2003 Gibson Custom Shop Historic ES-5 Switchmaster signed by Jim Hutchins! SOLD!
Click any picture for supersize view!
An incredible Custom Shop built recreation of the classic PAF Switchmaster! Top notch materials and quality. This one was built by Gibson master builder Jim Hutchins. Hutch is no longer with us but his archtops are well known among collectors and players. Read about him HERE to see how he put his heart and soul into every guitar he built. This ES-5 is a great example of the breed showcasing some gorgeous wood and killer appointments. The body is made from laminated flame maple. Check out the gorgeous figuring on this example. The neck is 3 piece flame maple with a bound rosewood fingerboard and pearl block inlays. A trio of 57 Classic humbuckers deliver big tone. A 4 way switch and six, yes, six knobs control the tones. An incredible amount of tonal versatility here. Grover Rotomatic tuners, a Tuneomatic bridge and fancy tailpiece keep it rock solid. The finish is a gorgeous vintage blonde lacquer and is set off by gold hardware. The ES-5 was introduced in 1949 as an electric version of the L-5. It is an icon for jazz, blues and rockabilly. This Custom Shop example allows you to own a great guitar without the $15K+ price tag of a vintage original!
This Gibson plays and sounds great. The neck is straight, the action is good and the frets are great. Setup with roundwound 12s, it has a great jazz and blues voice. The pickups sound incredible offering very warm tone. The Switchmaster setup allows you to blend the pickups. You may find your signature sound. This is a nice used guitar. It shows light pick and clearcoat scratches and some light playwear. the gold hardware shows some tarnishing. The stinger on the back of the headstock shows some checking on the edges, a common ailment of Gibsons of the late 90s/early 2000s. Nothing major. One small ding on the neck. Doesn't affect playability and many wouldn't mention it. A great looking piece for a player or collector. Comes in original hardshell case.
Gibson no longer offers an ES-5. There were a few runs in the late 1990s and early 2000s and only some of them were assembled and signed by Hutch. This is a fairly rare and cool premium archtop. New, these were quite expensive coming close to the prices of the top end archtops like the L-5CES and Super 400. Here's a great example with killer flame and great looks.
