This guitar is in excellent condition. Read description from when it was sold a few years ago below. I made a few updates, so now this is not only in immaculate condition, it's also a versatile player:

New bone nut (previous one was low). Refret with period correct wire. I will throw in a repro pickguard that I had made for it. I also had a new saddle custom made to accomodate a plain G. I will include both this and the original saddle. This guitar was previously owned and used by guitar legend Marc Ribot. This guitar has a robust, loud character. Loads of vibe. There is an incredible amount of definition in the sound of each note played on it. Sounds amazing with a Rhythm Chief pickup on it!




Gibson L-7 Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1946), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 98710, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; laminated maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, period black hard shell case.

This lovely Gibson L-7 was made a just after end of WWII, when the company was just starting to get back to full time instrument production. The L-7 was Gibson's lowest priced pro-grade 17" archtop guitar, a staple of the company's line for many years. Features specific to this era include the headstock logo (still the pre-war Gibson script) and the tuners, wartime flat-base Kluson individual units with riveted gears and plastic buttons. The neck has a fairly chunky profile, though not so thick as some wartime guitars..

The warm sunburst top and dark finished back have thick triple celluloid binding; the fingerboard and headstock are single-bound. The rosewood fingerboard features the double parallelogram inlay that became a post-war Gibson trademark. The tailpiece and bridge are typical Gibson fittings; the pickguard has gone missing over time. We originally got this L-7 directly from Mark Ribot in 2010, this was a working instrument for him for some time before that. It has seen further professional use since then and remains a wonderful player with a quite versatile tone, well capable of sounding sweet while having a substantial reserve for pushing into swing rhythm territory.
 
Overall length is 42 3/8 in. (107.6 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).

Despite decades of professional use this remains a lovely original guitar; there is some scuffing and checking to the finish on the face with small dings, pick scratches and chips here and there, but overall it is nicely preserved. The back of the neck has several dings down by the heel, but most of the surface is surprisingly clean. There are no cracks to the instrument, which is kind of amazing. The original frets have been crowned down a bit and show only minor subsequent wear as does the fingerboard. This is a very fine sounding L-7 that has served several excellent players well over its 75 years on the planet. It is housed in a solid and correct period cast that is fine for storage but has only a single functioning hinge remaining. Excellent - Condition.

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Listeda month ago
ConditionExcellent (Used)
Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • L-7
Finish
  • Sunburst
Categories
Year
  • 1946
Made In
  • United States
Pickup
  • None
Fretboard Material
  • Rosewood
Color Family
  • Brown
Body Shape
  • Archtop
String Type
  • Steel
Right / Left Handed
  • Right Handed
Number of Strings
  • 6-String
Model Family
Neck Material
  • Mahogany
Finish Pattern
  • Sunburst
Sides Material
  • Maple
Finish Style
  • Gloss
Top Material
  • Spruce
Series
Back Material
  • Maple
Active Preamp
  • No
Number of Frets
  • 19

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Xander's Gear Garage

Winooski, VT, United States
Joined Reverb:2020

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