1949 Gibson L-7 Archtop Crack and Repair Free Cremona Brown Sunburst

No sales tax for customers outside California

This 1949 Gibson L-7 is so gorgeous and has a bigger voice than you might imagine.

One of just 153 made in 1949.  While this example does show some wear and finish checking on the side that has exposed the maple side of the guitar, it is in fact in better condition than most you'll see.  There are no cracks or repairs anywhere on the guitar, no finish overspray, and the original frets are intact with an admirable amount of life left.

The Gibson L-7 was introduced in 1932 as a mid-level archtop guitar, positioned between the higher-end L-5 and the more affordable L-4. It was designed to appeal to professional musicians and serious amateurs who wanted a high-quality instrument with a rich, resonant tone.

The L-7 features a full-depth, 17-inch-wide body with a carved solid spruce top and maple back and sides. Its triple-bound top, split parallelogram inlay and crown headstock inlay arrived on the model in 1942.  These features, and the bound fingerboard, give it an elegant appearance. The neck is typically made of mahogany and features a scale length of 25.5 inches. 

The long scale length and solid, carved woods greatly contribute to the exquisite sound of the guitar.

The neck is perfect with no issues, and the truss rod was checked to make sure that there is room for future neck relief adjustment.

The only change from original are the blocks that hold the pickguard to the mounting hardware and the endpin.  The endpin is from a 1950s Kay guitar.

The original case, an early brown covered version, is included.  Note the wear at the headstock end.  A crafty person could stabilize this area.  If the guitar hangs around for a bit we might make an attempt.  

Color: Cremona Brown Sunburst
Weight: 5lbs 8.6ozs
Top: Spruce
Body: Flamed Birdseye Maple
Neck: Flamed Birdseye Maple
Fretboard: Brazilian Rosewood
Inlays: Split Parallelograms 
Frets: Original
Fret count: 20
Nut: Original Bone
Nut width: 1 11/16"
Scale: 25 1/2"
Radius: 10"
Neck thickness at 1st Fret: 0.90"
Neck thickness at 10th Fret: 1.0"
Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
Total length: 41 5/8"
Body length: 21"
Lower bout: 17"
Waist: 10 3/8"
Upper bout: 12 9/16"
Body depth/thickness: 3 3/8"
String gauge: .012-.046"
Electronics?: No
Pickguard: Original
Bridge: Original
Tuners: The D string tuner is a little loose but works like the rest
Case: OHSC
Notes: 

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