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Amazon.com. Seems they have a plan but not sure of the quality.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Which version? Early 16" snakehead or the later 17" version? There is someone on eBay that sells plans for the later version. I don't know how accurate they are but it would certainly get you in the neighborhood.

I have 1940 Gibson L-00_en from C Grellier, ...

Good L5 plans seem to be a kind of Holy Grail. I've never found them. You can learn things from the later "generic" L5s (Bluescreek has an "L5 mold" avail I believe), & some details about some earlier ones (gentle V-contour neck, 16" LB, 3 3/8 to 3 1/2"depth, 15/16"bridge/ 13deg breakover). Adrian Minarovic produced a set of plans for the Loar F5 which are drawn in fine detail and full of information explaining things that are not easily understood by looking at the drawings, but I've yet to find anything similar for the L5. (My problem is you have to actually have one to do it! )

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Dave
Milton, ON

I got these on eBay. Drawn by a guy named Wells. Not bad, they have profiles. I built one using my Benedetto 17" molds and the Gibson bracing. It's still in finish.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I only built one Benedetto archtop but I like the plan Terence has. I got it at amazon..spirit flute I think...for $15...good deal. It's same shape as Bene but with fatter horn and specs for electric. Not as detailed as Benedetto plan.

Hey Terence, out of curiosity, why the Filtertron? Was it a customer request?

Good pickup . Yes it was. By the way I'm looking for some L4 plans if anybody has seen any.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Not sure why know one ever things about us.

Blessings,

Kevin

Got any L4 plans/templates Kevin?

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Terence,

We don't have the L-4..... sorry. ( Your the first to request such ...if we get some more request we might consider doing them.... we are always drawing....... as of late ukulele stuff..... now have 3 arch top ukulele )

Filippo,

If you'll contact us off-site we will see if we can help. ( We don't actually sell plans but the templates....... but before we can make any templates or 3D cnc files we have to have all the cad files in place...... ) Let me know what information your needing and we will see if we can help.

Blessings,

Kevin

Thanks Kevin

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

If anyone can find plans of a Loar era 16" L5, I'd be very interested as well.

What era L5 are you looking for. Eddie Lang / Mother Maybell type or the newer styles?

I am sorry I can't be of any specific help. From my experience it is nearly impossible to do a reproduction without a real instrument at hand. So much of the information including plans are second and third hand. Again sorry I can't help you.

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Ken

I think the reason for the lack of plans for an L-5 are that the 17" archtop is way more popular, and the variation in the L-5 from year to year. You really need to be specific if you'd want to "copy" a certain era, which for Gibson, "era" can be as little as any given 2-year span.

I've have a body tracing, as well as graduation specs for a Loar-era K-5(same body as an L-5, but with an 8 string neck, making it a mandocello), and they match-up well with a friend's '53 Gibson tenor archtop(again, same body as the L-5; just another different neck), but by '53 they appear to have added some width to the ribs(making the body deeper). The body's outline, is, I believe, also shared with the J-200 flat tops, so if pressed for an outline, try to find one of those to trace, or plans(I believe they do exist for a J-200) for one.

I'm designing and building a 16" archie as we speak, and though I have both Loar-era tracing and graduation specs, as well as my friend's '53 at my disposal, I'm just taking "clues" from each one and doing my own thing for the rest. I suggest that you could do much the same; follow the general arching and graduation guidelines and rules, and brace it with tone bars or an X brace, or any other way you think might be cool, and call it good. I suspect you can't fail. An archtop instrument relies on the structure afforded by the carving of the plates themselves, and very little upon the bracing, so they are very unlike flat top guitars, which rely mostly upon their bracing for structure. In other words, where we don't have too much freedom to stray from the general bracing guidelines in the bracing of flat top instruments, archtop instruments allow a LOT of leeway.

I see. You're looking to build an electric-first version of it, not a purely acoustic version, which is the first thought that comes to my mind when I think "L-5".

