The pre-war period from 1930 through to the early '40s is without doubt the golden era of Gibson's flat top and archtop guitar production, with many of the companies most iconic and most revered instruments being initially produced during this time. The growing market for big band instruments lead to a number of era defining arch tops being produced by Gibson, with guitars like the L-5 and Super 400 becoming the dominant, top of the line big band guitars.
The Gibson L-7 is one guitar from this period, introduced in 1933 as a more modest and inexpensive version of the L-5. This 1962 Gibson L-7C is a great example of a later period Gibson acoustic archtop. The L-7C features a hand carved Maple top with maple back and sides and a 3 piece maple neck, finished in a dark sunburst. The Maple neck is on the slimmer side and is effortlessly playable when compared to earlier Gibson arch tops. The cutaway option was initially introduced in 1948, but by 1956 was the only L-7 variation available. The larger 17" body size gives this L-7C plenty of volume and projection, making it perfect for acoustic jazz playing.
This guitar is in good condition for its age, with some signs of play wear and patina to the finish. The guitar has had some binding shrinkage as is common with these models, and some minor side separation was repaired by our luthiers when it arrived. The bridge has been replaced at some point, as have the tuners, and we believe the tailpiece to be a repro.
This guitar has been given a full service and appraisal by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty. It also includes a non original modern hard case.
