Gibson ES-5N Switchmaster Conversion Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1951)
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Item #11885
Gibson ES-5N Switchmaster Conversion Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1951), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # A-7325, natural lacquer finish, laminated maple body and neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, original brown hard shell case.
This is a really superbly cool and vibey guitar, not *exactly* all original but much loved showing a factory upgrade done when the instrument was fairly new. This 1951 blonde ES-5 was sent back to Gibson sometime later in the 1950s for refitting to the then-current "Switchmaster" specification. This involved adding the namesake switch, along with an extra set of three knobs. The original layout of the ES-5 had three volume knobs and a master tone on the cutaway bout; the guitar now has six knobs (a tone and volume for each pickup arrayed along the lower bout with the large lever switch in place of the original tone knob. Everything was done to 1955-57 factory spec.
The ES-5 had been introduced in 1949; this deluxe 17" fully hollow electric was the most expensive laminated-wood model Gibson offered and an all-time classic full-body electric. From the beginning the ES-5 sported *three* black covered P-90 pickups, the first Gibson so equipped. This was a bold and novel appointment in 1949 and influenced Epiphone to reply with the Zephyr Emperor Regent and (eventually) Fender to put three pickups on the Stratocaster.
The laminated maple body has a single rounded cutaway, triple bound with single bound f-holes. This one shows a beautiful tiger grain on the top, sides and back. The pickguard is five-ply laminated plastic with a beveled edge; the trapeze tailpiece has pointed ends and three raised parallelograms. The maple neck is a three piece laminate, the center element being a narrow black stripe. The rosewood fretboard is five-ply bound and inlaid with pearl blocks.
The headstock is single-bound with a mother-of-pearl crown and Gibson logo inlaid in the peghead overlay. The back of the peghead is painted black, coming to a point just below the nut on the back of the neck. The Kluson Sealfast tuners have plastic "tulip" single ring buttons.
The guitar received a few other upgrades to then-current spec. when it went back to the factory. The bridge is the then-new "no wire" ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic and the controls are topped with amber-toned "bonnet" knobs as used by Gibson from 1955 through 1960. All the internal wiring and parts are consistent with Gibson factory fittings. The hardware is gold-plated; the tailpiece has an old well-done repair but this is likely not factory work.
Blonde ES-5s like this one were produced in smaller numbers than the sunburst version. The serial number on the white "artist" label indicates this one originally shipped around April 1951; only 77 left Kalamazoo that year. Gibson modified the ES-5 design in 1955 with the large selector switch on the cutaway dubbing it the "Switchmaster", and the owner of this one apparently wanted his working guitar upgraded to the new spec. After all the instrument represented a substantial investment at the time!
Aside from its knockout looks, this ES-5 is a great-playing and sounding guitar, the most versatile full-depth Gibson electric due to the extra tonal shadings from the center pickup. It is well-suited to a variety of jazz, pop, blues, or early rock and roll styles and lends class to any musical situation. This guitar includes the original 1951 three-latch brown case and a passel of paperwork including the hang tag (with serial number), Gibson Sonomatic string tag, Tune-O-Matic instructions and the typed multi-page spec. sheet from Gibson with incredibly detailed instructions on how to use the three pickups for different sound options!
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a very well played but also well cared for guitar; we would assume the original owner treasured it but used the instrument a lot. The lovely amber-blonde natural finish remains original over everything but the center of the back, which has a very old opaque overspray presumably to cover some buckle wear. The rest of the lacquer shows general wear with fine checking, small dings and dents, armwear to the edge of the top and a lot of finish worn off the back of the neck. This actually feels great, almost like an old Fender neck (it is maple after all) and luckily no overfinish was done here.
The hardware remains original to the guitar as rebuilt between 1955-1959; the gold plating has some typical wear. The pickguard has a smoothly worn through spot where the owner's fingers rested just below the neck pickup. The original 1951 tailpiece has an old cleverly done but visible repair to the hinge, and most of the gold is gone. There is an old Gibson strap button added to the side above the neck heel.
The frets are still the original small wire; they have been taken down a bit but are still playable. The fingerboard has some divoting up and down its length; the original owner used the whole neck, they were not a "Cowboy Chord" player! This is a wonderful, super vibey instrument redolent with age and use, if not the cleanest ES-5 we have seen possibly the coolest, complete in its well-preserved original pink-lined brown HSC with the very rare collection of saved paperwork. We wish we knew more of its story, but someone obviously treasured this guitar long ago! Overall Very Good + Condition.
