[Alex_Ch]

Hello fellow humans,

So, I've been looking to purchase some used gibson acoustic guitar that might have some damage or cracks to repair for the fun of starting a nice personnal project. Naturally, I posted on kijiji about this and this guy sends me a message about what appears to be a lG-0 made around the 70's (the hint is the adjustable bridge saddle, so I understand). According to the guy it's in pretty decent condition, but as expected the finish is worn and it seems there is some crack or gap appearing between the sides and back that would need to be fixed ideally.

So here's the thing. I'm a bit new to the history of gibson's acoustic lineup and Reverb is a great help for average selling price on sold items, but there's about a thousand lg-0 that have been sold there in a billion different kind of condition and with such a wide price range. Would anyone here have a guess on the price I could expect to offer considering this? I know this is fairly basic info, but for now that and one picture is all I got. Naturally I asked for more and will update once I get them.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Latole]

"...but as expected the finish is worn and it seems there is some crack or gap appearing between the sides and back that would need to be fixed ideally "
Alex_Ch

Picture will help.
If you have some skill how to repair / glue acoustic guitars I won't pay too much money.
How much ? I don't know the value of these guitars
Less than $500...And if it is repairable

If you don't have skill, I won't buy it

How are the frets ?
How is the top table ? Straight or belly ?

 

[Jalexander]

I bought a 1963 one of these a few years ago. Popped up on FB Marketplace for $100 and I was lucky to be a) first in line and b) she held it for me. By the time I got there she had had a lot of offers. We settled on $150.

it had serious issues but was worth the risk at that price.

Thankfully no twisted neck, but I wasn’t even sure of that until my luthier took a look. He fixed it up. Rosewood bridge. Glued the body and braces back. Stabilized the bellied top.

The end product is a very good sounding, fun to play all hog guitar that’s still very much a player grade for about $800 all in. At the time these were going for about $1000-1200, so I got a small deal but nothing major.

I saw one pop up locally for ~$2k last year and it sold in a day. I think that’s Covid madness.

I wouldn’t pay $2k but I also wouldn’t sell it for $2k because I love it.

 

[Alex_Ch]

I bought a 1963 one of these a few years ago. Popped up on FB Marketplace for $100 and I was lucky to be a) first in line and b) she held it for me. By the time I got there she had had a lot of offers. We settled on $150.

Wow yes that's definitely a deal! Wish I'd get some of those around here! I plan on doing all the repairs myself, I trained myself for a while on some other models so I mean, I can't mess up that bad, can I? Anyways, I'm still waiting on those pictures, but I'm in no rush.

 

[Latole]

".... some crack or gap appearing between the sides and back..."

May not be esy to fix

 

[Smylight]

I have had two of those from the 60s on my bench recently. Plan on fixing a damaged soft wood bridge plate, as well as some (maybe many) unglued braces. If it does have the plastic bridge (depends on what year), it’ll have to go as well. And there's a good chance neck geometry is in need of a reset.

The 65 that's on my bench right now is in fairly good shape with good neck geometry and a well-placed bridge saddle but still needs braces glued on 7 points, plastic bridge replaced (with bolt holes filled), chewed-up bridge plate repaired AND reinforced with maple… and that's not taking into account the vast amount of touching-up the body finish would need to keep it from further degradation.

This can quickly become very expensive, even if the guitar was given to you. So I suggest having the guitar inspected by a reputable luthier to help minimize surprises.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

 

[Alex_Ch]

Here are the pictures I asked for, if it helps evaluate what I should offer.

 

[Alex_Ch]

This can quickly become very expensive, even if the guitar was given to you. So I suggest having the guitar inspected by a reputable luthier to help minimize surprises.

Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

Oh yes I totally know, what's nice is I can look at it in person. Also I'm in no rush to make the repairs if I get it, and I have a luthier friend to help me out.

 

[Jalexander]

What Pierre describes is exactly my experience such that an insane deal (60s Gibson for $150!) becomes an ok deal. I’d agree with @Latole that I’d want to keep it under $500, but I’d assume that’s a long shot especially when COVID has made everything more expensive.

Think about comparable options. This isn’t a coveted vintage guitar like a Banner era J45. It’s a student guitar. And it’s a small bodied, ladder braced, all mahogany design which has a certain sound that some love (Jeff Tweedy comes to mind) but it’s seldom going to be someone’s primary axe.

Martin makes all mahogany guitars in the 15 line that I believe run about $1500. Collings does ladder bracing in their Waterloo line which can be had around $2k on a good day, and those are about as fine a guitar you could ask for.

If you need to pay a luthier to fix this up, you’re into $500+. If you’re paying $1k for the guitar, you’re approaching the range of some pretty nice contemporary models once you’ve added in repairs.

If you’re planning to practice your own luthier skills on this, you’ll again want to keep it cheap, because it’s essentially a project guitar more than a “vintage Gibson”.

 

[Smylight]

Oh yes I totally know, what's nice is I can look at it in person. Also I'm in no rush to make the repairs if I get it, and I have a luthier friend to help me out.

Have your friend appraise the cost of repairs in person before you commit to buy then. There a quite a few of those from the 60s (arguably more in-demand) on offer for around 1400$ asking price on Reverb at the moment. You can safely bet the real selling price to be lower by a good margin, then substract your friend's estimate to end up with a reasonable price to shoot for.

The one I'm working I was referring to will leave my shop with an invoice over 700$ with taxes. And that's not counting cosmetic issues I will not be attending to for now, only structural issues. Yours may need more brace gluing as the top is separating if I correctly got what you said, so a serious, thorough inspection is in order as this could very well transform itself into a money pit.

But it also could be interesting deal at the right price.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

 

[Latole]

Guitar may need fret dressing ?

The Fret Level: Un-Dressed | Guitarist Lab