Gibson L-7 C Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1954), made in Kalamazoo, brown sunburst lacquer finish, solid spruce top and maple back and sides, laminated maple neck, brown original hard shell case.
An interesting 1950s cutaway solid wood arch-top guitar with some period-style modifications. This guitar is fitted out with a period Dearmond "guitar mike" pickup with single volume control for electric playing, and the very tip of the fingerboard extension above the 20th fret has been removed to facilitate the pickup. This results in the pickup being mounted slightly closer to the fingerboard than otherwise possible.
The neck on this guitar is a maple 3-piece with center laminate. The tailpiece is the correct period style but gold-plated, more normally seen on an L-12. White Gibson "artist" label inside, single bound neck and headstock, triple bound top and back, and parallelogram and crown inlay. Rosewood fingerboard and adjustable bridge.
The guitar has been refretted, the tuners replaced (an old set of gold-plated Grover Rotomatics with a good patina). The pickguard is a very well-done new bound celluloid repro and a strap button is added to the heel. The endpin is not original. The result of all this is a great-playing and sounding solid wood archtop guitar, well on par with many more expensive Gibsons. Includes original brown HSC in nice condition.
Overall length is 41 3/4 in. (106 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.).
Besides the modifications detailed above the guitar is in very good shape; the finish is excellent with light normal checking to the top and very few worn spots. Some wear to the back of the neck mostly on the bass side with areas down to the bare wood.
Plays and sounds excellent. Case has some wear to the covering but is fully intact.
