Gibson 1928 L-1 Blues Tribute Vs Keb Mo Bluesmaster

[kswilson89]

Has anybody had a chance to A/B these guitars? It seems they're similar in spec, 12-fret, adi/mahog, 25" scale length... I'm not sure if the bracing is different but the only significant difference I can see is the body size

[zabdart]

I'm not certain about this, but the early L-1's were built without the top braces tucked under the kerfing which attached the top to the sides. This tended to make the tops extremely fragile and if Gibson is making exact copies of them (pretty unlikely), it might be a good idea to look inside the soundhole with a light and a mirror. I'm not sure either when Gibson started making flattop versions of the L-1. The original versions of the model were archtops, so you're going to get a different sound from them.

[jjunk]

I have A/B'd these two actually... and I fell in love with the L-1. Left the store with it. This was not an easy decision. I had been debating between the two as well.

Both of them are beautiful and have the most comfortable neck I've ever played, but I've always been a fan of beefier necks. They feel very similar to one another. Obviously you cannot go wrong between these two Gibsons, but some reasons I prefered the Blues Tribute:

- Less cosmetic bling & prettier sunburst... very simple and classic.
- The L-1 is clearly a lighter build! Weights less and felt more alive and resonant.
- No factory pickup (yes, this was a positive for me, if anything I will put a K&K in it eventually).
- It just has a certain woody "growl" to it, it has character! The Keb Mo sounded incredible too (and slightly more full), but the L-1 had an unexplainable, almost emotional character that I could not get my mind off of. Sometimes fingerpicking in a certain way will bring out unexpected bass and volume that hard picking will not... it's a bluesy guitar and isnt always in the mood for hard strumming.

Sidenote: Martin makes a "Light / Medium" string gauge (12.5's) and for whatever reason those really made it come alive (more so than Mediums or the stock Lights).

These are both fantastic guitars.