1952 Gibson L-7C, in very good condition.
This early 1950s model is an excellent example of the 17-inch archtop acoustic guitar that had been produced in Kalamazoo for almost two decades by then — a breed of instrument that was at the time on the verge of extinction at Gibson. The guitar exhibits all the typical features of the era: a finely carved spruce top with a Sunburst finish; solid maple sides and back, with a sober figured pattern on the back. The neck and headstock are single-bound, with alternating white-black-white triple binding around the body. The neck is made of two pieces of maple with a mahogany center stripe, topped with a rosewood fingerboard. The fretboard inlays are in a double parallelogram pattern, with the crown traditionally inlaid on the headstock below the Gibson logo. The solid-base rosewood adjustable bridge and nickel-plated tailpiece are original; only the Kluson tuners initially installed were replaced with a set of repro Schaller tuners.
The Factory Order Number, which is the number used to track the production of each instrument at the Kalamazoo factory, indicates a build date in 1952; the white “Artist” label affixed to the back of the instrument indicates a shipping date around May 1953. This guitar is one of 172 L-7Cs shipped that year, the model’s peak production. At this time, Gibson’s production was increasingly dominated by electric instruments, so much so that the acoustic archtops, the brand’s pioneering instruments, were losing favor with guitarists year after year, until only a few dozen or so were produced annually by the time the following decade came around. Today, they are once again appreciated for what they are: guitars with a refined sound, suited to a wide variety of styles. Far from being top-of-the-line, the L-7 is an excellent piece of craftsmanship made entirely of solid wood, identical in construction to an L-5 and differing only in its finishing elements.
Ultimately, this model rivals many more expensive carved-top Gibsons and is without a doubt a professional instrument in its own right, then and now. This guitar has been adapted for amplified playing with a period-correct DeArmond FHC pickup. We have focused on fully adjusting all the elements to achieve ideal playability and intonation: fret levelling, nut adjustment, and action and intonation adjustment at the bridge.
The guitar is in perfect playing condition and comes in its original Geib hardshell case.
