One family owned, in immaculate unplayed condition!
 
🎸 About the 2001 Gibson L-5 Custom / Signature (James Hutchins Master Label)
Key Points:
This is a Custom Shop L-5 built under the supervision and signed by James W. Hutchins, one of Gibson’s most respected master builders.
Because of Hutchins’ involvement, instruments with his Master Label signature are particularly desirable to collectors and players alike.
Master Label guitars — indicating an instrument built by hand in the Gibson Custom Shop with Hutchins’ oversight.
🪵 Build & Specs
A 2001 Gibson L-5 Signature Master Label
Body: Solid carved spruce top with AAA flame maple back and sides.
Neck: Highly figured maple 5-piece with walnut strips.
Fingerboard: Ebony with pearl block inlays.
Binding: Multi-ply binding on top, back, neck and headstock.
Hardware: Gold hardware, ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge, L-5 trapeze tailpiece, Grover keystone tuners.
Finish:  vintage sunburst,  high-end nitrocellulose lacquer.
Signature: “Master Label built by James W. Hutchins” inside the body.
📍 Why the James Hutchins Signature Matters
James W. Hutchins was a long-time Gibson luthier who helped guide archtop construction in the Custom Shop. Guitars signed by him (“Master Label”) are prized because:
They represent hand-built, individually overseen craftsmanship at one of Gibson’s finest periods.
His signed instruments are comparatively rare, especially from the early 2000s before the Custom Shop expanded production.
Hutchins also signed other archtops from this era (e.g., L-5CES and other models), and examples with his signature often fetch premium buyer interest compared to unsigned versions.
💰 Collectibility & Value
The Master Label L-5 Signature / Custom Shop from 2001 is significantly more collectible than a standard L-5 because of:
Low production numbers in the launch year.
Hutchins’ “built by” signature.
Exceptional tonewood quality and standards in the Custom Shop era.
These instruments often sell for high prices on the used market, often above typical standard L-5 CES models:
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