Harman Patil (Editor)

Gibson ES Series

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The Gibson ES series of semi-acoustic guitar (hollow body electric guitar) are manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. The letters ES stand for Electric Spanish, to distinguish them from Hawaiian-style guitars which were played flat on the lap.

Series includes

  • ES-5    (1949-1955)   Three-pickup, full depth hollowbody.
  • ES-5 Switchmaster   (1955-1962)
  • ES-100   (1938-1941)   Entry-level archtop hollow-body model.
  • ES-120T (1962-1971)   Most basic student model, thinline.
  • ES-125   (1941-1970)   Successor of ES-100.
  • ES-130   (1954-1956)   (Renamed to ES-135)
  • ES-135   (1956-1958)   Thick-body version of ES-125TDC.
  • ES-137   (2002-)    Upscaled ES-135 with Les Paul sound.
  • ES-140   (1950-1957)   3/4 size, short scale ES-175.
  • ES-140T (1956-1968)   Thinline ES-140 3/4T.
  • ES-150   (1936-1956)   Gibson's first electric guitar, based on L-50.
  • ES-165   (1991-)   Single pickup ES-175 based on Herb Ellis's.
  • ES-175   (1949-)   Full depth, florentine cutaway, maple top, 24 3/4" scale.
  • ES-225T (1955-1959)   Variation on ES-125T (thinline, florentine cutaway), with trapeze bridge.
  • ES-250   (1938-1940)   Rare, fancier version of ES-150.
  • ES-260   (1982-1983)   Resembling ES-125T/ES-225T (thinline, florentine cutaway), but semi-hollow with center block, stop tailpiece, and humbuckers instead of P90 pickups. Knob placement differed slightly from other ES-series.
  • ES-295   (1952-1959)   ES-175 resembling Les Paul Goldtop with trapeze bridge.
  • ES-300   (1940-1952)   Slant-mounted long pickup.
  • ES-320TD (1971-1974)   Similar to ES-330TD but with tune-o-matic and metal control plate.
  • ES-325   (1972-1979)   Similar to ES-330TD but with mini-humbuckers, single f-hole, and a half-moon shaped plastic control plate.
  • ES-330TD (1958-)      Double rounded cutaway, thinline hollow-body.
  • ES-333   (c.2001-2003) Stripped down version of ES-335.
  • ES-335   (1958-)   World's first thinline archtop semi-acoustic. (semi-hollow-body with center-block)
  • ES-336   (1996-2001)   Replaced by CS-336.
  • ES-339   (2007-)   Size of CS-336 with construction of ES-335.
  • ES-340TD (1968-1973)   ES-335 with a master volume/mixer and phase switch.
  • ES-345   (1958-1981)   ES-335 construction, but with parallelogram inlays, Varitone, and stereo outputs.
  • ES-347   (1978-1990s?) Alternate ES-345 with a coil-tap switch instead of Varitone.
  • ES-350   (1947-1956)   Rounded cutaway ES-300.
  • ES-355   (1958-1982)   Upscaled ES-345 (ebony board, extra binding, etc.) with vibrato unit, optional Varitone and stereo outputs.
  • ES-359   (2008-)     Upscaled ES-339 (ebony fretboard, extra binding, gold hardware, block inlays).
  • ES-369   (late1970s-1980s?)
  • ES-390   (2013-)   Similar in size to the ES-339, but with the fully hollow construction of ES-330. Equipped with mini humbuckers (2013 model year) or dog-ear P90s (2014-present).
  • ES-775   (1990-1993)   ES-175 with higher quality components.
  • ES Artist   (1979-c.1985) Upscale model of ES-335 without f-holes, with active circuit by Moog.
    • Signatured models
  • Byrdland   (1955-) Thinline, short-scale L-5 CES,
  • Barney Kessel (1961-1974)   Barney Kessel model.
  • Johnny Smith  (1961-1989?)  Later renamed as Gibson LeGrande.
  • Tal Farlow    (1962-1971)   Tal Farlow model.
  • Trini Lopez   (1964-1971)   Trini Lopez two versions:
  • Les Paul Signature (c.1972-c.1975)
  • Lucille     (1980-1985)   B.B. King model based on ES-355TD-SV without f-holes.
  • Howard Roberts Fusion (1980-)   Howard Roberts model.
  • Chet Atkins Country Gentleman (1987-2000s)
  • Chet Atkins Tennessean    (1990-2000s)
  • Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333 (2003-)
  • DG-335 (2007-?)   Dave Grohl model based on Trini Lopez.
    • Related models
  • 335-S     (1980-1983) Solidbody guitar similar to ES-335.
  • CS-336   (2001-?) Custom Shop's first "tonally carved" guitar.
  • CS-356   (2001-?) Upscaled CS-336 with goldplate parts, etc.
  • Les Paul Bantam/Florentine (1995/1996–2003?)
  • ES-Les Paul (2015)  Mash up of Les Paul and ES-335
  • Les Paul Signature bass (1973-?)
  • EB-2 bass (1958-1972)
  • EDS-1275 Double 12 (1958-)

    • References

    Gibson ES Series Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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