1959 Gibson ES5 Switchmaster

$18,500.00

  • SOLD!

  • Year: 1959
  • Manufacturer: Gibson
  • Model: ES5 Switchmaster
  • Case: Original Hard
  • Color: Blonde
  • Condition: Excellent
  • Description: As the technology for electric guitars emerged in the late 1940's, Gibson responded with the ES5, which provided an electric option in the large-body, top of the line archtop market. The ES5 evolved over the next decade into the guitar presented here: the 1959 ES5 Switchmaster, which we consider the zenith of the ES5 line. It's quite rare, with only 33 shipped in '59. Duchossoir, in his book "Gibson Electrics The Classic Years", calls this version "the third variant", characterized by the following: three humbucking pickups and Grover Roto-Matic tuners. Otherwise, this guitar exhibits the characteristics of prior versions, which include: Body: 17” wide; Venetian cutaway shape; laminated maple top with two parallel braces; laminated back and sides; 5-ply binding on top and bottom edges; bound f-holes; natural finish. Neck: 25 ½” scale length; two piece maple with dark center strip; 20-fret, multi-bound rosewood fingerboard with pointed end; pearl block inlay; bound peghead with Gibson logo inlaid in pearl; pearl-inlaid crown motif in headstock; black-painted headstock rear face. Electronics: 3 gold plated humbucking PAF pickups; volume and tone controls for each pickup, six knobs in all; 4-way selector switch. Hardware: 5-ply black pickguard with beveled edge; rosewood bridge with gold plated Tune-O-Matic fully adjustable saddle; multi-loop tailpiece, gold plated and etched with ‘ES-5’; gold plated Grover Roto-Matic tuners; gold-plated metal parts. Condition: The guitar appears to be 100% original, including the green-lined hard case. Overall condition is Excellent +, with only a bit of playing wear on the frets, and some wear on the gold parts. There are no evident cracks or breaks, only a bit of the original finish is worn along the fingerboard at frets 2 and 6, and a flake of paint is chipped by the B string tuner post. Original PAF pickups show undisturbed solder joints. The rarity and condition of this Switchmaster places it into the rare air of desirable and collectable vintage American-made guitars. Its playability and superb sound only add to its value. Please visit our website for more photos!