This is one of the coolest looking Gibson vintage guitars I came across in my career, the Gibson L- Century of Progress. The 'Century of progress event was a special international exhibition that took place in 1933 in Chicago in the middle of the Great Depression and commemorated the 100 years that had elapsed since its incorporation in 1833. The 1933 to 1934 Century of Progress exhibition attracted an unbelievable number of 48 million visitors. Gibson sought to capitalize on this event, focusing on the exhibition's emphasis on scientific progress. Gibson unveiled two instruments in 1933 that were decorated with the new material "pearloid", a celluloid plastic which had the look of pearl. The L-Century guitar and A-Century mandolin, and a L-75 featured pegheads and fingerboards covered with this material, Gibson produced these Century instruments from 1933 to 1941. This L-Century is cool beyond words, not only because it's a very rare find, especially over here in Europe, but also because it sounds cool. We had some rare instruments at TFOA, but this is one that i fell in love with immediately. A nice detail is that Richard Gere played this guitar in a TV show and actually wanted it but his busy scedual made the deal impossible somehow. We show the new owner were to find the related TV show clip.

The guitar has impressive features, a beautiful figured maple back, and matching sides, Adirondack spruce top, oh yes, and it's a first year edition with FON number in the lower 800's, a beautiful example in very good condition, This one is 80 years old, and all original except for a changed bone saddle, it has seen a neck-reset and it comes with low action and full height bone saddle,  original bone nut,  uncertain about the bridge, that looks a little shaved and altered, but it might be changed during the neck reset as well, nice fire-stripe pickguard still partially under the finish. This guitar seen a few crack repairs in the top, 2 in the lower bout and 2 running along the fretboard, also a jack-hole is filled, all are repaired, the back and sides are crack-free. Cosmetically and technically this is a beautiful guitar with relatively little signs wear of use, considering it's 80 year old, except there is lots of typical Gibson weather-checking. Specs include 45mm (1 3/4 ") nut width , 628mm (24 7/8 ") scale, 60mm (2 3/8") fingerspacing at the saddle, Gibson" script logo inlaid in the beautiful headstock, nice pearl details in the pearloid fingerboard. this is a exceptional nice sounding guitar, that plays like butter.  It's a bit brighter compared to a mahogany guitar, but with that typical vintage old wood warmth, that makes it sound very special. With after-market case.