1957 Gibson LG-2 Lefty Flattop Guitar (John Sebastian-owned)

Update November 2018: A customer bought this guitar a few months ago and had me convert it to a lefty setup with a new saddle slot, new bone saddle, and lefty side-dots. I've left it that way but have updated both the post where necessary and all of the pictures. I've left the video clip of it strung "righty" so you can hear what it can do. The new owner needed a skinnier neck profile, so that's why he's selling.

This handsome, jaw-droppingly-punchy LG-2 was owned for a time by Mr. John Sebastian himself (he'd bought it from Matt Umanov's shop). My buddy Floyd purchased it from him and it's been in his collection ever since. Yes -- it's all documented, of course! Aside from its celebrity credentials, this guitar is quite the hum-dinger in the playing department, too.

Over the last several years there have been any number of great LG-2s and LG-3s visiting the shop. My favorite up to this point was a '54 LG-3 that just had it -- that punchy, solid, fundamental, somewhat-bluesy, but woody tone. This one has that vibe in spades but it also has volume to spare and crosspicking or old-time backup on it sounds grand.

The guitar does have a mixed history, though, when one looks it over in detail. Inside it's totally original and clean save one old cleat on the top center seam on the lower bout and one added by me just south of the treble side of the soundhole on the top. Externally, it's pretty obvious that the guitar has had a total refinish to black. It may well have been factory work from a later period ('70s? '80s?) or even small-shop work, as the clearcoat has plenty of pickwear around the soundhole and minor use-wear throughout. It's also had plenty of time to get weather-check/crackle in the finish here and there (especially on the sides), too.

Aside from the finish, the frets have also been replaced with large/jumbo stock. It's a good job and really gives it more of a modern/pro feel. The bridge had been reglued (without the customary factory bolts) at some point in the past and it was coming-up when it came in, so I reglued that. I imagine it also had a neck reset in its past, too, as the neck angle is good and the bone saddle is nice and tall. The original (synthetic) saddle is in the case, too.

Work included: a fret level/dress, lefty conversion including filled old saddle slot and a new slot with a new compensated bone saddle, lefty side-dots on the neck, and a setup. 

Specs are: 24 5/8" scale, 1 11/16" nut width, 1 1/2" string spacing at the nut, 2 3/16" spacing at the bridge, 14 1/4" lower bout, 11 1/8" upper bout, 4 1/2" side depth at the endblock. The neck is straight and the action is spot-on at 3/32" EA and 1/16" DGBE. I've got it strung with 54w, 40w, 30w, 22w, 16, 12 strings and it rumbles nicely.

Materials are: solid spruce top, solid mahogany back, sides, and neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, pearl dots, plastic bridge pins.

Condition notes: plenty of light pickwear around the soundhole, average use-wear scritchy-scratch on the sides and back (but light), original pickguard missing, more some picked-in spots near the soundhole appear to have been filled prior to refinish, replacement nut, saddle, truss rod cover, bridge pins, and perhaps the tuners. Of course -- it also has a total refinish to black. The newer finish has weather-checked and crackled over time, however, so it looks nice and believably old. I'm assuming the headstock finish is original.

The two filled small holes just below the heel suggest tacking-in-place while work on the back or neck joint was being done.

A decent TKL hard case comes with it.

The guitar comes with a bunch of provenance and information from both Matt Umanov's shop and John Sebastian himself.