Was the Gibson L-7 ever made with a pickup?

**christianm77** · 01-15-2015, 08:47 PM

I think I fixed it. Much better with the preamp, but better still with the preamp and the LR Baggs.

**mikeSF** · 01-15-2015, 08:58 PM

cant wait to hear a clip of the L7

**Max405** · 01-15-2015, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by mikeSF

cant wait to hear a clip of the L7

Here ya go Mike.

Joe D

**Max405** · 01-15-2015, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

I think I fixed it. Much better with the preamp, but better still with the preamp and the LR Baggs.

I am glad it worked for you.
Someday soon I will buy one of those LR Baggs units.
Joe D

**KirkP** · 02-03-2015, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco

Golden Earrings, Johnny Smith. Let me know what you think.

Wow! What a great rendition of what I've always thought of as a virtuoso arrangement. The L7C sounds great with the blend of K&K Definity and mic.
I've got a '38 L7 X-bracked but no cutaway. I also have a pre-owned K&K Pure Archtop pickup I've been thinking of installing in it. Installation of the two sensors requires no mods to the guitar, but it's not as easy to install and remove as the Definity. Since I've already got the Pure Archtop, I'll probably give it a try. If I don't care for it, I'll pull it out and try the Definity.

**Max405** · 02-03-2015, 11:56 PM

Kirk, thanks so much bud. The thing about JS arrangements is the difficult stuff keeps coming nonstop.
Wow, a '38 L7!! Aged to perfection. I've noticed that the KK stuff is good so I'll stick with it. I am thinking of getting another one to mount on another archtop just to hear the stereo mix out of 2 amps. Either that or I'll get a magnetic pup for my L7. I am having so much fun with this stuff, I can't even tell you!!!
Thanks again. Joe D

**rob taft** · 02-04-2015, 07:50 PM

Nice playing Joe! Sounds great. If you decide to add a mag pickup, I'd suggest the Benedetto S6 and blend the two.

**Max405** · 02-04-2015, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by rob taft

Nice playing Joe! Sounds great. If you decide to add a mag pickup, I'd suggest the Benedetto S6 and blend the two.

Thanks Rob. That's what I think I am going to do.
Do you have one?
JD

**rob taft** · 02-05-2015, 10:53 AM

Joe, Yes, the one that I own came installed on my Guild AA. To my ears and on this guitar it is warm, articulate and balanced. I have a Kent Armstrong (Kent made) full size humbucker on another archtop. It is also a good pickup. On that particular guitar I tried about four different pickups and settled on the Kent Armstrong. The KA has 12 adjustable pole pieces if one is concerned about balance. Myself, I left the pole pieces as they came from KA.

**benjamin** · 12-08-2015, 09:11 AM

Hi everyone,

I just found a gibson L7 with Charlie Christian pickups. The ad says that it was custom made but I'm skeptical about it. I have never seen any of these before and thought at first that the Charlie Christian had been installed by the owner.

Have you seen or heard about these guitars before? Is there a way to be sure that it is not just a modified L7?

Thanks!

Benjamin

**icr** · 12-08-2015, 09:19 AM

It is a modified L7. ES-250 did not have a cutout.

**benjamin** · 12-08-2015, 09:34 AM

But it is not supposed to be an ES 250. The ad says it's a custom L7 with a Charlie Christian pickup

**Fred Archtop** · 12-08-2015, 10:53 AM

Great looking guitar for a CC addict like me...Gibson used to install on demand those CC pickups on pre-war/post-war models such as L5, ES 350 etc. Is it an original pre-war CC or a more recent one ?

**nopedals** · 12-08-2015, 11:03 AM

Cutaways are post-war, but I think a CC was a factory custom option for years after Gibson stopped using them (and there was a CC equipped 175 model in the 70s using old stock, I think). Was it a factory job? I don't know. I would look at the label. Or perhaps a Gibson book (or someone like Walter Carter) has factory records showing custom guitars by serial number. Also, the owner could have sent it back to Gibson to have the pickup added. Without some provenance, it is just a customer modded L7, and should be priced accordingly.

Just shooting from the hip. One of the experts on this forum will know more.

