1955 Gibson LG-1

When it was first introduced in 1947, the LG-1 was Gibson's least expensive flat-top. By adding a third member to the LG family—a line launched in 1942 and designed with war-era shortages and economics in mind—Gibson sought to capture the burgeoning lower-end market in the post-war era. According to the 1950 catalog, the LG-1 was "ideal for students or the guitarists desiring a low priced model." Conceived as a budget option to the LG-2, the LG-1 had a darker sunburst, which covered imperfections better than the lighter sunburst of the LG-2. Because of that, wood selection didn't have to be as rigorous on the LG-1. While that external difference may seem somewhat negligible, the internal difference in construction had a tremendous impact on sound. The more expensive LG-2 was X-Braced, while the LG-1 has straight-across ladder bracing. On a small body, ladder bracing produces a similar warm sound but with more bark and more bite—an excellent fit for blues and folk music that is a roughe