Gibson ES-5



The Gibson ES-5 is a guitar produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of the ES, or "Electric Spanish" series of guitars. The ES-5 was intended to be an electric version of their popular Gibson L-5 acoustic jazz model. The ES-5 was introduced in 1949, and offered several innovative features which have become standard within the industry. The ES-5 was the first model of the ES-series to offer three pickups. Unlike other multiple-pickup models of its era, the ES-5 used three different volume knobs (one for each pickup and one master tone) rather than a selector switch, to offer players improved control over their tone. The model was not as popular as other models of the ES-series, nor as popular as similar models by other manufacturers, such as the Epiphone Zephyr Emperor. In 1955 the model became the ES-5 Switchmaster, which incorporated a four-position selector switch, along with a new six-knob configuration, incorporating a volume and a tone knob for each pickup. The ES-5 Switchmaster was produced until 1962. It remained discontinued until a 1995 reissue from the Gibson Custom division. New models of the reissue are still available today. The original models used P-90 single coil pickups, but after 1957 the guitar used PAF humbucker pickups.

Notable users

 * T-Bone Walker
 * Lowell Fulson
 * Roy Gaines
 * J. Geils
 * Wes Montgomery
 * Carl Perkins
 * B.B. King
 * Frank Zappa
 * Steve Howe (main guitar on Fragile)
 * Kid Ramos
 * Junior Watson
 * Dave Edmunds