frettedamericana | 1 decade ago
http://www.frettedamericana.com/gibson_advanced_l5_1939-d-996-0.html
Al Viola's 1939 Gibson L-5 - Arguably the most famous L-5 in the world. Al played this guitar for over forty years including all of his time with the legendary Frank Sinatra. This is the "My Way" guitar. This majestic guitar weighs just 6.50 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 11/16 inches and a scale length of 25 1/2 inches. Carved spruce top with two-piece book-matched curly maple back and curly maple sides, two-piece book-matched curly maple neck with center mahogany strip, and multi-bound ebony fretboard with a small, graceful point at the end of the fretboard, Twenty jumbo frets, and inlaid pearl block position markers. Five-ply binding on the top of the guitar, three-ply binding on the back, and single-bound f-holes. Multi-bound headstock with the pre-war "Gibson" thick script pearl logo inlaid across the face of the headstock and with the pearl "L-5" flowerpot inlay. Bound plastic bell-shaped truss-rod cover with two screws. Individual Kluson Sealfast tuners with single-ring tulip-shaped Keystone buttons. Multi-bound pearloid pickguard. Rosewood bridge with pre-set compensating saddle and gold-plated flat plate tailpiece with engraved "L 5" and small hole at the bottom center for the "Varitone" tension adjuster. Inside the bass f-hole is the original oval white Gibson label with the style number "L-5" and the serial number "501XX" stamped in black (last two digits are unreadable). The guitar has been expertly re-fretted at some time and the jumbo frets now show signs of wear but still have plenty of life left in them. There are a few surface marks and some fine finish checking on the body and the varnish on the back of the neck is quite worn from many years of constant use. Overall this historic guitar is in excellent (8.50) condition. Housed in Al's (later) four-latch tan hardshell case with purple plush lining (9.00).
