2011 Gibson L-4 CES Master Label Archtop Electric Guitar Vintage Sunburst w/ Case, CoA

Up for sale, a 2011 Gibson Custom Shop L-4 CES “Master Label” in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case, CoA and hangtags. This L-4 is also one of the particularly desirable (and rarer) “Master Label” models, built to an even higher standard under the direct supervision of Gibson’s Custom Shop Archtop team. Sequestered from the main Custom Shop, this was a very small team of top-notch artisans producing very limited quantities of instruments to an unparalleled standard. In the case of this L-4, the Masterbuilder in question was long-time senior luthier James Doug Culberson, who is widely considered to have built some of the company’s finest archtops. Weighing 7lbs, this L-4 CES offers all carved tonewoods, with a hand-graduated spruce top, maple back and sides, and a professionally reshaped one-piece mahogany neck capped with a bound ebony fretboard. The reworked neck profile has been slimmed down for a more consistent feel throughout, though the shoulders remain familiarly full and round, and the heel has been reshaped to allow for easier access to the upper register. The neck profile and back of the headstock (original serial retained) has also received a satin refinish, while the original finish is retained on the headstock face. Smooth, full-sounding, and notably acoustically resonant, this L-4 CES delivers an array of articulate and bold jazz-worthy tonalities via the original pair of ‘57 Classic PAF humbuckers. The bridge pickup is warm and smooth, with enough top end cut and upper midrange clarity to satisfy purists, and the neck position humbucker is even rounder and fatter, perfect for lead work that requires some meat and mellowness. This L-4 CES “Master Label” benefits from a professional setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 11-50 flatwound strings, low action, and spot-on intonation. Neck Specs: -Wood: Mahogany -Shape: Custom “D” shape, measuring .780” 1st fret, .815” 9th fret -Fretboard: Ebony, mother of pearl split-parallelogram inlays -Frets: Medium jumbo, faint wear beneath the G and B strings on frets 1-9 -Scale Length: 24 3/4” -Nut: 1 11/16”, bone -Tuners: Gibson Deluxe double-line -Serialization: Eight-digit stamp (2011) Body Specs: -Wood: Spruce, maple -Pickups: ‘57 Classic PAF humbucker x2 (late 2010/early 2011 stickers on baseplates) -Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, three-way pickup selector -Hardware: No-wire ABR-1 bridge with ebony base, T-Shape tailpiece with ebony insert -Plastics: Bound tortoise pickguard, ambered bonnet knobs -Labels: Serialized “Gibson Custom Nashville, Tennessee” (bass-side F hole), “Master Label” construction/inspection label signed by James Doug Culberson and dated February 22, 2011 (treble-side F hole) Cosmetic wear includes some faint marks on the top at the lower bout, with a bit of isolated minor chipping in the clear coat along the lower bout binding, and some additional finish scratches and small dings consistent with careful use. The neck profile and back of the headstock have been refinished, and the neck profile is clean with some shallow marks. The original Gibson Custom hardshell case is included, along with the serialized CoA and hangtags.