For whatever mysterious corporate reasons, from the early nineties through to around 2015 or so, Gibson decided that the reissues of their legendary L-00 needed to be renamed “The Blues King” – thereby confusing a whole lot of people no end. Making it even more confusing, across some of those years they also issued at least half a dozen L-00 / Blues King variations, (including two different Nick Lucas models), with different timbers, different body depths, different scale lengths and different finishes. Way to consolidate your market, Gibson!
It projects
But, regardless of any confusion, they were all excellent guitars, and although some may have questioned the use of anything besides Mahogany or Maple for the body timbers, two decades later, the Bubinga back & sides on our Blues King here has aged to absolute sonic bliss. A bottom end far beyond its size and ladder bracing might suggest, with a gloriously crisp mid-range, which carries over slightly into the upper registry, making this the perfect folk / blues / singer-songwriter guitar. Oh, and it projects like a motherfu… well, you know, it projects – a lot!
St Vincent, Derek Trucks, Elvis Costello
Woody Guthrie, (see pic # 1), is possibly the best known L-00 players of the past, and a long, long list of other names have joined him over the years: Norman Blake, Rodney Crowell, Sheryl Crow, St Vincent, Derek Trucks, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Vince Gill, Valerie June, Patti Smith…
Baggs pickup
Bubinga back & sides; solid, deep-grained Spruce top, (shown best in pics 4 & 6); 25½” scale; Rosewood fingerboard, with pearl dot inlays; bone nut; Tusq saddle; Grover Rotomatic tuners; and complete with factory Baggs pickup, the L-00 Blues King is 100% stage ready – tune up, plug in, you’re ready to go!
An old friend
A custom shop “light relic” job would add a couple of grand to the price of this guitar. Here you get it for free, in this professionally owned and played model. Condition is Very Good+, with considerably less than average playwear. Frets are near perfect, there’s a little bit of playwear on the neck, up around the nut, and if you look closely, there’s a few tiny marks here and there – nothing tragic or of concern anywhere, and the first time you pick it up, this guitar is going to feel like an old friend.
Free courier delivery
Complete with its very nice deluxe Blues King gig bag, and with FREE COURIER DELIVERY included to any address in Australia, ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries), this is one of the alltime great Gibson acoustics, at a price that won’t break the bank!
Just Guitars
