zizala Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Hi all... The '34 L-7 topic prompted some good discussion.....I haven't been a regular contributor here, but that sort of got me going. So why not a dedicated topic......all please jump in. I was asked to post some photos of my own L-7's.....and perhaps will follow up later with more details, comments or answer any questions. Suffice to say, I enjoy these guitars, they are regular players for me and all have a niche of their own...... I'd especially like to see photos of any L-7's played and owned by members here and gain from others experience and expertise. 1934 to present.....all are welcome! So here goes....first a few views of a 1934 L-7. 16" body, two straight lengthwise braces and "Nick Lucas" style inlays. This ones a 1937 "Advanced" L-7 17" body, X bracing and banjo "picture frame" inlays. The next two are my "acoustic-electrics"...... A factory black 1945 model with single McCarty pickguard/pickup unit 17", back to straight lengthwise braces. Gibson abandoned the X bracing circa 1939 This guitar had a rosewood crossbar on its trapeze tailpiece.....an occasional wartime feature. I swapped it out as I prefered the sound and utility of the brass. Post-war 1947 natural finish with double McCarty pickguard/pickup unit. 17" again 2 straight braces. Weathered "Punkin' orange" Sitka top. Someone loved and played this guitar for many years before it came to me. OK, more later.........its lunchtime.....hope you enjoy. Thanks, ziz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Ziz, you have a truly stunning collection there. What I wouldn't give just to own one of them. The 1934 L-7 looks immaculate. I don't see a blemish on it anywhere! Love the "picture frame" banjo inlays on the Adv. L-7. Gibson sure did some interesting FB inlays in the 1930s. Always something a little different for each of the different models. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 This is a GREAT idea for a thread. It is worth discussing the connection, or differences to the L-5. In most(?) cases, it comes down to only the fretboard being rosewood instead of ebony. Many prefer the impact on the sound of the guitar that rosewood has. For tone and playability, the L-7 could be THE best archtop a person could get their hands on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Great thread. OK, my turn. Here's my 1947 L-7, purchased from the original owner. I needed to "modernize" it for stage use and installed a Seymour Duncan designed Benedetto pickup, and volume control with chicken head knob on a repro L-5 non-cutaway pickguard, with an end-pin jack. I do have the original pickguard (slightly off-gassing), and original road-worn case which are stored away for the next owner, but they are nonfunctional for my purposes. This is my MAIN acoustic guitar. I use it for acoustic blues shows, jazz recordings, jazz combo, and SOME Big Band concerts (my L-5CES is still my go-to Big Band jazzbox), and any other situation that would call for an acoustic guitar. As mainly a jazz player, this guitar spends most of it's days strung with flatwounds, but for blues shows I restring it with rounds. I have said many times that the post-'42 "Advanced Body" (17") L-7 is the Gibson archtop with the best bang-for-the-buck. This L-7 would MOST LIKELY be my "stranded on a dessert island" guitar. For visual comparison purposes, as mentioned above, here's my L-7 and L-5 side-by-side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Here's my recently-purchased and somewhat "revived" 1947 (white label with A series serial number). It was filthy with 60+ years of cigarette smoke and grime. Structurally sound, but cosmetically a bit rough around the edges. Two questions for this thread: 1) best source for replacement finger rest (pickguard)? ( I have found L-5 style with fancier binding, but not the simpler L-7 version) 2) Strings you use for acoustic playing (rather than acoustic/electric)? And thanks to L-5 Larry for all his input while I was looking, and afterwards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 J45NICK (L-7NICK): For strings, I tend to use either round or flat "electric" strings, and they work great acoustically and give me the sound I want from my L-7. I don't like the sound of brass/bronze on it. Even though mine has been routed and has 2 Humbucks, it is still an acoustic monster, and that is how I usually play it. I think mine responds very well to a lot of different strings and gauges, but I have found on my particular guitar is that it does very well with "light" gauge strings, and stays loud even with 10's. And it seems to get a good growl with the flats when I go light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Man...Very tasty guitars and pics guys! Now, I am gasing for an archtop... ! J45Nick...you were inquiring about a source for a pickguard. I can vouch for Mirabella Guitars for making an exact