Stratoben127
New member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2013
- Messages
- 301
Hey guys, I'm torn about selling one of my guitars for a guitar I found today.
My only acoustic is a 1951 Martin 000-18. It's beat up, but has never had a neck reset or any cracks. It is one of the better acoustics I've played, though I've really liked ones that were cheaper. It's mostly original with no neck reset.
Today I played a 1952 Gibson L-7C with a single McCarty pickup on it at my local shop and I was absolutely floored by it. It's totally not something I'd normally play, but it felt like an old friend. The neck was surprisingly slim for '52- much smaller and flatter than my '53 Les Paul- and the upper fret access was great for what I would ever need out of such a guitar. It was in great shape with no breaks and the original case. The only thing I would need to do is swap out the weird jack for a 1/4" one.
The L-7 was priced really well to the point that I could sell my Martin and add very little cash for the L-7, if any. The only thing that's stopping me from doing this is that I wouldn't have a traditional acoustic guitar if I did this. I tested the L-7 out against a '45 000 and it was actually just as loud, if not a little louder, so I could easily still partake in the acoustic jams that rarely occur between friends. I almost never play acoustic gigs where I don't bring an amp and play a little electric anyway, so I could easily cover those with the L-7 and a 5 watt amp. Also, I play a lot of slide and the Martin's action is a tad low for that, so the adjustable bridge on the L-7 is a plus. I just am a little hesitant of getting rid of one of the best acoustics I've played, even though I do play it so little.
I need a little nudge one way or the other, because I know I'm gonna be up at night thinking about what to do. I feel like a good 000 is always easier to find down the road than a L-7 with a McCarty pickup that feels this good, but I may just be being impulsive. Also, this video of my favorite guitarist with an L-7 doesn't help...
My only acoustic is a 1951 Martin 000-18. It's beat up, but has never had a neck reset or any cracks. It is one of the better acoustics I've played, though I've really liked ones that were cheaper. It's mostly original with no neck reset.
Today I played a 1952 Gibson L-7C with a single McCarty pickup on it at my local shop and I was absolutely floored by it. It's totally not something I'd normally play, but it felt like an old friend. The neck was surprisingly slim for '52- much smaller and flatter than my '53 Les Paul- and the upper fret access was great for what I would ever need out of such a guitar. It was in great shape with no breaks and the original case. The only thing I would need to do is swap out the weird jack for a 1/4" one.
The L-7 was priced really well to the point that I could sell my Martin and add very little cash for the L-7, if any. The only thing that's stopping me from doing this is that I wouldn't have a traditional acoustic guitar if I did this. I tested the L-7 out against a '45 000 and it was actually just as loud, if not a little louder, so I could easily still partake in the acoustic jams that rarely occur between friends. I almost never play acoustic gigs where I don't bring an amp and play a little electric anyway, so I could easily cover those with the L-7 and a 5 watt amp. Also, I play a lot of slide and the Martin's action is a tad low for that, so the adjustable bridge on the L-7 is a plus. I just am a little hesitant of getting rid of one of the best acoustics I've played, even though I do play it so little.
I need a little nudge one way or the other, because I know I'm gonna be up at night thinking about what to do. I feel like a good 000 is always easier to find down the road than a L-7 with a McCarty pickup that feels this good, but I may just be being impulsive. Also, this video of my favorite guitarist with an L-7 doesn't help...