1927 Gibson L-5 Master Guitar

Gibson L-5 Master Guitar from 1927, in excellent condition.

In 2024, we marked the centenary of the L-5 model, an absolutely central and iconic guitar in the pantheon of 20th-century American lutherie, and what is more, of decisive historical importance for the evolution of these instruments – and we are particularly delighted on this occasion to be able to offer for sale such a beautiful example. The first L-5s were originally designed to complement the mandolin orchestra as Orville Gibson had envisioned it at the beginning of the 20th century, before becoming with their many imitators the first “jazz” guitars and the real driving force of the rhythm sections of the big bands of the following decade, continuing to dominate this musical genre to this day. Furthermore, at the time of its introduction, the L-5 was a real turning point in guitar making, as it was the first modern archtop to combine fiddle-like sound holes, a 14-fret neck and a raised fingerboard. At the time the model presented was built, it took its place at the top of Gibson's high-end range and had no serious competition at the time. Other manufacturers would soon follow suit (D'Angelico and Stromberg among others), but always using the original L-5 as a benchmark.

It is worth noting how extremely rare the 1920s L-5 “Master Guitar” is today: first, its exorbitant new price of $275.00 for the period probably placed serious limits on its initial distribution (by comparison, a Martin 000-45 in exceptional exotic woods and entirely decorated with mother-of-pearl cost $105.00 less at the same time). Moreover, there was virtually no market for such instruments: in the early 1920s, Lewis A. Williams, the eccentric general manager of The Gibson, still stubbornly defended a position that Gibson’s past, present and future should be centered around the mandolin alone, giving relatively little credit to the development and promotion of other instruments such as banjos and guitars and blaming the new American craze for jazz and Hawaiian music for tainting the popularity of the mandolin. His gamble would soon prove to be a losing one, as these two genres would dominate the musical landscape for decades to come, relegating the mandolin to bluegrass bands and giving the big mandolin bands that once proudly appeared on Gibson’s promotional brochures a pleasantly folky air. Things were looking pretty bad for the Kalamazoo-made guitar, especially since Gibson would quickly fill its catalog with professional-grade banjos, so much so that by the height of the first jazz era around 1928, the banjo had become the generally accepted rhythm instrument in orchestras. What about the L-5? In fact, there were very few professional musicians in the mid-1920s who could afford or even conceive of the need for such an instrument. Finally, it was through the intervention of Eddie Lang, the most influential guitarist of the era, that the tide began to turn in the L-5’s favor. In the early 1930s, Lang's choice of the model opened the way for other fashionable musicians, including Nick Lucas and Roy Smeck, and finally offered Gibson, through these big names, an unexpected opportunity to promote their guitars, leading to a domination of the archtop guitar market that they have never lost since. It is therefore easy to understand why the L-5s of the 1920s are not legion, and it is certain that few examples have reached us as well preserved as the instrument presented here.

This guitar was built in late January 1927, and shipped in March of that year. It bears its original white oval label, a sign of changing times: during Lloyd Loar's tenure at Gibson as an Engineer of Acoustics, the top-of-the-line instruments, including the L-5, were given a Master Model label, signed by Loar. After his departure, the remaining labels were stuck inside the instruments until the stock was sold, along with the white oval labels, as is the case on this guitar. In addition, it has all the typical features of a 1927 L-5 “Master Guitar”, once again inherited from the Loar era: carved spruce top, flamed maple back, sides and neck (the maple patterns on the back are particularly remarkable), superb “Cremona Brown” Sunburst finish – the borrowings from Italian lutherie are well assumed! We also find the “The Gibson” logo and the flowerpot pattern inlaid in mother-of-pearl on the headstock, the original gold-plated tuners engraved with floral patterns with mother-of-pearl buttons, the tailpiece also gold-plated, the adjustable ebony bridge… This guitar, three years away from becoming a centenarian, is superbly preserved to this day. We only note that the varnish on the back, sides and neck is not original, that it has been reloaded on the top, as well as an old regluing of the bottom joint. Apart from these elements, we find the guitar exceptionally free of breakages or other defects. The instrument's table is very fine, its entire lutherie light and mastered, lending it a sound of unparalleled beauty and great voluptuousness. We will conclude by quoting the words that present the Gibson Master Guitar L-5 in the catalog: "A guitar such as the Gibson is more than a noble instrument. It becomes a companion... a friend... a shaper of musical taste... producing the intimate pleasure found only in personal performance [...]. Adopting a Gibson guitar is opening wide the doors to new opportunities to find increased joy... pleasure... and profit too, if you wish."

The guitar has been fully appraised, adjusted and prepared in our workshop, and is in impeccable playing condition with low action and correct intonation.

Sold in its original case, accompanied by its certificate of authenticity made by Jérôme Casanova.