Bob Dylan fans love to speculate about Bob Dylan’s guitars. Look what a spy snapped at the Gibson factory
By Stephen Pate – One day in 2006, musician and photographer Aaron Warren was touring the Gibson Bozeman plant. He spied something different in the final setup area.
There were two guitars with Bob Dylan’s work order attached.
Intrigued Aaron took a few snaps with his phone and posted them on Flickr. The guitars are labeled as Gibson LG-1, a model that has not been made since the 1960s. Bob Dylan’s first major guitar was a 1963 Nick Lucas Special, AKA Gibsons LG-2.
“He played this (Nick Lucas Special) guitar in the studio and on tour from 1963 to ’66, and used it for the legendary albums Another Side of Bob Dylan and Bringing it All Back Home.” Legendary Guitar: Bob Dylan’s Gibson Nick Lucas Acoustic: Gibson Archive
Gibson LG-1’s for Bob Dylan (Photo Aaron H. Warren creative commons)
“The day I toured the Gibson factory Bob Dylan called and ordered 2 guitars, this was one of them,” wrote Aaron Warren. “I was able to play it before Bob did.”
“Hey Bob, your strings are way too light and too low, but good choice of guitar!”
The LG-1 is a small body guitar with spruce top and mahogany sides and back, similar to the J-45 but smaller.
Gibson tech at setup bench – photo Aaron Warren creative commons
“This was the other guitar that Bob Dylan ordered. This guy takes care of all of the celebrity’s guitars.”
In 2006, Dylan was probably trying to find a smaller guitar that would accommodate the rumored arthritis he has. It is quite common for guitar players to get arthritis in their 60s due to overuse.
I couldn’t find anything but vintage LG-1’s for sale but Gibson does make the LG-2 as a custom guitar from time to time. Pictured below is the Gibson LG-2 Americana. You can find an assortment of LG-1’s and 2’s on Reverb.
Gibson LG-2 Americana SKU LS2AVSNH1
Here’s a video of a new LG-2.
The Gibson LG-2 is also sold in a natural finish as the Gibson LG-2 American Eagle Antique Natural Acoustic Guitar.
Gibson LG-2 American Eagle Small Body Series Antique Natural Acoustic Guitar ACLG2ANNH
Gibson LG-2
The Gibson LG-2 is a shorter scale, smaller-bodied version of the J-45 with the same mahogany back and sides, spruce top and scalloped bracing.
The neck is 1.725″ at the nut, 14-fret at the dovetailed body joint.
The rosewood fretboard has 19 frets, 24 3/4″ scale length and a 12″ radius.
This gentleman is selling his vintage LG-1 model and recorded this short video. Used LG-1 guitars sell for anywhere from $1,100 up, depending on the condition and age.
This sighting does add to the list of guitars that Dylan has played. I could not find a picture of Dylan and the LG-1 circa 2006.
Thanks to Aaron Warren for the photographs.
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