Gibson LG-1 1965 Transitional 1 5/8" Nut w/ Case
Description
No sales tax for US customers outside California.
The Gibson LG-1 is one of those small-body acoustics that serious players discover and then can't stop talking about. Rootsy, dry, punchy, and surprisingly loud for its size — ladder-braced mahogany back and sides with a spruce top, built in Kalamazoo at the peak of Gibson's small-body flat-top production. In 1965 alone, 7,839 of these shipped from the factory, the all-time high for any Gibson flat-top in a single year. The folk and blues boom was in full swing and these guitars were everywhere. Most of them were played hard. Clean examples in excellent condition are genuinely harder to find than the numbers suggest.
This one came in looking good and sounding promising, but the original plastic bolt-on bridge — Gibson's cost-cutting measure of the mid-60s that nobody defends — was not going to cut it. I replaced it with a proper rosewood bridge and set it up correctly, and the guitar now plays exactly as it should. Everything else is original and intact: spruce top, mahogany neck with a comfortable C profile, rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, original frets, original tuners, original pickguard. Condition is excellent — honest checking and light wear consistent with age, but nothing dramatic. It presents very well.
At 4 lbs 1 oz this is a genuinely lightweight guitar — comfortable for long sessions or slouchy couch playing in a way that larger, heavier instruments simply aren't. The neck measures .82" at the first fret and thickens naturally to 1.36" at the tenth, which is a comfortable, medium C profile that suits both fingerpicking and strumming. Action is set at 3/32" on both the first and sixth strings at the twelfth fret — right where it should be for a ladder-braced guitar strung with 12-53s.
Now, the detail that makes this particular example worth paying attention to: the nut width. In 1965 Gibson was mid-transition on the LG line, moving from the original 1-11/16" width toward the narrower 1-9/16" that defines the later 60s examples. This guitar lands in the middle at 1-5/8" — wider than the slim-neck versions that fingerpickers often find cramped, and a genuinely comfortable width for a broad range of playing styles. It's a sweet spot that the pure narrow-nut 1965-68 guitars don't offer, and players who know to look for it specifically seek these transitional examples out.
The original alligator-grain chipboard case is included — the correct period case for this guitar and a nice survivor in its own right.
As with all instruments at Mahar’s Vintage Guitars, it has been fully inspected, photographed accurately, and professionally set up to play its absolute best.
We buy, sell, and take trades.
Excerpts from real online end-user reviews:
“LG-1s have that dry, rootsy tone you can’t fake.” – The Gear Page
“Perfect for blues and folk fingerpicking.” – Acoustic Guitar Forum
“Small-body Gibsons record beautifully.” – Harmony Central
“Transitional nut width makes these very playable.” – Reddit r/AcousticGuitar
“Real vintage vibe without the vintage price.” – Ultimate Guitar
Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site
Martin Acoustic Guitars
Gibson Acoustic Guitars
Fender Amplifiers
Specs:
Color: Sunburst
Weight: 4lbs 1oz
Top: Spruce
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Profile: C
Fretboard: Rosewood
Inlays: Dot
Frets: Original
Fret Count: 20
Nut: Original
Nut width: Transitional 1-5/8"
Radius: 12"
Scale: 24.75"
Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .82"
Neck thickness at 10th Fret: 1.36"
Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
Overall length: 39-1/4"
Body length: 19"
Lower bout: 14-5/16"
Waist: 9-5/8"
Upper bout: 11-1/8"
Body depth/thickness: 4-1/2"
String gauge: 12-53
Pickguard: Original
Bridge: Replaced / Repaired
Tuners: Original
Case: Original Chipboard Alligator Case
Notes:
Shipping policy:
There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site. Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver. For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for Eastern states - customers from any state that is more than a 3 day UPS ground shipment from our shop will get their shipment via UPS 3 day air. Otherwise, ground shipping will be used. Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions. If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to . Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.
The Gibson LG-1 is one of those small-body acoustics that serious players discover and then can't stop talking about. Rootsy, dry, punchy, and surprisingly loud for its size — ladder-braced mahogany back and sides with a spruce top, built in Kalamazoo at the peak of Gibson's small-body flat-top production. In 1965 alone, 7,839 of these shipped from the factory, the all-time high for any Gibson flat-top in a single year. The folk and blues boom was in full swing and these guitars were everywhere. Most of them were played hard. Clean examples in excellent condition are genuinely harder to find than the numbers suggest.
This one came in looking good and sounding promising, but the original plastic bolt-on bridge — Gibson's cost-cutting measure of the mid-60s that nobody defends — was not going to cut it. I replaced it with a proper rosewood bridge and set it up correctly, and the guitar now plays exactly as it should. Everything else is original and intact: spruce top, mahogany neck with a comfortable C profile, rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, original frets, original tuners, original pickguard. Condition is excellent — honest checking and light wear consistent with age, but nothing dramatic. It presents very well.
At 4 lbs 1 oz this is a genuinely lightweight guitar — comfortable for long sessions or slouchy couch playing in a way that larger, heavier instruments simply aren't. The neck measures .82" at the first fret and thickens naturally to 1.36" at the tenth, which is a comfortable, medium C profile that suits both fingerpicking and strumming. Action is set at 3/32" on both the first and sixth strings at the twelfth fret — right where it should be for a ladder-braced guitar strung with 12-53s.
Now, the detail that makes this particular example worth paying attention to: the nut width. In 1965 Gibson was mid-transition on the LG line, moving from the original 1-11/16" width toward the narrower 1-9/16" that defines the later 60s examples. This guitar lands in the middle at 1-5/8" — wider than the slim-neck versions that fingerpickers often find cramped, and a genuinely comfortable width for a broad range of playing styles. It's a sweet spot that the pure narrow-nut 1965-68 guitars don't offer, and players who know to look for it specifically seek these transitional examples out.
The original alligator-grain chipboard case is included — the correct period case for this guitar and a nice survivor in its own right.
As with all instruments at Mahar’s Vintage Guitars, it has been fully inspected, photographed accurately, and professionally set up to play its absolute best.
We buy, sell, and take trades.
Excerpts from real online end-user reviews:
“LG-1s have that dry, rootsy tone you can’t fake.” – The Gear Page
“Perfect for blues and folk fingerpicking.” – Acoustic Guitar Forum
“Small-body Gibsons record beautifully.” – Harmony Central
“Transitional nut width makes these very playable.” – Reddit r/AcousticGuitar
“Real vintage vibe without the vintage price.” – Ultimate Guitar
Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site
Martin Acoustic Guitars
Gibson Acoustic Guitars
Fender Amplifiers
Specs:
Color: Sunburst
Weight: 4lbs 1oz
Top: Spruce
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Profile: C
Fretboard: Rosewood
Inlays: Dot
Frets: Original
Fret Count: 20
Nut: Original
Nut width: Transitional 1-5/8"
Radius: 12"
Scale: 24.75"
Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .82"
Neck thickness at 10th Fret: 1.36"
Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
Overall length: 39-1/4"
Body length: 19"
Lower bout: 14-5/16"
Waist: 9-5/8"
Upper bout: 11-1/8"
Body depth/thickness: 4-1/2"
String gauge: 12-53
Pickguard: Original
Bridge: Replaced / Repaired
Tuners: Original
Case: Original Chipboard Alligator Case
Notes:
Shipping policy:
There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site. Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver. For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for Eastern states - customers from any state that is more than a 3 day UPS ground shipment from our shop will get their shipment via UPS 3 day air. Otherwise, ground shipping will be used. Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions. If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to . Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.