1948 Gibson L7 Blonde

From the year that gave us Autumn Leaves and Nature Boy, how’s about this

Introduced in 1935, the ‘Advanced’ L7 joined the Gibson family along with the ES300, with an increased 17” body and parallelogram inlays, retaining the maple back and sides and carved spruce top of its L5 sibling.

This is a fine example. The blonde finish has seen some action though it has certainly not been abused. There are knocks and scratches along with a repaired crack on the lower bout. The finish has worn through on the back too though none of this really detracts from the overall look of the instrument.

The chunky C neck is built in that classic three piece maple and mahogany sandwich with an ebony bound fretboard and parallelogram mother of pearl inlays. The script logo headstock has the now iconic crown inlay emblazoned upon it, framed by the continued binding. The gold-plated Kluson tuners work very well and the whole thing makes for a very impressive package. The neck has worn to a smooth finish and there are a few patches of wear and damage on the headstock though this isn’t extensive. The frets have some life left in them.

The plastics are in good condition as is the hardware and rosewood bridge.

The guitar comes with a later black Tolex hardshell case.

The L7’s reputation was built on being able to keep up with a horn section and this one is no exception. It has an authoritative voice acoustically that has a wonderful three dimensional quality that’s so evocative of the period.

The definitive archtop, this L7 would make stunning addition to anyone’s collection.