replacemnt..http://www.mirabellaguitars.com/ Several years ago, I had him make one for a '68 Byrdland that I owned at the time. He does great work. Otherwise, keep checking Ebay as one may come up sometime. RRod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zizala Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 This is good! Nice to see a few more great looking L-7's...... One thing I've noticed, both here and out in the world.....there are lots of '47 L-7's around, and thats a good thing because 1947 was apparently a good year. Everyone digs their '47 it seems. L5Larry....... I agree completely about the versatility of these guitars. My 17" black and blonde are pretty well equipped to handle lots of musical diversity. Now as for me.....well thats a work in progress. stein...... My thoughts as far as the L-5, L-7 comparison.... I'd suppose it would take someone thats played a good number of both models, especially those built around the same time frame, to make some meaningful sonic comparisons. There are gems and duds and many somewhere in between that make absolutes difficult to declare. I've never owned an L-5......just played a few briefly at dealers or from friends that passed by. With that small experience I can say that one of the best 16" Gibsons I've played and heard was a '28 dot neck L-5. That was the one. After that among the 16" and 17" L-5's of the 30's I tried, all good guitars, but I felt pretty pleased with my L-7's in comparison. I had no great compulsion to sell these L-7's for an L-5. But if the right one came along....well I might be singing another tune. In addition to the rosewood vs ebony fretboard difference you mention, the 16" and 30's 17" Advanced L-7 had a mahogany neck, vs maple on the L-5. The two models did become more similar in construction when by the 40's the L-7 also had a maple neck. But looking at the L-5... there's the tonewood selection....was it just the pretty wood or tonal selection too....both? Who did the final carve, braces and assembly? One of the master builders? Did the L-5 get special attention on or off the factory assembly process? Those kind of questions come up and someone here might know the answer. I do think that there are exceptional L-7's and mediocre L-5's and vice versa.....but if you could play and hear a dozen of each, would the L-5 generally be a superior sounding guitar? I don't know. FWIW I might be inclined towards an Epiphone Deluxe! Of course my thoughts might not be as well informed as others, so anyone please correct me or add your information. Nick...... Thats a beautiful cleanup job on that '47! My '47 blonde above was also an extremely well used guitar. It came up from South Carolina....can't imagine the gigs that were played on this, but its fun to think about. I had to clean lots of "the guy" and plenty of nicotine off the thing.....but hey, it gave it that nice orange "patina". I've never seen such fret wear......the frets were worn almost down to the board all the way up to the 12th. Its a great guitar. To answer your string question.....I usually use 13-56 phosphor bronze or 80/20 round wounds for acoustic play. When I'm playing the McCartys as electrics I'll use roundwound nickel 12's but sometimes will stay with the mediums. It really depends on the guitar sometimes......and if you're getting the sound you like with lighter strings then stay happy. I agree with Retrorod on the recommend for Mirabella's replica pickguards. He seems to have the right celluloid on hand, both for thickness and color and has good attention to detail. Expect to pay over $150 and a fairly slow turnaround, but I've had three made and found them to be worth the wait. If most of your original pickguard is intact it would be a good idea to send that along when your order. OK....tired of typing....time for coffee..... 'til later, z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Got a great thread going here. Love all the really nice vintage Gibson archtops. Never owned an L-7 or L-5, but I am pretty sure the construction methods were primarily the same for all Gibson archtops. Machine carved tops, not hand carved. The big difference between them is materials and the fanciness of the trim. The L-5 and Super 400 being the most expensive and ornate of the line. Here's the Advanced L-7 as it appeared in Gibson's 1936 Catalog X, with the "picture frame" banjo style FB inlays Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zizala Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 Thats cool, Paul.... My '37 is a good match for the catalog image.......even has the shortlived trapeze crosspiece with the stacked diamond sort of motif. That was peculiar to L-7's from just this '36-37 period. The pickguard on mine had disintegrated.......but fortunately I had a multibound 30's L-5 pickguard in my parts stash that will do for now. Many people enjoy the X braced Gibsons of the 30's......my '37 is a great guitar, but I prefer to play