Age of Gibson Tenor Guitar

[Dave Yelverton]

Once again I would like to tap into your pool of accumulated experience and knowledge to help me to identify the age of this Gibson Tenor acoustic

An acquaintance has had this in storage for sometime and wishes to hand it over to his granddaughter. He has been advised that it would be a good idea to insure it but needs to know its value.

By its headstock logo I surmised that it was probably built during the 30's. Unfortunately we have not been able to find a stamped factory order number and there is no surviving label. I understand that the Gibson numbering system is a minefield of disorganization, so that may not have been of too much help!

Anyway, here's a photo. if anybody could provide info or point me in the direction of a useful source i would be very grateful.

Dave Y

[Roger Häggström]

The picture looks deformed. That wide?

[Dave Yelverton]

Sorry about the appearance, For some reason the original picture has lost its aspect ratio,

However I find that if i click on the picture it reappears in its correct ratio.

Cant begin to fathom why!

Dave Y

[onewent]

Hi Dave, Why don't you look again, there should be a FON  ink stamped on the heel block.  You may need a bright light to see it.  I use a bright LED flashlight, sometimes a 'black' light helps.  Take a dry paint brush and 'dust off' the heel block, you'd be surprised.   But sometimes they're just lost to time.

The black paint and white sound hole trim was featured in '31-'32, and that would be my guess, but look for the FON.

Nice guitar!  I'd set an insurance value of $2K on it.  Market value a bit different.

Tom

[Dave Yelverton]

Thanks Tom. Unfortunately I don't have the guitar but have passed on your info to the owner.

I think you are correct about the date, but without the FON that is only conjectural. 

I think I may have identified the model as a nick Lucas Tenore possibly dating from the early'30's. If that's the case I suspect it might be worth £7000-$9000 given its fine condition.

However our guitar differs by having a black finish, no pickguard, and Grover tuners rather than planet geared ones.

Here is a pic from the net:

[Doc Rathwell]

Dave,

   

   The NL has a bound fingerboard among the other differences to the instrument you've shown.

   Yours seems to be a TG-00 in black missing the pickguard. Early 30's fits the bill and Tom is likely in the ballpark with his insurance evaluation of $2ķ

Regards,

Doc

[onewent]

Yeah, not a NL.  And there were black L-00s made w/o the white pg, too.  If this one had a pg originally, you'd see the bare wood footprint, not black paint.

TG-00 ca  1931-1932

Tom

[Dave Yelverton]

Tom and Doc Rathwell, thanks again for pinpointing that for me.

And thanks to this incredible forum of Franks. It's great to know that I can turn up here and find such friendly and freely offered advice

Regarrds

Dave