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This is a really superbly cool and vibey guitar, not *exactly* all original but much loved showing a factory upgrade done when the instrument was fairly new. This 1951 blonde ES-5 was sent back to Gibson sometime later in the 1950s for refitting to the then-current "Switchmaster" specification. This involved adding the namesake switch, along with an extra set of three knobs. The original layout of the ES-5 had three volume knobs and a master tone on the cutaway bout; the guitar now has six knobs (a tone and volume for each pickup arrayed along the lower bout with the large lever switch in place of the original tone knob. Everything was done to 1955-57 factory spec.
The ES-5 had been introduced in 1949; this deluxe 17" fully hollow electric was the most expensive laminated-wood model Gibson offered and an all-time classic full-body electric. From the beginning the ES-5 sported *three* black covered P-90 pickups, the first Gibson so equipped. This was a bold and novel appointment in 1949 and influenced Epiphone to reply with the Zephyr Emperor Regent and (eventually) Fender to put three pickups on the Stratocaster.
The laminated maple body has a single rounded cutaway, triple bound with single bound f-holes. This one shows a beautiful tiger grain on the top, sides and back. The pickguard is five-ply laminated plastic with a beveled edge; the trapeze tailpiece has pointed ends and three raised parallelograms. The maple neck is a three piece laminate, the center element being a narrow black stripe. The rosewood fretboard is five-ply bound and inlaid with pearl blocks.
The headstock is single-bound with a mother-of-pearl crown and Gibson logo inlaid in the peghead overlay. The back of the peghead is painted black, coming to a point just below the nut on the back of the neck. The Kluson Sealfast tuners have plastic "tulip" single ring buttons.
The guitar received a few other upgrades to then-current spec. when it went back to the factory. The bridge is the then-new "no wire" ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic and the controls are topped with amber-toned "bonnet" knobs as used by Gibson from 1955 through 1960. All the internal wiring and parts are consistent with Gibson factory fittings. The hardware is gold-plated; the tailpiece has an old well-done repair but this is likely not factory work.
Blonde ES-5s like this one were produced in smaller numbers than the sunburst version. The serial number on the white "artist" label indicates this one originally shipped around April 1951; only 77 left Kalamazoo that year. Gibson modified the ES-5 design in 1955 with the large selector switch on the cutaway dubbing it the "Switchmaster", and the owner of this one apparently wanted his working guitar upgraded to the new spec. After all the instrument represented a substantial investment at the time!
Aside from its knockout looks, this ES-5 is a great-playing and sounding guitar, the most versatile full-depth Gibson electric due to the extra tonal shadings from the center pickup. It is well-suited to a variety of jazz, pop, blues, or early rock and roll styles and lends class to any musical situation. This guitar includes the original 1951 three-latch brown case and a passel of paperwork including the hang tag (with serial number), Gibson Sonomatic string tag, Tune-O-Matic instructions and the typed multi-page spec. sheet from Gibson with incredibly detailed instructions on how to use the three pickups for different sound options!
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a very well played but also well cared for guitar; we would assume the original owner treasured it but used the instrument a lot. The lovely amber-blonde natural finish remains original over everything but the center of the back, which has a very old opaque overspray presumably to cover some buckle wear. The rest of the lacquer shows general wear with fine checking, small dings and dents, armwear to the edge of the top and a lot of finish worn off the back of the neck. This actually feels great, almost like an old Fender neck (it is maple after all) and luckily no overfinish was done here.
The hardware remains original to the guitar as rebuilt between 1955-1959; the gold plating has some typical wear. The pickguard has a smoothly worn through spot where the owner's fingers rested just below the neck pickup. The original 1951 tailpiece has an old cleverly done but visible repair to the hinge, and most of the gold is gone. There is an old Gibson strap button added to the side above the neck heel.
The frets are still the original small wire; they have been taken down a bit but are still playable. The fingerboard has some divoting up and down its length; the original owner used the whole neck, they were not a "Cowboy Chord" player! This is a wonderful, super vibey instrument redolent with age and use, if not the cleanest ES-5 we have seen possibly the coolest, complete in its well-preserved original pink-lined brown HSC with the very rare collection of saved paperwork. We wish we knew more of its story, but someone obviously treasured this guitar long ago! Overall Very Good + Condition.
