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Vintage 1936 Gibson L-7 "Advanced Model"

In the world of Pre-War X-braced Gibson archtop guitars, the "Picture Frame" L-7 is in the "top five" list for any serious archtop enthusiast. One of the pinnacles of the big-band era, these rare versions of this model are breathtaking to behold - both visually but especially tonally. The x-bracing on these fully carved beauties offers a crystal-clear piano like voice. The 17" body allows for booming volume when hit with some right-hand force - capable of carrying over the horn section across the dance hall. The woods used on this model are long gone premium spruce and tiger flamed maple. Now 90 years old, guitars surviving from this era are only becoming more scarce and treasured as the years fly by.

This example is 100% factory original - playwear is light for an instrument of its age, mostly confined to some scattered lacquer nicks. The serial number reads 94145 on the white label which dates this to very early 1936. Now officially a 90-year-old instrument, it's amazing that not a single crack has formed on the guitar. There is a slight de-lamination on the neck's center strip by the heel (pictured) that is perfectly stable. There is also a small area of body binding that has separated from the rim on the back rim (pictured). The frets show minimal wear and the frets play evenly and without buzz over the entire range of the fingerboard.

Introduced in 1932, the Gibson L-7 was Gibson's most popular pro-sized acoustic archtop. Identical in all but cosmetics to the L-5, it remains an outstanding value in a true all-carved jazz guitar. Between 1934 and 1939 only, this model was produced with X-bracing on the top, a style popularized by D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Benedetto and countless contemporary top-end builders. This style of bracing produces a tone which is typically warm and sweet, with somewhat more sustain and bass response than parallel braced instruments.

The "Advanced Model" L-7 is remarkably sensitive to the touch, and is one of the few archtops prized by both pick and fingerstyle players alike. More ornate than the costly L-5, this striking model shows the delicate "picture frame" inlays in the fingerboard, and "vase and curlicues" pattern in the peghead, as seen in the classic Mastertone banjos of the 20's. A rare variant of the trapeze tailpiece with raised diamonds in an art-deco pattern may be seen as well, a version found on this model for a very short time only. With its powerful open voice, and exceptional clarity and warmth, this outstanding instrument combines versatile performance with a particularly attractive appearance.

This fine guitar would have been one of the first to be built with those 'picture frame' inlays, as well as the X-braced soundboard and smaller f-holes, as seen on Gibson archtops since the Loar era. It has been well cared for, with gleaming all-original Cremona sunburst finish, and original Grover Sta-Tite tuners. With handsome bubble maple figure under the deep walnut finish, the guitar also has the shallower arch of the prewar 'Advanced Model' archtops

This amazing archtop ships in a c.1970's Blue Plush-Lined Gibson hard case!

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