Fender 1997 Gibson Custom & Historic ES5 Switchmaster in Natural
Serial Number 90767001This guitar is in on trade and it is in great shape. It is clean, cosmetically and fully functioning. The neck is straight, the frets are still crowned and the truss rod is functioning properly. Included with the guitar is the original hardshell case. This guitar was built in 1997 and is very nice shape for a 20 year old instrument. "The ES-5 combines the acclaimed features of the L-5 with the finest method of electronic guitar amplification. Three separately controlled, adjustable magnetic pickups reproduce the full, rich tones and harmonics to make the ES-5 truly ‘the instrument of a thousand voices.'" — Gibson catalog, circa 1951.The Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster was truly a guitar ahead of its time. First introduced in 1949, the ES-5 Switchmaster was the first ES guitar to be fitted with three pickups, and was initially intended solely for jazz players. It was dubbed the “supreme electronic version” of Gibson’s L-5 and offered a unique four-knob control circuitry that allowed players to manage pickup selection by adjusting the volume of each pickup, thus eliminating the pickup selector switch. Yet despite its pioneering circuitry and three-pickup layout, the ES-5 Switchmaster was not immediately embraced by jazz players while competing guitar manufacturers rushed to introduce their own similar models, including the Epiphone Zephyr Emperor of the early 1950s and the Fender Stratocaster in 1954".Gibson Custom
ES5 Switchmaster
Natural Finish
Laminated Maple Body
Gold Hardware
57 Classic Pickups
Flamed Maple and Walnut Neck
1 & 11/16" Nut Width
Rosewood Fingerboard
Pearl Block Inlays
25.5" Scale
17" Body
3 x Volume
3 x Tone Controls
Special Pickup Switch
Weighs 8 lbs even
Original Hardshell Case