This is a stunning & quite rare early production 1933 Gibson L-C Century of Progress Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar made in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its a desirable model most not great players, but look fabulous. This one is exceptional in both tone & playability. Its Dark Sunburst lacquer finish looks amazing having super figured quilty-flamey maple back and sides. This also has the best sounding Adirondack spruce top of its era w/a killer mahogany neck having the prettiest Mutha-o-Toilet white celluloid fingerboard w/rosewood inlays making it 1 of the most interesting & unusual Gibson ever produced. The L-C “Century of Progress” model is one of Gibson’s most distinctive and beautiful acoustic guitar designs, and one of the most visually striking flattops of any era. Combining a 14″ 3/4 wide body with over the top super fancy special ordered Banjo pearloid inlays on the neck far fancier than any stock example. Its also got a pretty Script logo & diamond inlaid laminated headstock. Not just a “looker”, the Century is also a sonically distinctive guitar in its own right. The maple back and sides give it a crisp powerful sound perfectly suited to blues and ragtime fingerpicking and when played with a pick the guitar is both loud and cutting enough to play rhythm in a small dance combo. The earliest Century’s have a multi-laminated bound top and back w/a small shaded sunburst on all surfaces. The choice of figured maple on the back of this one is ridiculously nice. The softly V-shaped mahogany neck is also subtly sunbursted. The fingerboard is also bound in black and white celluloid. The soundhole ring is 3-ply W-B-W, while the pickgard is made of Gibson’s striking pre-war figured tortoise celluloid. What makes this so special is the over the top ornate banjo pearl blocks way fancier than any other L-C & are set into rosewood blocks inset into the celluloid fingerboard creating a dramatic three color visual scheme which nicely offsets the sunburst-finished spruce top. Legend has it that this design conveniently used up the late 20’s surplus of pre-made banjo fingerboards, as banjo orders had dwindled substantially in the 1930s. The model was originally introduced for the “Century of Progress” exhibition in Chicago in 1933, and discontinued around 1939. No production figures exist for L-C’s shipped in the first few years, but the number is fairly small compared to the L-00 family. The L-C was a comparatively expensive instrument, listing at $50.00 (soon raised to $55) at the time, while the L-00 was in the $25-30 range. The finish shows typical moderate checking all over & a bit of finish wear to its back of its neck. With its relatively small maple body and spruce top the Century does not sound quite like any other flat top guitar, offering a powerful, well-defined yet still sweet tone. Overall she’s Exceptionally Clean & completely crack free & perhaps the cleanest example extent. Comes in a beautiful 40’s Brown Tolex hard case.