Mark's 1933 Gibson L-00, 1933 Gibson L-00s in General, and a new Mic.

[@mitchkatz5848]

The sound quality is great Mark as was the wealth of info that you shared.

[@robertpierce6444]

Awesome video for us vintage Gibson nerds! I have a 1934 L-00 small burst coming this week to Arizona I played it while I was in Portland last week and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Sounds amazing with the fingers and a pick. Amazing headroom as well. This will go in the vintage Gibson stable with a 1932 L1 and 1950 SJ. IMO absolute best value in vintage acoustics.

[@rickR52]

Mark, I really enjoyed this video, the Shure kit sounds fabulous. I was lucky enough to visit my local music shop here in Spokane, WA last October. I’ve repaired for over 40 years and your insights have confirmed much of what I’ve learned and your perspective has also given me some fresh insights. Many thanks. Anyway, I digressed. I went to get some strings I didn’t stock for a customer and one of my friends at Hoffman’s asked me to take a look at a guitar they took on consignment. As we walked toward the wall on which it hung my heart skipped a beat. A Kalamazoo KG-14! I’d been looking for one because I knew that in most respects it was a ladder braced L-00. He wanted me to enlighten him about it and I wanted to buy it. The price was $450.00. I bought it on the spot. I repaired the usual loose braces, re-set the neck, and like you did, did not over set it, the bridge is a nice medium height. It’s my favorite guitar. I play my D-28 with the band but the Kalamazoo is my go to guitar. Your L-00 with the X bracing sounds fabulous. My KG-14 is brighter, less complex but has such character. I adore it. I look forward to more posts from you.

[@glennsnider8840]

Sweet sounding 33! Love when you share your knowledge Mark. Thank you.

[@tomehCanada]

Thanks Mark. I enjoyed this "tour" of the guitar as much as enjoy hearing you play it. It is a beauty. Superb tone to my ear.

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Thanks Tom!

[@billyhellmaker]

Great info. I have been going through my old guitars and your topics are all things I really didn't think about until this year. All important points!!

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Right on!

[@rcgvideos]

@@TheFolkwayMusic After watching all of this I just bought a 46 LG-2 (one owner since new). A remarkable guitar that fits me perfectly.

[@andrewmacfarlane4899]

One of the most beautiful guitars I’ve ever seen and heard IMO

[@edwalmsley7956]

Sounds great! Always good to hear your insights.

[@missouriboy66]

Stellar guitar, best L-00I've ever heard and gold info, as always from Mark...

[@jez6345789]

Always enjoy these vintage gibson outings you obviously found a nice one and yeah the mike sounds a lot better thanks

[@alexhart2921]

The recording, the guitar, and your playing sound great! Thanks for sharing!

[@rixrocker165]

Yes Mark thanks for the wealth of information sounds fabulous guitar and microphone as well

[@michaelcuneo3834]

Whoa!...exceptional tone! That pup has such an incredible growl to it, amazing!! Great video quality too!

[@AlfieSmithz1]

Sounds great Mark. Nice playing.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Nice to come back to this vid after a year; I now have a 1926 L1 which I'm waiting to take in for a neck reset. I did have a particularly excellent 1933 Kalamazoo KG11, with the target burst and solid "kerf" material, very similar to your L-00. I had very high hopes for that one, and a local luthier messed up the neck reset badly (it cost me $600 for basically nothing), so when a visiting friend wanted to take it back to LA and give it a second reset, I decided to let it go, in exchange for a very fine 1910 Washburn 1-15, which is outstanding, but I still miss that '33 Kalamazoo. Although recently getting the L1 has taken away that sting a bit. It is really difficult to find competent (and honest) luthier/repair folks here in southern AZ, and as I don't have a lot of experience with these things, I'm somewhat at the mercy of the provider's good will and abilities. (I'm getting old myself, and am experiencing similar problems with my health providers too; it's all rather frustrating.) My performing career is long over, and I've been converting my lifetime 'stable' of instruments over to mainly small body acoustics that I will be able to comfortably enjoy for whatever time I have left. I had several electrics with I've been gradually letting go, trading or selling to get into the acoustics which I now want, but like anything which involves both trust and also delicate instruments, there can be some risk involved, and not every deal is going to turn out exactly they way we hope it will. I learn a lot from your videos Mark, which in turn helps me in making my own decisions, managing expectations, and just confidence in overall knowledge related to my trades and acquisitions. A question: what kind of cord did they typically use back at the turn of the century as guitar straps, and how were they commonly attached? I've seen a hole drilled right through the center of a Gibson mandolin paddle headstock to accommodate knotting a cord through; also just tying the cord around the headstock near the nut area, or onto the center post of a slot head. On the other end, my '26 L1 never had a strap button at all, and I don't want to drill any new holes, so I wonder how or if they would use a strap? And especially again, what kind of cord they used; maybe something from a drapers/curtains supplier?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Paisley - The rope straps were likely some kind of upholstery piping, but we've seen cords/strings of all types on guitars. Just get your old boyscout handbook out and tie an appropriate knot around the endpin and headstock. Sqaure knot, bowline, etc.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Thanks Mark. The odd thing is that this L1 does not even have an end pin, or any sign that one had ever been installed. Is that something you have seen often?

