Description
Shown here is an unusual tenor guitar, most likely a custom ordered Gibson TG-50 Round-hole Archtop with a Flat Back from about 1934. This was the tenor version of the L-50. By 1935, Round-hole archtops, with or without flat backs mostly disappeared in favor of F-holes.
This Gibson TG-50 Archtop instrument is in good physical and playing condition with wear to the finish and frets at a level expected after 90 years of use.
The finish is worn on the top where fingers contacted it during playing and where a pickguard would have been, and there are numerous small dents and dings to the instrument. The back center seam separated at some point and may have been glued; it is reinforced by the interior center strip. Fret and fingerboard wear is moderate and the neck set is workable but in future a neck reset may be helpful.
The original black hard shell case is included.
Many Tenor models did not appear in Gibson catalogs or price lists. However, it was possible through Gibson dealers to have the customer's chosen guitar, in this case an L-50, built with a Tenor neck.
Construction and Materials
The Gibson L-50 appeared in 1932 as an round hole, arched top but flat back instrument with a relatively small, 14.5 inch wide body. Late in 1934 the round hole was changed to a pair of F-holes, and in 1935 the body size was increased.
The body is constructed of a carved Spruce top with a pair of longitudinal tone bars and a pair of cross braces between them, one under the bridge and one under the fingerboard end. The sides and flat back are Maple. As is typical for Gibson, the body blocks, linings and neck are Mahogany. The unbound fingerboard is Brazilian Rosewood, while the bridge is Ebony. The wide headstock sports a 'Gibson' script logo in Mother of Pearl.
Hardware
Grover Patent planetary tuners are used at the head, and at the tail there is a tenor version of the Tenor trapeze tailpiece, stamped 'Patented July 19 1910'.
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There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here |
DETAILS:
- Instrument Model: TG-50
- Instrument Manufacturer: Gibson
- Instrument year: 1934
- Instrument Finish: Nitrocellulose Sunburst
- Instrument Class: Tenor Guitars
- Instrument serial number: N/A, FON 798 38, built around 1934 at Kalamazoo Michigan
- Country of Origin: USA
- Instrument Condition: Good
- Playing Condition: Good
- Right-handed
- CITIES Documentation Required: Yes
- Instrument Weight Imperial: 3.61 lbs
- Instrument Weight Metric: 1.64 kgs
- Scale Length Imperial: 22.8 in
- Scale Length Metric: 578 mm
- Nut Width Imperial: 1.203 in
- Nut Width Metric: 1.64 mm
- Case included: Yes
- Case original: Yes
- Case Type: Hard Shell
- Items in Case: N/A
- Consignment: Yes
- Product ID: 190621
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There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here |