Customer Reviews

The Gibson L5

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book covers the evolution af the L5. It will be of interest to anyone interested in archtop jazz guitars. The book contains many beautiful pictures of L5 guitars and the players that made it famous. I highly recommend it to the jazz guitar enthusiast.

While I found the photos and facts to be worth the price of the book, steer clear of this one if you are sensitive to inattention to elements of clear writing. The author obviously has no sense of proper punctuation, which makes his often unclear writing style even harder to bear.

A very informative book for lovers of jazz guitars, - or to be more eksact for Gibson jazzguitar freaks. I keep on looking in this little book for informations I didn't catch when I first read it from the start, keep looking at the wonderful collection of pictures of L-5's, old advertisements and pictures from catalogs.

This homage to the Gibson L-5 guitar is written with deep knowledge and love by Adrian Ingram, and I thank him for sharing it with the rest of us.

I've owned 2 of these guitars and I love them. This book seemed to be about the only book that provided detailed information about the L5. It does provide some information, but in a haphazard fashion. The writing itself is bland. There are several pictures - very few really good ones. But, when you're starving for information about an iconic item that often gets glossed over in a page or two of Gibson histories, this book may seem like a godsend.

HOWEVER, recently my eyes were opened by a book written by Tom Van Hoose entitled "The Gibson Super 400, The Art of the Fine Guitar." This book has been out for quite a while; don't know why I waited so long to get to it. The"Super 400" book is much more informative, far better organized, has an interesting and accessible writing style, and it's gorgeous color plates far outshine those in Ingram's book. By comparison, Ingram's "The Gibson L5" seems to have been dashed out like a student who's waited until the last moment to do his homework. Best of all, Van Hoose's book has an extensive chapter and supporting data on the L5. Van Hoose provides more information about the L5 in a single, large chapter (along with supporting appendices) than Ingram provides in his entire book.

So, buy Van Hoose's book first. If you're not satiated by that, then buy Ingram's book, but don't expect the same quality of writing (or images).

Good, easy read. Must read if you're an owner of a L5 or L5ces. The complete history, including cosmetic and structural changes implemented as the years progressed, including the damage Norlin did when they took over Gibson (think greed). Lots of pictures, along with shipping totals per year. How the Byrdland was modeled as a mini-L5ces. Transitions between Venetian and Florentine, and reasons for many other changes. Why certain people quit, and many other interesting tidbits.