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1948 Gibson L-7
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Serial #: A-1836, white Kalamazoo label
Body size at lower bout: 17", Scale length: 25 1/2"
Finish: Dark tobacco sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.
Materials: Solid handcarved tiger flame maple back and neck; handcarved bookmatched solid spruce top; solid maple back and sides; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, split-parallelogram mother of pearl fingerboard inlays and "crown" headstock inlay; script pearl Gibson peghead logo, triple-bound body, bound fingerboard and headstock, original bone nut.
Hardware: Original nickel-plated trapeze tailpiece with raised parallelogram design; original compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge; correct recent triple-bound tortoise pickguard with Kent Armstrong floating pickup with volume control: exact replacement nickel Kluson Deluxe 16:1 tuners with correct single ring tulip pegs; adjustable truss rod, black strap button in heel.
Notes: 1948 was the year that Gibson premiered its classic postwar headstock logo, now probably the most famous musical trademark in the world. This guitar would have been one of the very first to sport that dramatic angular typeface, which Gibson has used to this day. A wonderful example, this instrument combines the rich open voice of half-century old wood with the pristine looks of an almost new guitar. The solid spruce top is hand carved from tight fine grain quartersawn wood, with attractive crossgrain silk throughout. The back is solid bookmatched flame maple with a dramatic chevron figure. And over it all, the original sunburst finish has been carefully oversprayed with a light lacquer overcoat, with a bit of aging toner added to the binding for a mellowed vintage look. A pair of cracks in the back have been so solidly resealed as to be barely visible in the dark walnut finish. Finally, the guitar is gig-ready with a state of-the-art Armstrong floating humbucker, on a deep tortoise triple bound Gibson style pickguard, with a mini-volume control and endpin jack. If you've been looking for a guitar with vintage tone, looks and craftsmanship but without the usual dings and scratches, wear and tear, look no further.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze strings (.013-.057). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Deluxe black plush lined hardshell case.
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