1979 Gibson L5-CES Sunburst (Pre-owned)
The L-5CES was Gibson’s flagship electric archtop, and this 1979 example is a good representation of the late-Norlin-era model. It features a carved spruce top, maple back and sides, ebony fingerboard, twin Gibson humbuckers and the distinctive L-5 appointments, including the bound body and fingerboard, block inlays and ornate headstock inlay.
This is a pre-owned example that has seen plenty of use over the years and has numerous marks, scratches and signs of wear to the finish. The gold plating on the pickup covers and other hardware is also considerably worn. The guitar appears to have been refretted at some point and the pickguard is a replacement. There is also a small repaired area around the output jack, visible in the photographs.
A genuine late-1970s Gibson L-5CES with plenty of history and character, offered in used/player-grade condition.
Specifications:
- Year: 1979
- Body: 17" single-cutaway archtop
- Top: Solid, carved spruce
- Back & sides: Solid/carved maple
- Scale length: 25½"
- Nut width: 1⅝"–1 11/16"
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Fingerboard radius: 12"
- Frets: 20
- Inlays: Mother-of-pearl block
- Neck: Figured maple
- Neck joint: Set neck
- Pickups: Two Gibson humbuckers
- Controls: Individual volume and tone for each pickup
- Selector: 3-way toggle
- Bridge: Tune-o-matic with ebony base
- Tailpiece: Gibson L-5 trapeze tailpiece
- Tuners: Kluson Sealfast, gold plated
- Hardware: Gold plated
- Finish: Gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
- Pickguard: Bound tortoiseshell/celluloid
- F-holes: Bound
- Headstock: Bound, with mother-of-pearl Gibson logo and L-5 "flowerpot"/torch inlay
- Case: Non-original Hard Foam Case