Two stories for Gibson’s LG series:

													
													
													
Mrs. Blandon lived in a small white house right on the road at the foot of Neville's driveway.  One day, about 12 years ago (before the snow blower), after a big snow, Neville had started at the top of his driveway around 7:00 in the morning.  It was a very heavy, wet snow and it had taken Neville until 11:00 to finish clearing his drive.  At the bottom, he looked across at the Blandon's driveway.  Old man Blandon had been really nice to Neville ever since he moved in, and now Reed was about 83 and had a heart condition.  Neville's hands were blistered and he was sore, but he looked at the Blandon's very short driveway and thought, "I'd better clear their driveway for them." Even if he did clear their drive he knew they wouldn't go anywhere, it was just that with it snowed-in Neville knew they felt trapped.  In an emergency they would not be able to get out and Neville reasoned that might cause unneeded anguish so he set to work shoveling their driveway.  He was just starting on a path to their mailbox, when Reed Blandon appeared at the door.

													
													You don't have to do that", he yelled.
													
													
Neville just looked at him and smiled and said, "You go on back inside Mr. Blandon and don't worry about anything".

													
													
													
It wasn't but two minutes later when the front door opened and Mr. Blandon reappeared and said, "When you finish up, I want you to come inside.  I got something I want you to have".

													
													
													
"OK", smiled Neville, wondering what it was all about?"  As he finished up, Neville could see Reed behind the glass watching him.  He finished the path and the drive and the front steps and broomed off the front porch.  As he approached, the door opened.

													
													
													
"Come in" spoke Reed Blandon softly.

													
													
													
Neville went in and Dana took his coat and asked, "Can I get you something to drink".

													
													
													
"Yes, please; a glass of water".  She disappeared to the kitchen as Neville turned to Reed in his recliner.

													
													
													
Reed asked, "You play the guitar, don't you?"  He pronounced "guitar" with the first syllable heavily accented as in "GUI-tar".

													
													
													
"Yes, I do", answered Neville matter-of-factly.

													
													
													
"Well", said Reed, "I want you to have my old 'GUI-tar'."  With that, he got up and walked to his front hall closet.  He was rummaging around inside the closet for a good four or five minutes and he came out with an old instrument wrapped in dry cleaning bags.  The headstock protruded from the package.  As he handed the bundle to Neville, all Neville could see was a gold banner on the headstock that was lettered in black "ONLY A GIBSON IS GOOD ENOUGH" along with the bold gold script lettering of "Gibson" at the top.

													
													
													
Neville was stunned.  Neville was speechless.  He was confused. "Mr. Blandon.  You don't have to give me your old Gibson guitar for shoveling your driveway".

													
													
													
The old man looked him directly in the eye and said, "I'm not giving it to you for shoveling my driveway.  I'm giving it to you because I want you to have it".

													
													
													
Another whole wave of emotion hit Neville.  He could feel his eyes moistening.  He felt overwhelmed.  Neville was stunned.  He spoke slowly.  "This is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me" he began.  "Let me tell you a couple things about this guitar right now. First, I will never sell this guitar.  God willing I live to be your age, I will pass it on to someone else with the same stipulation that they not sell it.  Second.  Every time I play this guitar I will think of you.  And third, next week, next month, next year, if you ever feel you made a mistake and you want it back, you just ask for it and you can have it back."

													
													
													
Dana had come back into the room with Neville's water and had witnessed all or most of what had been said and done.  She turned to Neville and said, "You wouldn't believe how many people have tried to separate Reed from that old GUI-tar in the past thirty years".

													
													
													
Neville played a couple songs for them, re-wrapped the guitar in the plastic dry cleaning bags and bade them farewell.  As he headed back home and stepped onto his own driveway, he ran into Candy who asked, "Where have you been?"

													
													
													
Neville held up the guitar and said, "Mr. Blandon just gave me his old Gibson guitar".

													
													
													
"For shoveling his driveway?" she asked skeptically.

													
													
													
"No.  Because he wanted me to have it", responded Neville.

													
													
													
Thinking back on that day now, Neville powered the snow blower in to clear Mrs. Blandon's driveway.  He had been doing this every storm for years since Reed had died.  One time, Dana came out and tried to pay him, but Neville just waved her off and replied, "Reed already paid me". To this day Neville is still pretty sure that this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him.

													
													
													
About a week ago, my lead guitar player (a stone mason by trade) was on his way to work and noticed the headstock of a guitar sticking out of a dumpster.  After about a mile, he pulled U-turn and headed back to check it out.  When he got closer, he too saw 'Gibson' on the headstock.  It is a Gibson L3, plays sweet and sounds great!  It needs a little work, but nothing that can't be fixed (It's a five string right now as the D-string post is missing and there is a small crack on the top.)  We are trying to get a handle on the date for this guitar.  The serial number is 869064.  On a web search, I came across your web page and thought I'd ask you what the serial number is on your '58.  His is blond on the top, back and sides, with white tuning head, open gears, and a small single white line around the sound hole.  Any thoughts?

													
													
													
I'd appreciate any information you might have and thought you'd like to hear a good story about a couple old Gibsons.  I'm playing out solo tomorrow night, and of course, I'll be playing the old '43.