[@Dave-White]

Great video! I have a 1933 L-00 with an elevated fretboard. It has seen a lot of play and has had a lot of work done to it. It is one of my favorite guitars. Thanks for showing off your L-00. The audio and video were great.

[@jeffrivera887]

Fun video Mark, thanks!

[@thenewtowncryer]

You play nice!. Excellent touch!!!

[@robinsutliff8415]

Thank you, Mark! Fabulous guitar.

[@andrewmacfarlane4899]

Sounds so good at the end

[@timewilltell454]

Thanks Mark, for another great video. Always enjoy the interesting and thought-provoking comments from your subscribers. How about featuring you’re “Rose” Gibson next time. Love the channel!

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Thanks! I'd feature the 'Rose' but I suspect it's allure would be diminished by revealing its secrets!

[@adrianlawryshyn1564]

Always loving the 34 Washburn i got from you Mark.. all about that V for me :) thanks!

[@glennselwitz1377]

Sounds fantastic...great channel with real world info....Canada is awesome

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Right on!

[@etoirelav]

The decay is amazing. Great video.

[@zohngenade9087]

Cool video, thanks for sharing your experience. The sound quality is great and that Gibson - well that is a gem but you know that :-)

[@bobmiller4383]

Back in my much younger days, when I was just beginning my journey as a luthier, I was inspired by Martin guitars. That was 47 years ago ! I worked at a music store and got to try all sorts of instruments. T I never did find a Gibson that impressed me.until I saw Steve Goodman perform at the Riverboat, He was playing what I believe was an L-00 model and it was astounding ! It really opened my eyes/ears to what Gibson was capable of doing back in the day

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

The Riverboat! I used to work with 'the Bernies'; hearing the name of the club reminded me of them!

[@kevinallen925]

Fascinating Mark, thanks.

[@justinhicks3783]

Audio sounds good 👌🏼

[@stlrfan09]

Awesome video! That L-00 sounds tremendous-dry, articulate, and very robust. Those sweet and thick trebles just sing. Combined with that rich bass makes for a special guitar. Very nice playing, as well! I really like your ideas involving setup. 5/64ths is a great place to be on those treble strings. I also like to be around 2.0mm there because I find higher action on those high E and B strings don’t allow the the sweetness and sparkle come through. It ends up sounding less open and perhaps a bit more nasal. I’m also with you on the bass side; it’s all about playability.

[@dalepettit1045]

Sounds great Mark!

[@nathansterrett3054]

sounds amazing

[@johnrobertpalomo4283]

What a beautiful guitar

[@You1987Tuber]

No surprise, another super useful contribution. That said, I consider myself a guitar player and Mark plays much better than I - one of us must be lying 🤷‍♂

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

I knew as soon as it came out of my mouth that someone was going to call me on that. Rightly so. I CAN play guitar. But I don't do it professionally, like so many of our clients.

[@michaelbobson9198]

Great content Mark!

[@woodbox50]

🤯awesome stuff. thanks Mark, sounded good, BWDI know.

[@superhotbread]

That was awesome 👌 keep it up.

[@paulgartner4619]

Thank you

[@stanislav182000]

very good sound, I love it

[@hollybeaumont5953]

great video,thankyou. I have a 1933 LOO that is almost the exact mirror image of this guitar. FON 708

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Nice. The 708 FON guitars are among the few that had tortoise guards.

[@0713mas]

Wow, what a little cannon! It's crazy how some guitars just sound bigger and or better than one's made the same similarly or bigger with higher quality materials.

[@jonnyb2532]

Good one Mark!

