An evolution of the well received L-5 acoustic model, the ES-5 was the Creme de la creme of Gibson archtops when it was introduced in 1949.  Featuring three P90 pickups (each with their own volume control) and a master tone control, it presented players a plethora of sonic options in a straight-forward and engaging way.  The flame maple body on these is something to behold in addition to being wonderfully resonant.  Most important (in our humble opinion) the neck carve is super user friendly and makes playing a breeze.  

This particular player grade ES-5N (s/n: A-9914) is in very good to excellent condition considering its age.  The body does show signs of use including finish checking but is in excellent shape overall.  The tailpiece looks to be original and the saddle looks to have been changed.  This hardware shows some signs of its years but again is in very good shape considering when it was made.  All the electronics are fully functional and it sounds wonderful plugged in.  

The guitar looks to have been refretted at one time and has plenty of height to work with (the fretboard is in excellent shape).  The back of the neck shows some discoloration in spots (common with these guitars) and  has some nicks in the finish here and there but they don’t affect the playability of the instrument.  

The headstock is in very good shape overall and the tuners have been changed to Grovers (the original Radiator Backs will be included with the sale).

The original Lifton case is in fair to good condition but still does a nice job of protecting the guitar.  

Adding to the fun history of this beauty, this guitar once belonged to Jimmy Vivino, the leader of the Basic Cable Band and the house group for Conan O’ Brien while his program was on TBS (the case is also labeled for the talented musician). 

We are very excited to be able to offer this instrument and we encourage anyone interested who may be in our region to please join us in person.  This is a great opportunity to grab a piece of Gibson history that is ready to play well into the future.  Please reach out to us with any questions.