GIBSON L5 vs GIBSON L7

Information about the prewar Gibson L5 and the Gibson L7.


An L5 this cherry will likely cost at least $8000, But you can find an fine L7in the $3-$4000 ballpark. It’s practically the same guitar, So what is the difference? Why does the Gibson L5 cost so much more than the Gibson L7.

Both guitars have a 17” bought, the same bracing, and the same maple neck.

The Gibson L5 was introduced In the 1920s as one of the finest instruments on the market. The carved tops and bottoms were even tap tuned. The Gibson L7 was Introduced in 1933 as a more affordable working-mans archtop. For the most part, It is an L5 with corners cut on the cosmetics.

The L5 has a fancier tailpiece and intricate layers of binding.
The L7 has a solid binding.

The L5 has a cool triple binding fretboard taper.
The L7’s is blunt flat.

The L5 has a beautiful finish on the back and sides.
This L7 has a plain dark finish on the back and sides.

This L5 has brass hardware.
This L7’s is nickel plated.

This L5 has an ebony fingerboard
and this L7has a Brazilian rose wood fingerboard.

What does all this mean? It means the Gibson L5 looks prettier, But they sound and perform the same.

It’s very unlikely you can walk into a guitar shop in your town and compare 2 or 3 of these prewar Gibsons. You’re probably going to have to search for them online, and dropping this kind of money on something you cant play or touch can be a little unnerving. You’re probably gonna want some kind of return guarantee…

I found my L7 listed on reverb dot com from Sylvan music in California and they offered a 7 day full money back return. I asked the salesman there if he would send me a video of someone playing it and they happily obliged. Then sent me several more photos of the guitar, high res enough for me to meticulously look it over for cracks and what not. One thing you might want to request is that the salesman send you a photo of the sag. Decades of string tension often flattens out the arch top.This L5 has some typical flattening and it appears that the bridge was custom made, later to accommodate that uneven incline.

I scored this L7 for $3000 expecting to invest a lot more. It’s got several nicks and scratches, and two of the inlays were dug out by a previous owners miles of fretting with long fingernails, and then hacked with some kind of silly putty and tinfoil job. For only a few years in the late 30’s Gibson used these extremely cool picture frame inlays.

When it arrived, I was surprised what great overall condition it was in The neck was straight and the body solid with no surprises and very little sag. The thing I love most about this L5 is the way it sounds married to the vintage DeArmond super rhythm chief 1100 floating pick-up, So my L7 had to have one too.

I found this 1960’s rhythm chief and control box on for $600. It arrived in perfect working condition. I found the reissue L5 pick guard for $60 and the neck rod for $12.

I cut out two new inlays with a jewel saw and sent all the hardware to Neil Sergeant in Houston Texas for assembly. With the Gibson L5, the cable just dangles out of the control box, asking to be stepped on and violently jerked out of the input. It’s either that or drill a hole… That’s the problem with this L5. Its too damn nice and pretty to jack up! To me, the L5 is a collector, Its a home guitar and studio tool. My guitars get the hell played out of em. And the gibson L7 is truly a much more sensible working-mans guitar. So, out came the drill again... This cable jack is going in the tailpiece.