[@erikhoffa966]

Much better sound. 👍

[@robnic52]

Great smokey tones from guitar, picked up perfectly by your new mic. You don't specifically mention whether the guitar is X braced or ladder but I got the feeling that it's probably X. I'm surprised that better quality 1933 guitars had truss rods. Sophisticated engineering.

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Thanks, yes, L-00s are X braced.

[@chrishartz2397]

Great information…

[@tomfitzsimmons6535]

Sometime during WWII, Gibson made this model for others to sell under their own names, a little known chapter in Gibsons history. The absolute bottom of their line guitars, made without a truss rod, as were some others during that war due to metal rationing, we're told. I have one sold under the "Pablo Camille Video" logo. Like yours it sounds fantastic and is my 'go to' guitar. I absolutely love it. Just amazing sound. Do you know anything about this brand? One sold on Reverb a few years ago and they knew only what I just told you about It's history. They got $400 for it. I wouldn't sell mine for $1,000. I paid $25 for mine. Thanks!

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Tom- you’ve stumped me! That is an off-brand I’ve not yet come across! Very interesting. There is a Facebook page all about Gibson off-brand guitars. Perhaps post some photos there.

[@stringmaster1954]

Loved the video Mark--you and the guitar sound great! Curious what the string spacing at the bridge is on your (and other) '33's? My '33 with an elevated board is around 2 3/16"--I wish it was a little wider, but I can adapt. I've heard of narrow and wide spacing on the L00's. Man, I wish I could get my guitar in your hands to give it a go-over, but the difficulty of shipping from the US to Canada with regards to customs, CITES, etc. concerns me. Thankds!

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Glad you liked the vid. The great majority of them are 2-3/8” at the bridge. I’ve encountered some of the elevated board ones with narrow archtop spacing too. Always found that odd.

[@ACOUSTIC_4LOVE]

Most all Pre-War L-0s,L-00s sound good. And your right some are a little better and some exceptional. It’s the same with all old Vintage factory martins and Gibsons. I really like the Burst on your Guitar. It reminds me of early 30’s Gibson L-5s. I’ve been using the Shure MOTIV Mic for years- great tool.

[@MoGiMaL]

Great video. Thanks for showing us in HQ! If I had only watched this a week before, I was debating leaving my solid linings on my parlor build at .140", and I would have had I watched this first! Oh well, one day I'll try and make an L00 with these specs. One thing about the voice of guitars is that they say most of the voice is in the top wood itself. It is pretty interesting to tap a lot of soundboards and listen very carefully to the differences. And one question I do need to know, what are the top radii like on these '33s? Thanks

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

The top radius is compound, but 15” is a good start.

[@PaisleyPatchouli]

Mark, I don't know if you'll see this, but you mention an adjustable truss rod on a 1933 Gibson, and I can see the plastic truss rod cover... But I didn't think adjustable truss rods were even a thing until the 60s. Did you add one to this neck?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Gibson began installing truss rods in 1922. Martin didn't start using adjustable rods until 1985.

[@robmiller3464]

Mark, interesting info on the kerfing. I play a Martin OO-18, and just love it. Appreciate your knowledge. Is that nut a 1 3/4? Thanks again

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Yes, 1-3/4 was Gibson's standard nut width until 1940, and then again in 1942, and finally gone for good in 1947.

[@jvejar]

Do another one about the Rose L-00

[@chrishartz2397]

Thank you..

[@LanceisLawson]

A very Martinesque sound on that Gibson. It's the wood itself. It likely sounded overly bright when first made.

[@Richard_Lush]

Do you keep your guitar room humidified? I’ve always kept my acoustics in the case with humidipaks but I find I don’t play em as much as if they were on a stand or wall. I also live in Alberta where it’s super dry. What would you suggest? A little off topic but I’ve been wondering what I should do. My 36 L-00 cracked badly due to keeping it out and the dryness out here.

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Richard - Keeping your guitars in their cases all winter means less guitar playing all winter. Buy a room humidifer and use it religiously. Get a few Hygrometers (Oasis OH2+ are great) and make sure the room is 40-45 RH over the winter.

[@Richard_Lush]

@@TheFolkwayMusic Thanks for the info. I hate leaving them in their cases but I’m getting a dedicated “ guitar room” so humidifier it is.

[@silver-hammer]

Really good & knowledgeable video, many thanks- wondering are the Darco str's you mention 10'sEx-Light or 11's please, interested to put on my reissue (1932 ha ha , but 30's ones over here in UK are insane prices now) ?! kind rgds Maxwell

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

The Darco D220 Phos. Bronze 12-54 are our go-to strings.

