Gibson L6-S with block inlays?

[jambooger]

I recently purchased a Gibson L6-S but didn't know much about the history of this guitar. I knew it was original and given to a freind who's uncle purchased it around 75 or 76 and passed it along to him. I looked at several on ebay and found they run $600 to $850 without a case. What I didn't realize at the time was the block inlays were very rare. The condition was good so I purchased it from him for $750. I looked for months to try and find another one with Block Inlays. I finally found one on ebay recently and the seller said it was made in the Kalamazoo Michigan Plant and as many as 200 were made. If anyone knows anything about this rare bird please fill me in. Every one I have seen so far has Dot Inlays except mine and the one that was sold on ebay. The one on ebay sold for $1350 but had the tuning key's replaced.

[buddyrama]

You might want to check out MyLesPaul.com under Other Gibsons.

[hank]

http://www.qballsguitars.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/L6S.jpg
http://www.guitarvillage.co.uk/admin/pages/upload/GibsonVarious/L6-S_m.jpg

[hank]

Found pics above on Google Images. A local shop has one for sale here.

[LTE]

I think it's a Deluxe model byt the block inlays.

FOr $750, I think you did good on it.

[dspellman]

I think it's a Deluxe model byt the block inlays.

FOr $750, I think you did good on it.

It's not a Deluxe if it looks like the pictures. Those were actually later and cheaper versions of the L6S, despite the name. They had strings through the body (no tailpiece) and just two knobs (master volume, master tone) and a three-way pickup switch.

The original L6S, as shown in the photos, with six-way pickup selector and three knobs (Master Volume, Mids Roll-off and Treble Roll-off (aka: "Tone" knob)) was renamed the L6S Custom after the cheaper Deluxe and the Midnight Special versions were introduced.

The most common of the L6S versions produced was the Custom (original model) in solid clear maple, with about 7000 produced. After that, the all-black model (with ebony fretboard) saw about 4000 produced, and then the L6S Deluxe in "natural satin," at around 2000. There are a lot of "rare birds" tossed into this mix here and there, with various finishes accounting for anything from a few examples to several hundred.

Most did not have block inlays, but they occasionally show up. Mostly, they simply weren't very popular on this guitar at the time, since the guitar was largely designed as a "working musician's" guitar. The L5S, which was the top of the line solid body in the Gibson line during the '70's, was the same general shape, but had all the fancy inlays and other appointments you'd expect on the most expensive archtops Gibson was making then.

The market on L6S guitars is mixed, at the moment. Because they remained inexpensive and not particularly desirable during the '80's and '90's (wrong shape), they were often purchased cheap and modified heavily. Many have swapped pickups and you'll often find the signature six-way pickup selector replaced with a simpler three-way. All-original guitars are the true rarity here, not block inlays or alternate finishes. Because more expensive Gibson vintage guitars have had a lot of the "air" let out of their somewhat inflated collector prices over the last couple of years, vintage dealers are reluctant to move them, especially at a significant loss. Thus, they're hunting for overlooked vintage, and the L6S certainly qualifies. No one has bothered to copy or clone these (though Ibanez' factory did put out some excellent clones with various logos contemporary with the L6S), so there's little chance you'll NOT have a real Gibson.

While there are certainly detractors ("looks like road-killed Les Paul," "the six-way is difficult to switch quickly when playing live" "I never got a tone I really liked," "the neck is too narrow"), it does have gifts. The Bill-Lawrence-designed pickups were Gibson's first "hot" pickups and have a unique design (and they're potted in a black epoxy stuff that gave rise to the name "tarbacks"). The six-way pickup selector is often mistaken for a Varitone, but may be the only time Gibson has offered both parallel and serial humbucker operation, both in and out of phase, etc. And while most guitar players haven't run into a mids rolloff knob, it offers some unique tones as well. This is Gibson's first 24-fret guitar, and coupled with the SG-thin body and wide cutaway, it has outstanding upper fret access. The solid maple body and neck are very well balanced (compared to, say, an SG). The neck width at the nut is 1-9/16ths, but tapers out to very common widths by about the 12th fret. The nut width is also common on SGs from that era.

If you're trying to ascertain the value of the guitar, ignore the block inlays -- those just make it a bit more unusual, but won't add much, if anything to the overall value. The closer to mint the guitar is, the better the price. Swapped tuners, swapped pickups, broken pickguard (the point at the tip of the cutaway is often a victim), missing or non-functional original electronics, dings, dents and worming, neck-body seam opening up, fretwear, fretboard wear, back of neck wear and excessive finish cracks will all diminish the value. Most of these guitars "ambered" as the nitrocellulose clear coat has had time to begin its disintegration process over a 35-year period and many have developed cracks and checks. In the case of an L6S, this will still diminish the value; there's little mojo involved here. The cases are relatively difficult to come by because of the odd shape, and an original case in great shape will definitely increase the overall value. While an L5S has the same general outline, the two won't fit in each others' cases, so don't let a dealer tell you they're the same.

If you have a near-mint guitar and a good quality case, your $750 was well-bought, and you can generally figure that your selling price at any time in the future will be higher than that.

You will want to double-check the necks on these as well; I've seen a couple, now, that look as if they were stored underwater. While the guitar seems to be in overall good shape, these necks were so far out of whack that only severe luthier intervention would make them playable again.

[The Pup]

I custom ordered mine in ~'74 with a dark walnut finish and thick Ebony fingerboard with block MOP inlays. It's long gone now, but I would like to see it again some day.

When it left me, it had a Bartolini Hi-A in the neck.

[jambooger]

Thanks guys. Mine looks exactly like the one Hank posted. It does have some wear on the neck but I would expect that from a 35 year old guitar. The pickup covers have some pitting from age as well.

[Marty s Horne]

I bought an L6S brand new in '75 from Sam Ash in NYC. It was black with an ebony board and played great. I paid about $365.00 for it.

[SMark]

I also bought one when they first came out in '74 or '75. I was told that the first run of these had the block inlays and after that they were all dots. Other than the balance issue, I loved my Custom. Wish I still had it. I loved the tones that Rich Williams was getting from his.

[Birdseye]

Here's mine, rare finish, near mint with tags and case, plays very nice, unique guitars!

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/pulseadj/L6S10.jpg

[Marty s Horne]

I like the color of that guitar!

[t.hendrix]

MY father and i went to kalamazo plant in 80. we were passing threw on a family vacation . i brought my gibson midnight special. Or i should say that]S what we were told it was.Yes they took it in the back for a quick once over.The guy said it was a midnight special even thow it doesn't say that. He also said there is alot of guitars being made with no reason for the extra or lack of options.They were supposed to be stamped midnight special on the back of the headstock ,but for some reason it was not done.I remember him saying,, the people making the guitars are making one offs.SO i guess there alot of ,,,i can't find this model guitar models.. that were going out of the the kalamazo plant in the 70's and 80's.Sad but if there not a les paul .There just a lower end gibson. not really worth alot. But i still have it and it was the first guitar my father gave me.,,,PRICELESS!!!

[dspellman]

Here's mine, rare finish, near mint with tags and case, plays very nice, unique guitars!

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp204/pulseadj/L6S10.jpg

Yeah, I would definitely take that one; if/when you're ready to dump it <G>.
Dibs.

[Birdseye]

Might be interested in selling, pm me if you are serious.