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1950 Gibson L-7C
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Serial #: A-5336
Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 25.4" Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Finish: Sunburst finish, nitrocellulose lacquer type.
Materials: Hand-carved solid spruce top; solid figured maple back; three-piece maple neck; rounded Venetian cutaway; Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with split-parallelogram mother of pearl inlays; solid bone nut.
Hardware: 100% original hardware includes beveled black 5-ply pickguard, Kluson Deluxe tuners with single ring tulip keys, Gibson compensated adjustable rosewood bridge, nickel triple paralellogram L-7 tailpiece.
Notes: Was it a custom order? Or just a happy mixup at the factory? We'll probably never know, but this handsome and unique guitar is the splendid result.
The Gibson cutaway L-7C model was produced between 1948 and 1972, and was constructed with the same body size, bracing and scale length to its costly cousin, the L-5C. From the third year of production, this L-7C is one of just 115 produced in its model year, and has been kept in superb all original condition. A stunningly well preserved instrument with finely figured bubble maple back, this guitar is notable in that it was finished with a full L-5 sunburst, including back, sides, neck and peghead, rather than the typical top-only burst commonly seen on the L-7. (Apart from its nickel hardware, this guitar as finished is otherwise identical to an L-12C.) Of the scores of original L-7s we have encountered over the years, this remarkable guitar is the only fully burst example we have seen to date.
At just 5lb, 8oz (2.50kg) this guitar is a particularly lightweight example, with exceptional acoustic volume, clarity and projection. All orginal sunburst finish is intact and in superb condition, without cracks, pick, or buckle wear. Apart from a bit of normal thumbwear and a single finish scratch near the bass soundhole, the guitar appears remarkably pristine; even the typical checking one expects in a 50+ year old finish is virtually absent. The neck is straight, with a gently rounded profile, and action is smooth and low over fine original fretwork. A true 50's vintage Gibson jazzer with a magnificent voice, at a fraction of the cost of a comparable L-5, this one-of-a-kind beauty is the rarest of rare birds.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as needed; 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.
Case: Deluxe plush hardshell case.
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