[@jipes]

Nice sound set-up would be nice to know which one you use. Do you think that getting more break angle at the saddle would add more clarity to the sounof a guitar. Driftwood guitars showed a trick to get more contact by sawing the little pin cavity front face (BTW he is also building acoustics with solid lining instead of curfing)

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Yes, more break angle at the saddle would add clarity and fundamental presence.

[@billdedrick1914]

Hi Mark sounds incredible Light strings? Brand? p.b.? Darco as I see below....Are they a good replacement for the old Martin M540 and M550? Is that a TS pick? What thickness?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Bill - The stings are Martin Darco D220 Lights that are half way done. Very thick pick with a smoothly rounded edge, and rounded triangle shape. Now I just need to get my chops on par with my tone! lol

[@billdedrick1914]

@@TheFolkwayMusic That pick sounds great.. It is TS? Can you measure the thickness...I have a few of them in different thicknesses but I don't think any of them sound as good as your pick. The Darco D220 and D230 are very close in sound to the old Marin M540 and M550?

[@laverne456]

I have a 1934 that my great uncle took to WWII that I love to get back in shape. What would a regret and a neck set go for on mine?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

The required work isn't cheap, but its certainly worthwhile. Best to get in touch by email for repair estimates. Thanks.

[@fleadoggreen9062]

Hi, I have a 12 fret that has the kurfling? I was hoping it was solid like yours, it’s a 31 So I was let down, so is the solid kerfling only on 14 fret ? Sounds great !!!

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

We’ve never seen a 12 fret with solid linings. 1931 is two year earlier than that brief solid lining period.

[@DB-rr1eo]

It's time to look at your 33 alongside a Murphy lab 33.

[@henrybuttermilk6393]

This is really interesting. My ‘34 L-00 has those solid linings, as well. An early ‘34 or just Gibson being Gibson?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

The solid linings seem to have lasted into the early part of '34.

[@clivehughes5027]

Interesting that you are playing a right handed guitar would the bracing make a difference in making your treble so full. Hell of a tool you have there.enjoyed the video ,excellent

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Your question is a good one, and quite difficult to answer. There is almost certainly a different tone to a guitar if you reverse the stringing to lefty, but quantifying that difference is nearly impossible to do. What I've found is that the difference isn't terribly apparent, and if the guitar sounds good as a righty, it will sound good as a lefty. The frequency repsonse will surely differ somewhat, but the tone is fundamentally quite similar, in my experience.

[@rocknreplay]

Did I seriously hear you say "I'm not a guitar player" in this video? You sound pretty damned good to me.

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Thanks! Well, relative to our clients and a few of our staff, I guess.

[@timelwell7002]

Don't put yourself down as a guitarist, Mark, your playing is tasteful, competent and melodic. For sure, it's always possible to find better guitarists than ourselves, but you have a good ear and you demo the guitars really well. I REALLY love your 1933 Gibson L-00. For me this guitar is near on perfection for an acoustic guitar. Absoluely gorgeous. Interestingly, jazz guitarist Mike Moreno can be seen accompanying jazz singer Gretchen Parlato in NYC using a Gibson L-00 bu with a magnetic soundhole pickup, and gets a tone totally unlike the acoustic tone which you'd be expecting. I'd be intrigued to know precisely what effects pedals he's using to get that sound. Here's a link to that video: kzbin.info?search_query=Gretchen+Parlato+Live+at+The+Cachaca+Club+in+NY+cminor7add9th

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Thanks, will check it out!

[@roderickbalt8993]

As a fellow lefty I wonder do you pay any mind to the assymetrical elements of the bracing when you convert it to lefty?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

I don't. If it sounds good strung righty it will sound good strung lefty. There are surely minor audible differences, in theory. Structurally there are no concerns. Every vintage left-handed acoustic made by anyone other than Martin was just a right-handed guitar with a lefty pickguard and bridge.

[@roderickbalt8993]

@@TheFolkwayMusic Very cool, I asked the same question to the luthier Scott van Linge and he gave me basically the same answer!

[@JohnScime]

Mark or anyone 'in the know'. I'm tooling up to build an L00 copy. Are the solid linings on the 1933s made from mahogany or something else? Thanks. J

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

They're mahogany, but you'll have an easier time making them of willow or poplar.

[@JohnScime]

@@TheFolkwayMusic thanks, Mark. I have lots of mahogany and would try bending them on my fox-style bender and form. I figure they are about 5/8s tall? If that isn't successful I can try the poplar. Thanks again, from the Ottawa Valley.

