"A Century of Progress" was the name ascribed to Chicago's World's Fair of 1933-34. The Gibson Company, capitalizing on this event, unveiled a guitar for this exposition. In honor of the fair it was named the Century Model Style L-C. The L-C was a unique Gibson because of the liberal adornment of white pearloid, a variety of celluloid designed to imitate mother-of-pearl. The L-C was produced by Gibson from 1933 to 1941.I bought my Gibson L-C on eBay a couple of years ago. It is about a 1938, and oh, the sound… The curly maple gives this instrument spunk. The top seems to be unusually thin, contributing, no doubt, to her responsiveness. This guitar is the quintessence of the sound I love: bold, sassy, crisp; yet she offers a hauntingly complex and resonant “aftertaste” (which I suspect is due in part to her age). Click this link to read more about:
The 1933-1941 Gibson "Century of Progress"
The renowned songwriter and performer Elvis Costello owns a 1936 "Century" and it is his favorite instrument. (I can understand why!) An authentic re-creation of Costello's L-C, the Gibson Elvis Costello Century of Progress Signature acoustic guitar, is a carefully crafted recreation of the acoustic that Costello used to record and perform many of his songs.
Although I generally prefer vintage guitars over new, one great thing about going with the new Elvis Costello "Century" is that you start off everything new--with perfect action and intonation and a nice, tall saddle height--and, of course, everything is covered by a great Gibson warranty! And if you buy from Musician's Friend, you'll never find a lower price. I have purchased a number of instruments from Musician's Friend, and have been completely happy with them all. And they offer free shipping and an excellent no-hassle return policy. For more details about the Elvis Costello Century of Progress Signature acoustic guitar, just click on the link below:
Gibson Elvis Costello Century of Progress Signature Model Acoustic Guitar Vintage Sunburst
