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1951 Gibson L-7C/Benedetto 7 String

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Serial #: A-7877

Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 25 1/2" Nut Width: 2"

Materials: Hand-carved solid spruce top; highly figured tiger-flame maple back; three-piece maple maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl inlays; solid bone nut.

Hardware: Hand carved Benedetto solid ebony hardware includes harp tailpiece, compensated adjustable bridge, countoured suspended pickguard. Gold Grover Imperial tuners, Benedetto signature floating pickup with volume control, endpin jack.

Notes: Chicago guitarist Dick Curtis was a renowned performer on the Windy City jazz scene, and finished his long career in the Phoenix area. Inspired by seven string pioneer George Van Eps, Curtis sought out a a top-quality acoustic 7 string, but found them all but unavailable. And so Dick sent his prized 1951 Gibson L-7C to a young luthier named Bob Benedetto, with instructions to send it back with a low A string. And the result is this unique and utterly remarkable guitar.

The striking 7 string neck was hand carved by the maestro himself of highly figured of tiger flame maple, with a mahogany back plate, ebony fingerboard and heel, and peghead facing of Carpathian elm burl, with Bob's signature pearl script inlay logo. Bob also carved all the solid ebony hardware by hand, installed his own floating pickup, and completed the job with his own impeccable amber blonde nitro finish.

Carved of all-solid tonewoods, this one-of-a-kind guitar shows exceptional figure in the bookmatched tiger flame maple body, and a finely carved soundboard of beautifully aged quartersawn fine grain Sitka spruce. At just a hair over 6lb, this guitar is notably lightweight and resonant, and well balanced on the lap or the strap.

Lovingly maintained, the guitar shows no pick, buckle, thumb or fingerboard wear, and only some smooth arm wear on lower bass bout. A single short hairline crack below the treble soundhole has been soundly cleated and resealed. Smooth low action over Benedetto's original medium jumbo fretwork on the solid ebony fingerboard with 2" nut, over a very comfy, gently flattened D neck profile. The instrument has the depth and resonance only tonewood aged over six decades can produce.

Both Bob and Cindy Benedetto remember the instrument and its owner fondly. Never-to-be-duplicated, and an unforgettable playing experience. One only. Ever. Call now.

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.

Case: Deluxe arched black arched plush lined hardshell case.

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