[@yeats1554]

hello，i have a question，Does the 1932-1934 l-00 Usually sound better than the 1940 or 1941? which one sounds louder? and have a Better bass?strong mid and high ？

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

The 1933 and early '34 L-00's *Can* be magical, but not all are. Same is true of the early 1940's ones. It all depends on the way a particular guitar was built. The '33/4 guitars have straight bracing, while those from the 1940's are scalloped. But top-thickness can make or break a guitar, and there are both thick and thin topped versions from the entire range of 14 fret L-00 production. I'm sorry, but there is no simple answer to your question!

[@yeats1554]

@@TheFolkwayMusic 1941 3bl 2oz ，will weight show me the thin or thick top？

[@justinbernasconi4666]

Another great video, great tone - thank you. Are you using 11s or 12s on this beautiful guitar?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Those are Darco 220 PB 12-54.

[@justinbernasconi4666]

@@TheFolkwayMusic they sound very fat

[@billdedrick1914]

@@TheFolkwayMusic Darco? wow they sound great....Darco is Martin owned and Martin sells Darco..

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

@@billdedrick1914 Yes, Darco. They're great. As far as I know these are the same strings Martin rebrands as 'Clapton's choice'. They used to be, in any case, when they were the M540.

[@timothyobrien6764]

Thanks for sharing your guitar with us Mark. Curious how you add ball ends to the bass strings. Could you explain how you do that? Can you buy the balls separately? Thanks Tim OBrien Woodstock, Illinois

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Hi Tim, You can harvest the ball ends from the strings you're removing (just cut them free with a side-cutter). Then simply slide them over the new string before inserting the string end into the bridge. It's super-simple, and you can reuse the ball ends forever.

[@timothyobrien6764]

@@TheFolkwayMusic Thanks, great idea. Your guitar is truly one of the very best I’ve ever heard.

[@Richard_Lush]

Had a 36. Best sounding guitar I’ve ever played and I’ve played a lot. Loved the neck size and nut width. Unfortunately I traded it for a Santa Cruz H model. Great guitar but wish I kept the L-00. I did get a Custom Shop 36 advanced Jumbo which honestly comes close for a new guitar bigger sound but very nice. I applaud Gibson on these new historic acoustics.

[@rickstrandberg6398]

The new L-00 s are 12 fret but the originals 14?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

L-00s were 12 frets late 1932. 14 frets from then on.

[@justinbernasconi4666]

Glueing the saddle in, much in it?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Hi there, We don't understand the question, can you please clarify? Thx.

[@HarryNicNicholas]

one observation about sanding tops evenly, none of the gibsons i've owned, including a 2016 j35, have had a flat, smooth top - compared to the larrivee OMO3 i have which is perfectly flat. gibsons have ripples and waves all over. (not to mention my '66 j45 looks like a glue bomb went off inside). while i'm here, has anyone made a guitar that has a one piece neck and bridge? while watching driftwood guitars make the other day it occurred to me that if you had little or no stress on the top you could dispense with a lot of bracing?

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Part of the ‘flat smooth’ look you’re noticing is the satin polyester top finish of your Larrivee, versus the much thinner gloss lacquer of your J35. These differences really do impact the look of the top wood. Not sure what you mean about one piece bridge/neck. Sorry.

[@TheGuitarsquatch]

It's so weird that this video was suggested to me, especially since you talk about the solid kurfing. Today, on Facebook, I saw a random post with Bob Minner asking someone in the comments if their L-00 had solid or notched kurfing. I love learning about different methods of building acoustic guitars. I have two guitars from a builder in Alabama called Culwell, who uses double sides and no kurfing, which has the same affect of giving the tops more vibrating room like your L-00

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Doubled sides / no Kerfing is common in the high-end classical world. It would surely make a guitar sound great too.

[@madamkirk]

Sounds great but it doesn't have "Near Dreadnought " bass.

[@rightturnonly6621]

For sale? thank You

[@santacruz3600]

“Not actually a guitar player” Haha clever way to pat on your own back!

[@TheFolkwayMusic]

Your self-worth as a guitar player decreases the longer you spend servicing professional musician's instruments. It's easy to feel sub par as a player working with pro guitarists every day. So, perhaps we should edit the clip to suggest "I'm no pro-level guitar player..." Cheers!

[@Shovel-om7kn]

That’s what happens when humans make guitars instead of Mr Roboto.