My bad...

I had an L-5 Wes Montgomery model in the shop not that long ago. I was in the middle of drawing up plans but stopped after I realized there wasn't anything I wanted to copy. The top was 9/16" thick in the center with gigantic parallel braces. It weighed a ton. I did get some arches off of it....just because. However, I would love to get a hold of an old 16" version.

over a half inch thick, and still braced...? wow

Here is one for Mario...Phil X playing a Mother Maybelle guitar...lol
Cool though.
http://youtu.be/u7bYlUzHrfk
http://youtu.be/u7bYlUzHrfk

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Ken

The guy is a fine player, alright. And he also happens to be playing a Wes with my favorite Gibson finish--wine red. One of the visual aspects of Gibson cutaway archtops that appeals to me is the symmetrical arching across the upper bouts. Of course, this leads to a pretty tall binding ledge in the deepest part of the cutaway. I have never seen a source for binding strips that tall (or maybe "wide" is more accurate). Where do people find that binding material?

Another request: Seems to me the binding ledge would need to be cut with a router set at a fixed height. A guide bearing could register against the guitar side, as usual, but the router base couldn't register off the edge of the top. The body could be leveled and held in a fairly standard fixture. I can think of two ways I might rig all that up, but would like to see how others do it.

Filippo, based on what we've seen of your building skill, I see no reason why you shouldn't develop the body, horn and arching shapes from the various available resources and then do your own graduations and internal bracing to your personal preferences and what your ear tells you as you tap, press, and scrape.

Veering a little off topic, but I've see archtop builders who arch all their plates as "full bout" instruments (to get that symmetry) and then just cut out the cutaway if needed. I've only done one that way and the tall binding in the cutaway was a PIA. (I cut the binding ledge all the way 'round with my williams jig, then cut the deeper floor from horn tip through cutaway by hand.)

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Dave
Milton, ON

One thing about the 9/16" top thickness comment - while this is an acoustic electric, and some may argue which of more, I'm unconvinced that he goal is to make it as acoustic as possible.

Les Paul proved that 70 years ago....

http://youtu.be/PrLwh3Jh2OQ

http://youtu.be/rhdAWQaEsjA

But on the other hand, we can also build an acoustic-first archtop, and with various soundboard and bridge transducers, amplify its natural acoustic tone(while fighting the feedback demons, but hey, that's the price we must pay..<g>). That's the direction I'm headed toward with my 16" archtop build, so I definitely won't be doing a 9/16" thick top. The tone you're after will undoubtedly be helped by the very thick/stiff/heavy top, and for this kind of build, all you really need as far as a plan goes is the body outline.

Sure, they are more electric than acoustic but a top that is over a half an inch thick is a bit much. I've done "electric archtops" but I just left the top a bit thicker...about 1/4" down the center, going down to 1/8" with parallel braces. Which is essentially x-bracing graduations with parallel braces. On the back I left a bit more meat in the recurve. It strikes a pretty good balance between a nice acoustic sound and feedback resistance. I've not done the tall binding in the cutaway as I dislike the look but I would think you would have to buy the plastic in sheets and rip it down to the sizes you need. I'm not sure what wisdom you're looking for but you could email Mark Campellone with any questions you might have. He's answered all the questions I've ever asked of him and I can't think of anyone else who would be better to ask.

well stated about the symmetrical arching and the cutaway.

Nowadays the feedback problem need not be an issue. With the sound reinforcement possibilities that we have now, even Eric Clapton and John Mayer can play with a full band and be right in the mix without even overdriving the amp. Then you get to hear the full beauty of the L5 coming through. Wes Mongomery even sounded overdriven at times in some of his recordings when he was trying to get loud.

Personally, I would not go the "thick plate rout". All of that can be controlled better with bracing.


Mario, what is your goal for your L5?

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Ken

I have a source for thick binding if you want. It is expensive because it is historically correct material. email me.

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Ken