‘34 Gibson L7 or L4?

[nopedals]

IME there is not enough clearance to fit a dearmond on a 1030s L4; L7s fit nicely.

[garybaldy]

IME there is not enough clearance to fit a dearmond on a 1030s L4; L7s fit nicely.

I wasn't sure whether mine was an L4 or an L7 until it arrived 3 weeks ago. The label confirms it's an L7. I won't know if a De Armond will fit until I get the new (old) bridge and get it up and running. The bridge was in South Carolina but it's somewhere close to me in the UK! (Thought it was to be delivered today but that's the British postal service). Anyway I've just been sticking down some loose neck binding. I have a repro MOAS but not the pickup yet.

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/micha/Downloads/My%20L7%20Label%20better%20pic.jpg[/IMG]

[wintermoon]

It's been a couple months, I'm assuming you got the bridge and the guitar's up and running?

[garybaldy]

It's been a couple months, I'm assuming you got the bridge and the guitar's up and running?

Thanks for your interest wintermoon.
Yes, the bridge arrived safety but I haven’t yet re assembled the guitar owning to a busy month! The bridge is in good shape. The 'spare' left handed bridge must be one of the rarest things on earth. I'll be keeping it safe. I've cleaned off the tarnishing to the frets but that's all. May have to shape the underside of the bridge base. I have a few post xmas non guitar related jobs to do before getting the L7 sorted.
BTW the 125 I got the same week is getting a reasonable amount of play. It's always in the corner of the living room ready for a strum.
I will report back in due course!

[garybaldy]

Thanks for your interest wintermoon.
Yes, the bridge arrived safety but I haven’t yet re assembled the guitar owning to a busy month! The bridge is in good shape. The 'spare' left handed bridge must be one of the rarest things on earth. I'll be keeping it safe. I've cleaned off the tarnishing to the frets but that's all. May have to shape the underside of the bridge base. I have a few post xmas non guitar related jobs to do before getting the L7 sorted.
BTW the 125 I got the same week is getting a reasonable amount of play. It's always in the corner of the living room ready for a strum.
I will report back in due course!

Sorry, forgot to say I re glued some of the fingerboard binding.

[Cunamara]

The pickup is worth at least 200-300 working or close. If it is dead call Kent Anderson and asked him if he would repair the pickup. He does that in addition to making his own pickups. It might cost $100 or so but worth on a pickup like that. I am sure others can chime in if they know how/who to go to for a dead dearmond.

Do you mean Kent Armstrong?

[brewster]

had to reply to this old but new thread.

this is my L-4, a '36 i was told when i got it in a trade many years ago. sometimes i wonder if its a '36 or '37, no fon or label in it.
it's a road worn cosmetic player grade, all original including the broken gard, but what a wonderful voice! very strong, clear, and warm with quite the sustain, what you think of for a vintage archtop voice. sometimes i think i should sell it but then i play it again. no way can sell it, such a tone monster. i hope your L-7 sounds as good.

as good as this L-4 is, my '32 players L-5 is even better. it is from another planet, not a fair comparison in some ways. lucky to have the L-5.

so i'm currently up at our camp in N mich. our very long driveway was snowed in and had a downed tree too from that last honking storm. so i snowshoed in thru the woods (shorter than the driveway) with a northfield F5 mando and this L-4 (insulated case covers) to the house, fired up the woodstove, and then got the tractor/blower and chain saw. somewhere i have a pix of me in the past snowshoeing in with the L-5 and my stanley F5. don't want to leave them in the car whilst we clear our way in!

the TP and bridge on your L7 are what are also on '35 and '36 L-50s so interesting to see them on a '34 model. seen a few '37s with that bridge style, which i like. my L-4 has a 2 footed bridge and the newer trapeze cross piece.

i hope the OP sees this thread as i'm curious as to whether your L-7 has the solid or kerfed tone bars, given the gorgeous back plate.

so given this thread, i have a question for the knowledge base here please.
my L-4 and the subject L-7 have the lucas inlays, and the short scale.

i have/had 3 '40-'41 L-4s with long scale maple necks and also with the FB w/ the lucas inlays. amazing guitars. i have always wondered, what other guitar model had a long scale FB with the lucas inlays such that my 3 L-4s ended up with that FB? is there such a thing? they're just barely pre-war so it could be some floor sweep type of concoction (they ran out of dots?) but to have 3 of them long scale and with lucas inlays is a bit odd. i've seen maybe 7-8 of these long scale L-4s, all near or in early war eras, and some (my 3 at least) have carved backs too. most seem to have the lam backs.

any insights to share on the long scale lucas inlay FB origins? or are they just really cool cobbled together guitars from that time window?
thanks, b

[garybaldy]

It's been a couple months, I'm assuming you got the bridge and the guitar's up and running?

Hi Winter. You are probably bored with this by now but I thought I'd mention I'd started a new thread At last, after 4 months the 30s LH L7 is strung up and 'playable' RH!
Thanks.