1935 Gibson tenor guitar

[Charles E.]

Can someone explain this one? Are those holes original or is it a butcher job?

http://cgi.ebay.com/1935-GIBSON-TENOR-GUITAR-MODEL-TGL-7-VINTAGE-BEAUTY_W0QQitemZ180470720138QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGui tar?hash=item2a04e4a68a

[JeffD]

What a cool looking guitar!

[journeybear]

Elderly (http://elderly.com/vintage/items/80U-2184.htm) has a 1937 one with just one round soundhole - for $17,500, BTW. :disbelief:

Take a look through http://www.tenorguitar.com/ or http://www.vintagetenorguitars.com/ - the latter is Steven Pyott's website, and he has an amazing collection. I didn't see one of these there, but I may not have looked thoroughly enough. You could contact him at steve@vintagetenorguitars.com - but you run the risk of him snapping this one up! :)) After all, if there isn't one in his collection, he may well want to add this to it, regardless of condition. You know how completists are. ;)

My opinion? Tenor guitars came in both f-hole and round soundhole styles. Those soundholes look old enough to have been original. Just because I haven't found another example doesn't mean they don't or didn't exist.

[MikeEdgerton]

Gibson and Martin did some bizarre things with sound holes during these times. I've seen Gibson with multiple f-holes as well. I suspect it's original.

[Jim Garber]

Elderly (http://elderly.com/vintage/items/80U-2184.htm) has a 1937 one with just one round soundhole - for $17,500, BTW. :disbelief:

There is a big difference in collectibility between a Nick Lucas tenor (seriously rare) and an L-7. Nick Lucas 6 strings are up in the 5 figures.

I am not sure about those big round holes. Then again there is the famous(?) Gibson L'il Pup mandolin (http://www.vintageinstruments.com/museum/lilpupfulpage.html)

Lowell Levinger has two L-7 tenors:

1950 L7-T (http://www.vintageinstruments.com/museum/1950l7tfulpage.html)

1933 TG-7 (http://www.vintageinstruments.com/museum/33tg7fulpage.html)

[jim_n_virginia]

don't know anything about it but I know I like it and would love to hear how it sounds. :mandosmiley:

[...and Master of None]

I'm not "up" on old Gibsons - but if you look at the closeup image of the round sound hole it looks like it was cut after the finish was applied. I'd think that would indicate it's non-original?

John

[journeybear]

I noticed that too but I thought it could have been caused by wear somehow. :confused:


There is a big difference in collectibility between a Nick Lucas tenor (seriously rare) and an L-7. Nick Lucas 6 strings are up in the 5 figures.

I'll admit, I'm no expert on these, though I've owned a Triolian tenor for over twenty-five years. Don't need to know anything about them to own and play one. ;) So I'll abide by just about anyone else's input. I just noticed that one as I was looking (unsuccessfully) for one similar to the one on ebay, and other than it being in much better shape, I thought the price difference was worth noting. Then I went to sleep. :sleepy: