Gibson B-25, F-25 - what do these guitars sound like - why were they discontinued?

[Osage]

Originally Posted by abn556

LG meant Little Guitar - not Ladies Guitar.

This has been said for years. Have also seen Ladies Guitar and Learner Guitar but I've never seen a single bit of evidence that it's true. It doesn't appear in any Gibson advertising or literature from the day. There's also the issue that when it was introduced in 1942, The LG wasn't a terribly little guitar by anyones standards. Gibson had been using the "L" designation on tons of models, large and small, starting in 1902 and I believe the LG designation was just an extension of that. The guitars they were replacing in the lineup were the L-series flattops and although I have no idea what it stood for, if anything, I think the G was just a way to signify the newer models from the old ones.

[Steve DeRosa]

For some reason the Kalamazoo-era Epiphone equivalents - the Caballero and Cortez - always sounded better to my ears...

[ribsareyummy]

I've never played one, but I've seen Rhett Miller of the Old 97s play his B-25 a lot on his home livestreams. Guy owns and has played a lot of guitars over the years, he says something about that one makes it his #1.

[Zampan0]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I'd say the LG-0 and B-15 were really the student grade models, even though they can sound pretty good and be converted to X bracing and be even better.

The LG-1, even though it was marketed as a student model as well, is built every bit as good as the more expensive models. I had an LG-1 and the sunburst was to die for. I foolishly traded it but hope to get another one day.

Gibson took the best qualities of their L series and incorporated them into their B series in 1962 to make a superior guitar. In the late 1960s, Gibson began X-bracing the b-25 to give it a bit more volume.
There is something very special about a b-25 no matter the year of its manufacture. While a guitar's tone is subjective, very few guitars - if any - will maintain the same tone at the high end of the scale as Gibson's b-25.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2SiOb3nI2Y

[abn556]

I have a ‘63 LG-0. It came to me needing quite a lot of work. The old plastic bridge and saddle had to be replaced and the guitar needed a lot of brace and top work. Even with all that done, the small body, ladder braced, all mahogany guitar is limited tonally. The guitar has very midrange focused voicing and gets very woofy on the lower register. It does seem to have a nice fingerpicked tone, but digging in hard with pick can overwhelm the top. It could never be a primary player, but is a fun size to pick up and noodle on while sitting on the couch.

The Pros are its from the era where they all had Brazilian fingerboards and old growth Honduran mahogany. The neck is a very small slim taper profile. Very fast and with the action low, it plays like an electric.

[Zampan0]

"The neck is a very small slim taper profile. Very fast and with the action low, it plays like an electric."

Along with their tone and size, that's the main reason that I love them.

[Zampan0]

Originally Posted by Osage

This has been said for years. Have also seen Ladies Guitar and Learner Guitar but I've never seen a single bit of evidence that it's true. It doesn't appear in any Gibson advertising or literature from the day. There's also the issue that when it was introduced in 1942, The LG wasn't a terribly little guitar by anyones standards. Gibson had been using the "L" designation on tons of models, large and small, starting in 1902 and I believe the LG designation was just an extension of that. The guitars they were replacing in the lineup were the L-series flattops and although I have no idea what it stood for, if anything, I think the G was just a way to signify the newer models from the old ones.

Thank you, finally someone who has done the research that dispels what is mistaken 'common knowledge' misinformation. Gibson has made several mistakes over the years and not publicly correcting widespread disinformation about their product is one of them. From speaking with knowledgeable luthiers and high-end music vendor reps, Gibson is not as good as it used to be, so imo, buy a vintage Gibson. The 1990s Gibson Montana division being the exception.