An All Original and Exceptionally Fine 1957 Gibson L-48.

1957 Gibson L-48.

Originally introduced in 1946 this fifty-six year old arched-top L-48 weighs just 5.00 lbs. Sixteen inch wide and 3 3/8 inch deep body with laminated mahogany top and two 'f' holes. Walnut stained laminated maple back and Brazilian rosewood sides. One-piece mahogany neck with a nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a wonderful thick profile. Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 20 original thin frets (the neck joins the body at the 14th fret) and inlaid pearl dot position markers. The body is single-bound on the top and back. Headstock with gold silkscreened "Gibson" logo and bell-shaped single-layer black plastic truss-rod cover with two screws. Original three-per-side 'single-line' Kluson DeLuxe strip tuners with oval white plastic buttons. Original single-layer cellulose 'tortoiseshell' pickguard secured by two screws. Frequensated rosewood bridge on rosewood base and standard trapeze tailpiece with single raised diamond on cross-bar. FON number "U 2745 33" stamped in black inside the treble f-hole. The model number "L-48" stamped in black inside the bass 'f' hole. Housed in the original 'four-latch' Lifton black hardshell case with brown plush lining (8.50).

One of the most popular, albeit basic guitars of the post-war Gibson arch-top models with over twelve thousand being produced between 1946 and 1970.

"The non-cutaway dot-neck L-48, "within reach of every student," was a companion to the L-50 and Gibson's lowest-priced arch-top guitar. Through the early 1950s it had a spruce top and mahogany back. By the mid-fifties the back was maple and the top was specified as laminated, a most unusual feature for a Gibson arch-top, and part of the reason the guitar could be sold for so little, only $97.50 in 1954. In the late 1950s the L-48 was specified to have a very unusual combination of laminated mahogany top, mahogany rims, and laminated maple back. This construction was maintained through 1966. Shortly after that the L-48 was dropped." (Tom Wheeler. American Guitars. An Illustrated History. p.131).