**oldane** · 12-08-2015, 11:09 AM

I think one could have Gibson install a CC on request - maybe especially if you were a well known musician - and I have seen a few L7 guitars with one. However, it was more usual to amplify the L7 with a McCarthy PU/pickguard unit. I think it was a standard option offered by Gibson back then. Many also fitted a D'Armond 1000/1100.

Whatever, with this one, make shure the braces aren't cut (and the top is not sagging).

**Greentone** · 12-08-2015, 11:09 AM

Gibson had a stockpile of CC pickups on hand after the 30s. If a customer requested a custom order, Gibson would install the pickup. I have seen a CC on 50s L-5, L-7, and Super-400 guitars. I wanted every one.

Kenny Gill, a jazz player from Louisiana/Nashville--who was associated with Jimmy Davis--played a custom Gibson 17" L-5 body/Super-400 neck with a CC pickup guitar. It was an exceptional instrument.

**benjamin** · 12-08-2015, 11:16 AM

Hi,

Thanks for the replies!!

I have no ideas about the year of the pickup. The seller told me that the guitar is a 1963 custom model.

**benjamin** · 12-08-2015, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by oldane

Whatever, with this one, make shure the braces aren't cut (and the top is not sagging).

Yes that's what I am concerned about, I was told that if you add a charlie christian on a L7 there is a good chance that the braces were cut. Do you think it's the same for the custom built?

**Dennis D** · 12-08-2015, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by benjamin

Hi,

Thanks for the replies!!

I have no ideas about the year of the pickup. The seller told me that the guitar is a 1963 custom model.

It may be a 'not a big deal ' custom, if that makes sense..........decent aftermarket luthiers could always have added CC - -P/U's - - if they could get their hands on them....CC's were easier to obtain back then than now
...and I'd absolutely rather have a CC on there than the others mentioned......and don't worry about the year of the P/U.........

I agree w/ other poster - - unless there's something else ' custom' it's just an L-7 w/ CC P/U....

If you can, absolutely play it......it'll be long scale, ( I believe ) and parallel braced....maybe be a bit brighter than you might think, ( my '50's L-7 is ) but it could be a keeper !!....does it have the ' skinny frets ' ??

...good luck !!!

**oldane** · 12-08-2015, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by benjamin

Yes that's what I am concerned about, I was told that if you add a charlie christian on a L7 there is a good chance that the braces were cut. Do you think it's the same for the custom built?

I'm quite shure Gibson wouldn't cut the braces. If it was ordered new with the CC pickup, they may have placed the braces more laterally if needed and may also have added one or two traverse braces for additional strengh (like on the L5CES). They may even have carved the top a little thicker in the middle (reportedly, they did that with some of the original ES150 guitars). An ignorant guitar tech retrofitting the PU might have cut them. Check with a mirror if they are cut on this particular guitar.

It has ben debated how much cut braces really means and Gibson actually used kerfed braces on some models at certain times. I don't know the answer, but playing it safely, I would never buy a guitar with cut or kerfed braces myself. To me, cutting or kerfing braces seems to void the very purpose of having braces at all. And some 175s with kerfed braces have sagging tops by now. Many years ago, I saw an L5 with cut braces (due to an insensitive humbucker retrofit) and the top did sag on that one.

**pingu** · 12-08-2015, 12:18 PM

I'm jealous now !
beautiful ....
approx how much is that guitar ?
only approx

**nopedals** · 12-08-2015, 12:28 PM

One other note. The knobs are right where Gibson would have put them, and they look like metal top bonnets (hard to tell for sure), which would be correct for 1963, and that makes me think it was a factory job. Not real provenance, but ...

**Dennis D** · 12-08-2015, 12:29 PM

.....I'd start with confirming the type of bracing. If it's 'parallel', which for that vintage I think it is, there may very well have been enough clearance at the neck area for the bar assembly to fit without cutting braces - -by a decent aftermarket luthier, opposed to Gibson.....

Then, if I understood parallel bracing - - it wasn't exactly parallel- - it was more like a ' ladder', with the wider - ' bottom rungs' at the bridge area, so no brace cutting may have been needed there either.

Yes, if you can, have a luthier get in there w/ a mirror and check for brace attachments and any brace cuts.

But if you can verify Gibson did the CC install, then you've got several less worries !

Good luck !!