my 40's models. Maybe its the big round necks and the longer 25.5" scale, but I like the sound too. My '37 has the shorter 24.75 scale as used on the 16" archtops and a rounded V neck. ziz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Sweet pics!! I just love the 16 inch L-7. Ziz, thanks for the information on the various sizes/shapes! I forgot I have a National/Gibson L-7. I have since put on a correct tailpiece and pickguard. Certainly a big difference over my 16 inch L10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 I love that "stacked diamond" style tailpiece. Simple yet elegant. The L-5 pickguard looks fine. Can't even really tell it's not original. Also a nice Gibson-made National 1135 archtop. Does it have a Gibson "set neck" or the National bolt-on Stylist neck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 This is good! stein...... My thoughts as far as the L-5, L-7 comparison.... I'd suppose it would take someone thats played a good number of both models, especially those built around the same time frame, to make some meaningful sonic comparisons. There are gems and duds and many somewhere in between that make absolutes difficult to declare. I've never owned an L-5......just played a few briefly at dealers or from friends that passed by. With that small experience I can say that one of the best 16" Gibsons I've played and heard was a '28 dot neck L-5. That was the one. After that among the 16" and 17" L-5's of the 30's I tried, all good guitars, but I felt pretty pleased with my L-7's in comparison. I had no great compulsion to sell these L-7's for an L-5. But if the right one came along....well I might be singing another tune. In addition to the rosewood vs ebony fretboard difference you mention, the 16" and 30's 17" Advanced L-7 had a mahogany neck, vs maple on the L-5. The two models did become more similar in construction when by the 40's the L-7 also had a maple neck. But looking at the L-5... there's the tonewood selection....was it just the pretty wood or tonal selection too....both? Who did the final carve, braces and assembly? One of the master builders? Did the L-5 get special attention on or off the factory assembly process? Those kind of questions come up and someone here might know the answer. I do think that there are exceptional L-7's and mediocre L-5's and vice versa.....but if you could play and hear a dozen of each, would the L-5 generally be a superior sounding guitar? I don't know. FWIW I might be inclined towards an Epiphone Deluxe! Of course my thoughts might not be as well informed as others, so anyone please correct me or add your information. Nick...... z Many good points here. Of corse, it will ALWAYS come down to particular guitars, as to which might be better. And, taste is just as important. The thought here, is that the L-5 and L-7 are so close to each other, that the differences are worth exploring, and for some, the "recipe" of how one is built over the other might make for the "potential" of one sounding better than the other. But again, if the minor differences were the only issue, it would still come down to individual samples as the bigger difference. Of corse, as you have pointed out, there are some era's where the differences would be more than minor. Mahogony vs maple neck. THAT could cause a guy to hear a real difference. But what about the 2 piece maple of the L-7 vs the 3 piece of the L-5? If it was only TONE, would one have potential to sound better? As for the tonewoods and care in construction, that would cover a BIG subject over many years. WHEN it was made would be a factor at least as much. Just judging from pics, it seems that a LOT of L-7's used woods that were every bit as stunning as used for the L-5. But also, some that were clearly not as stunning as some, but still with some interesting figure. But it SEEMS, for the most part, L-7's got the good stuff over other models. I don't actually have the amount of experience my postings might suggest. I have a '61, and have never owned any others. What i know (besides reading about, and threads like these) is limited to the L-5's I was trying and comparing to mostly when shopping for mine, and the few I have tried sinse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zizala Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 Terry, That National tweaks my curiosity......I've seen a few and they always do that! Sure enough I see the old familiar 17" L-7 body, but after that its all about the neck I suppose! The headstock looks like something Regal made. Seems like an odd relationship for Gibson to be in at the time, farming out those perfectly Gibsonesque archtop bodies. .....but then they managed to build a few Tonk Washburns that had me questioning my sanity. But selling partial guitars to be completed and stamped with another's name.......thats different. How do you like the sound? Do you enjoy playing this one? stein, Lets both be happy that an L-7 