920s Gibson an L1 I believe. There lack of Gibson on the headstock indicates that it is probably the L1. The try's rod dates it after 1924. If memory serves. Nice.

 

It is a mid 1920s Gibson an L1 I believe. There lack of Gibson on the headstock indicates that it is probably the L1. The try's rod dates it after 1924. If memory serves. Nice.

 

I've never noticed that before but just looked at my J185 and "bingo", only two screws. My Taylor has three.

 

I have a late 20s L1, The Gibson is painted on head with gold paint, this has same shape body, same carved bridge. The model Robert Johnson was holding in the only pic of him holding a guitar. Mine has a number stamped on end of neck inside. If it is an L1, it has value. Keith R plays one in latest doc, SRV has one on stage with in in video.

 

You are very misinfomed.

In the studio photo where he is dressed in a suit Johnson is holding an L1 with 12 frets to the body. In the photo booth shot where he is smoking a cigarette he is holding a 14 fret to the body guitar which is thought by most to be a Kalamazoo KG 14.

I have an early 1940 Kalamazoo Oriole 14 frets to the body with a ladder braced Adirondack Spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides which are consistent specs with the KG14 (unlike the later Orioles that had laminate maple back and sides).

My guitar has very similar tonal characteristics to Johnson's recorded sound.

 

You are right, there is another photo of RJ holding another guitar.

 

Very cool old guitar.

Just curious... What work does it need?