Introduced in 1912, the L-4 was Gibson’s finest guitar offering until Lloyd Loar’s designed L-5 arrived ten years later. The L-4 originally featured a 16″ body, carved top and back, oval soundhole, and lavish trimmings. Interestingly, the model didn’t change in any real significant way until the later 1920’s, and it remained a round-soundhole model until the Gibson catalogue was revamped in 1934-35.

This example is the finest L-4 we’ve ever encountered. It is crack and repair free, completely original, beautifully set-up, and in simply breath-taking condition. The guitar plays well with original frets that show only modest wear, and a properly fit and adjusted bridge. The instrument’s original finish shows little playwear and a light assortment of dings and scratches. Original tuning machines work well, and the tailpiece, pickguard, nut, and bridge are all in similarly excellent shape.

The guitar has an incredibly unique tone amongst archtops. What is most surprising about the L-4 is its flattop-like bass response adjacent to its full and bloomy mid-range pop. It has an open depth and amazing volume — almost a 3 dimensional tone — and sounds, not surprisingly, like the popular music of the 1920’s and early 1930’s. Think Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang and the like.

Carved spruce top and birch back with single white bindings, bound oval soundhole, and diamond-mosaic rosette. Raised tortoise-celluloid pickguard, adjustable ebony bridge and truss-rod (Loar-era features), trapeze tailpiece. 11-1/2 fret neck joint, highly radiussed fingerboard, 1-3/4 nut, sharply V-shaped neck with deep profile and a 1st fret depth of 1.127”. Pearl ‘The Gibson” headstock overlay, pearl nut and fingerboard dots, ivoroid fingerboard and soundhole binding, ivoroid tuning buttons. No cracks, repairs, or changes other than bridge-fitting and set-up. Perfect top shape with no sinkange.

A very rare and exciting instrument, with original hardshell case.

1923 Gibson L-4 oval hole archtop vintage guitar 1923 Gibson L-4 oval hole archtop vintage guitar
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Introduced in 1934 as a replacement for the HG-24 Hawaiian, the original Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe featured the same body dimension as the Jumbo, which was also introduced in 1934. Both of these new large guitars featured 16” wide bodies with deep sides that didn’t taper much in thickness between the endblock and neck heel. As Gibson transitioned from the Jumbo to the more tapered-sided J-35 in 1936, the Smeck followed suit. As such, the early Smeck models are the only ones built with a deeper body. This example is from the 4th and final documented batch of Roy Smeck Stage Deluxes built in 1936, likely from around the middle of the year and among the last of the deep-bodied Smecks. The depth of the sides taper from 4-1/2” at the endpin to 4-3/16” at the neck heel.

Originally built as a Hawaiian, or lap-style guitar, this Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe has been converted for Spanish (AKA Normal) style playing. The conversion is nicely done and is blended in well with the rest of the guitar’s originality. The neck has been carved into a very comfortable soft V, with a nut width of 1-7/8”. The neck depth at the 1st fret is .890”, which feels appropriately sized and neither too large or too small. The headstock front and back and the neck heel retain their original finish; side dots and real frets were added during the conversion. The original fingerboard was reused and has not ever been separated from the neck; no truss rod was added in the process (and none was needed). The guitar’s current fretwork is brand-new (done here) and neck relief and playability are quite perfect. The tuners are modern Waverly’s with ivoroid buttons.

The Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe guitar’s body features original finish throughout, with touch-up adjacent to the fretboard extension, where the board was narrowed. There are four repaired top cracks including one at the pickguard’s inside margin, two repaired back cracks, and one small side crack that’s been repaired and locally touched up. The original bridge remains in excellent condition and has been reslotted for proper intonation. The aged bone saddle was installed here, the bridge pins are original. A few brace ends have been reglued over the years, and the bridge plate is a well-made replacement. The bridge pin spacing is 2-3/8”.

A wonderful sounding Gibson Jumbo, this Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe is loud and powerful and has limitless headroom at the ready. Its voice is very focused, fundamental, and clean, with overtones kept at bay; which makes it a perfect flat-picker. The bass is not overpowering but is quite present and underlies the mids and low mids well. Trebles and upper mids are strong, thick, and perfectly defined.

With non-original hardshell case

1936 Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe vintage acoustic guitar

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The 1953 Kay K-150 is a 16” electric archtop with a ‘Jimmy Reed’ blade pickup and full-depth body. Similar in design to Gibson’s ES-125, the K-150 was likely designed and marketed to compete with that model.

This example is in excellent condition, crack free, and has recently been refretted here at Folkway. The pickup has been lovingly rewound/restored by Alastair Miller, while the rest of the wire harness is factory original, save for a new endpin style jack installed in our shop.

Playability is excellent on this 1953 Kay K-150 thanks to new frets, replacement ebony bridge, and careful setup. The tuners are StewMac replacements. Round neck carve with a nut width that’s just shy of 1-11/16” and a first fret thickness of .971”.

With modern deluxe case

1953 Kay K-150 vintage electric guitar
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