The following content is related to the October 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.
The L-00 (along with similar L-0 and L-1 models) was one of the best flattop acoustic guitar bargains, from its introduction during the Great Depression all the way through the mid Nineties, when collectors discovered how truly incredible these “budget” guitars are.
Though the guitar had a small body, its light X-bracing, thin finish and high-quality materials added up to provide sweet tone, assertive output and incredibly even balance, which made L Series flattops a favorite of blues and fingerstyle guitarists like Robert Johnson and Norman Blake. In recent years, the price of an original L-00 has soared to the $4,000 to $7,000 range, but the new Epiphone EL-00 Pro brings the model back to its original low-cost/high-performance status and includes the modern upgrade of a built-in Fishman Sonitone preamp and Sonicore pickup system.
