1959 Gibson L-7 archtop mounted with D'Armond pick-up. Jumbo frets on mahogany neck with no binding (as compared to an L-5), Gibson tuners, tobacco burst finish adorns cutaway hollowbody body. Less ornate than an L5 but same design and specs. A true archtop acoustic as opposed to an ES-175. First design and release back in 1920's and used by many of the great jazz players. The L7 is to an L5 as the ES 335 is to an ES 355; a Les Paul Studio to a Les Paul Custom, etc. No frills and fancy binding but still delivers the goods. OK, the poor mans model! Still a beaut. Curved back and gorgeous shape makes handling her a dream. Strung with flatwounds, the tone is all there. The D'Armond features a push switch which yields the full tone down to a mid-rangey honk great for swing. Real acoustic-y sounding with more highs but less output. Pushing it in again recaptures the full and warm tone she was made for. Volume and tone knobs in miniature located beside pickguard central. Use a pick (try a small teardrop or a Dunlop Jazz III) or fingers/thumb and she'll respond to the delicate nuances you impart. A real responsive babe.

Looks: Heavenly shape from the old days when Gibson put out the best in archtops and competed with Epiphone instead of owning it.
Feel: Nice balance and accessibility. Great to play while seated with a decent amount of body to grab hold of. Fast frets. Big bod. Fun stuff.
Needs: Not a darn thing save for ornamentation (see L5, etc.)
Quirks: Will feedback on a note until your amp blows up so position yourself at the right angle and adjust the bass and middle accordingly.
History: From the annals of jazz evolution emerges timelessness.
Desirability: As old and as nice as you can find em, they are rare indeed.

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