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Double jackpot, but not on the same day. About 4 months ago while surfing Reverb I discovered an unusual L7 C. Built between 1970-1972, it had an ebony board, bridge/saddle and a more ornate headstock, like an L5. Not planning on adding another L7 to the stable, I found this one hard to resist. Contacted the owner and got some history about the guitar. He bought from Joe at archtop.com, thinking he would venture into L5 territory but without the steep price. He put a Lollar JS on it and replaced wiring. I confirmed this by going into the archtop.com archives. Apparently, it was a special order and while it was not mint, had been taken care and played though not abused. There were several offers but in the end, I made room in the stable.
It's a wonderful, very playable guitar. It's light, resonant, great neck. Non original case, but period correct replacement. Sufficiently loud acoustically, nice warm plugged in. It has the versatility I have come to expect with the L7. Hope the pics do it justice.
For the past two years, have been thinking about replacing my Roland 80x with a lighter amp. Ironically, the Roland replaced a Peavy for the same reason many years before. And the Peavy replaced an Ampeg Gemini VI.
After reading reviews I decided to bite the bullet. I ordered the Bud 10. While I am still experimenting with it, thus far I am very impressed. The tone is crisp, clear, and pure. The 2 channels and the variety of settings offer lots of choices. I play archtops with both set and floating pickups and was surprised this amp could easily handle both. It is suffiently loud enough for the gigs I do. At 20 lbs, it is easy to lift and carry, although while it is possible to carry it over your shoulder, it's not recommended for older players like me. Thus far the only criticism is the location of the power switch. It took me a while to find it if you can believe it. It is not in an easy place to find if you're sitting down.
One of the things I like about it is it's adaptability. I have tried nylon string guitars, accoustic guitars as well as a variety of archtop with different floaters as well as a set HB. Its the only amp I have played in the last 10 years or so that has that flexibility.
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06-22-2022 03:44 PM
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Wow! Your are indeed doubly fortunate! That L-7C is gorgeous! The 'burst is enviable. So sweet! And the amp is by all accounts a gem. Congratulations, and play 'em in good health!
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Originally Posted by FredH
Does it have a solid top?
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(cat.... I had one of those “where is waldo” moments... the guitar is cool also).
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Yes. Carved spruce top, maple back and sides
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If Gibson was smart they would make that exact guitar as a regular model. Beautiful !
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Agreed. But only a musical fossil like me and other similar species would buy it!
Some one this forum described the L7 as having a simple, understated elegance. Couldnt agree more. I love my L5 and my GJS and both get played a lot. But it's the L7 that I turn to more often than not. There's something about it that speaks to my soul.
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Excellent guitar/amp day -- congrats!!
[So we have FredH and Just Fred each having NGDs today ... there must be some connection?!]
Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by marcwhy
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Wow! That is a beautiful guitar Fred. The neck looks really nice. It looks like it was perfectly updated with the pickguard and pickup. The volume know is waaayyy far back on the pickguard which keeps it out of the way.
You did great Fred. Great amp too. I’m happy for you!
Joe D
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Awesome pair. And I like the rug, too. Have you tried a Bud 6 in the past? I'd be interested to know how they compare.
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Originally Posted by Woody Sound
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The rug came from a big box store years ago. I actually picked it out, much to my wife's surprise. It matches my sunburst archtops.? I actually forgot the cat was there. She mysteriously appears and takes up residence because she can.
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May that rig inspire your playing for many years to come. A Gibson archtop with a Henriksen amp is, IMO, the perfect recipe for perfect jazz guitar tone.
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Originally Posted by FredH
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Agreed.
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Or thinking about it differently: "Dogs drool, but cats rule." Our cat is a Siamese, a one person cat who comes when I call her, but ignores everyone and everything else. Our golden retriever, on the other hand, is BFF with everyone she meets, especially if they have food. Both of my animal companions like music. When I practice, both are always present, comfortably reclining on the floor.
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Collingswood! My first “real” classical guitar teacher lived there, was a prof at Rowan. Ex North Beach LBI here (Exit 63)
beautiful L7 and enjoy!
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Congrats Fred!
That's an unusual burst on the back of the headstock, can't recall seeing that before.
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A great guitar, and a great amp. Noice! Congrats!
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Was it Joe Mayes? He and his wife, Kathleen, are on the Rowan faculty. I have met him once or twice over the years. I have heard Kathleen perform many times and seriously considered studying with her many years ago. If they still live in Collingswood, I believe their home is a few blocks from mine.
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I thought about the Bud 6, but I wanted the larger speaker. While the 10 is a bit heavier than the 6, I opted for it anyway.
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I need to have the same "day"... but with an ES-125 and a Gibson GA-50.
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Originally Posted by FredH
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Yesterday, 11:05 PM in The Players