can be so good......I certainly don't have the dough to spend on an L-5! Lots of fun to be had with the lesser lights. z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Seems like an odd relationship for Gibson to be in at the time, farming out those perfectly Gibsonesque archtop bodies. .....but then they managed to build a few Tonk Washburns that had me questioning my sanity. But selling partial guitars to be completed and stamped with another's name.......thats different. Ziz, the Gibson - National/Valco relationship does make sense given the fact that CMI (Chicago Musical Instruments) owned Gibson in the 1940s - 1970 and they were also the sole distributor for National. They put the deal together between Gibson & National, because National wanted to put out a standard guitar line, but did not have the capabilities of manufacturing their own all wood guitars. Up to 1951, Gibson built entire completed guitars for National, but after 1951 just the bodies when National started using their own "Stylist" bolt-on necks. Gibson built National guitar bodies until 1961, but I am unsure why it ended in '61. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 This is a good friend's 1948 Gibson-made (body & neck) National "Aristocrat" archtop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 How do you like the sound? Do you enjoy playing this one? This guitar has the National hand fit neck. I bought it on ebay for like $350. It does not have a proper bridge, this is one I had in a box. I did buy a correct tailpiece. I am sure a nice fitting bridge and new strings would improve the sound greatly. I do like it, it is quite heavy though. These necks can be very playable, I will have to measure the scale length. A friend, who has an early 50s L7, likes the National sound. I guess to me it sounds more like an archtop than the 16 inch L10. Paul, I'll check tonight, but I believe this is a late 40s Valco number, 48,49. Several years ago I owned a National/Gibson L-5 with the Gibson set neck. It is the guitar pictured in Gruhn's acoustic picture book. I was not into archtops at the time and didn't not really play it, it did need a neck set. It was a very well done guitar. I have seen quite a few of these for sale on ebay and gbase. One,very nice one, sold at at a Heritage auction for very little, I think it even had the Gibson neck. I am currently looking at another early/mid-30s Gibson archtop. A 34 L5 came on ebay last night with no reserve. I don't think it will bring a lot, but more than I have available at the moment. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Chance Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 A 34 L5 came on ebay last night with no reserve. I don't think it will bring a lot, but more than I have available at the moment. Terry Yeah, I saw that block neck L-5 as well Terry. Very tempting, and very nice ... pricing might being "reasonable" in these times. But I'll keep holding out for a '26 to '28 dot neck L-5 (probably the same odds as holding out for a '51 or '52 J-185N, right?). Hope you get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 But I'll keep holding out for a '26 to '28 dot neck L-5 (probably the same odds as holding out for a '51 or '52 J-185N, right?). Hope you get it It won't be me. Timing is not good unless you want to buy a 1951 J-185N? I'm currently in the hunt for something similar, but less expensive Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volhoo Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Great Thread ziz! My Dad has had this guitar all my life - and I actually learned how to play on this guitar. He gave me this guitar a few years back and I am finally getting around to fixing it up to bring it back to it's former glory. - - - - - - - I am currently working to get it back to it's former glory. You can follow my progress here: My link - - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volhoo Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Here is my 1934 L-7 all fixed up. - - - - - - It plays great and I'm loving it. Cheers... - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 It really came out looking great. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zizala Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Thats really wonderful.....nice job! Thats one of the better looking replica pickguards I've seen from archtop.com......and it has the 1934 proportions....something thats often overlooked with replacement pickguards for 16" Gibsons of this era. You really ought to come out to the East coast so your L-7 can meet my L-7! Glad the tailpiece part worked for you...... ziz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cole2010 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 So nice I like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlanta Spike Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 My '53 L-7CN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.