❌SOLD❌ Gibson LG-1 Ladder Braced Steel String Guitar Sunburst, 1953

The Gibson LG-1, part of the successful LG series, was one of the most popular entry level Gibson acoustic models from the late 1940s into the 1970s. The LG-1 was ladder braced, and the LG-2 and LG-3 had X braces.

The Gibson LG-1 appeared in August 1942 with the LG-2 and LG-3 but only the LG-2 was built during WW2; production of the LG-1 and LG-3 were halted almost immediately and resumed in 1946. In 1958, the ladder braced LG-0 was added to the line. In 1962, the LG-2 and LG-3 were renamed as B-25 and B-25N; the difference between the two is the Sunburst vs Natural finish. The LG-0 and LG-1 were discontinued in 1974, and the B25 and B25N in 1977.

Here we’re looking at a lovely Gibson LG-1 Ladder built during 1953. Many of these guitars do not have serial numbers as such, rather they have a FON or Factory Order Number. On this guitar, the FON is Y6452 30, and the relevant character is the Y. This FON series started in 1952 with the letter Z, and counted back towards A, each year.

The 1953 LG-1 pairs a ladder braced Sitka Spruce top with Mahogany for the back, sides, neck, and body blocks. The bridge and fingerboard are Rosewood, and as was common and customary at the time, it’s Brazilian Rosewood.

This Gibson LG-1 Ladder guitar is in overall good condition, plays very well and sounds great. Part of the reason that it plays so well is that it’s had some necessary work done by a skilled technician. The bridge is not original, rather is a slightly undersized replacement in Brazilian. Inside, there is a Maple sub-plate for the string ends to catch on. This is a very common and effective repair for a worn bridge plate that can’t be easily removed. As well, the neck has been professionally refretted. There is very little wear on these new frets, it has a very good setup, and it’s really a joy to play.

The finish is the original sunburst done in nitrocellulose lacquer. It’s in good clean condition with expected, natural lacquer checking.

A hard shell case is included.