Gibson ES5 Conversion Sunburst 1949

This 1949 Gibson ES5 Conversion is a beautiful piece of guitar history that combines the best of both worlds: the original charm of one of the first triple-pickup electric guitars ever made, but with the practical controls that Gibson wouldn't introduce until six years later.

In 1949, Gibson did something special by introducing the ES5, with the number 5 having a special significance that harkened back to Lloyd Loar's Master Models of 1924. With its cutaway and body dimensions borrowed from the acoustic L5C, the ES5 was in many ways an electric version of that legendary archtop. The groundbreaking feature of this model, however, was its three pickups, something that had never been done before. The problem was that the original controls were quite awkward; with a volume control for each pickup, a master tone control, and no switch, all those pickups were practically impossible to use while playing.

Gibson didn't solve this problem until 1955 with the ES5 Switchmaster, which featured separate volume and tone controls for each pickup, plus an elegant four-way switch. This guitar is just such a conversion; originally built as one of the first ES5s from 1949, it was later converted to the much more practical Switchmaster specifications. This gives you the rare vintage character of a Gibson over 75 years old, but with the functionality for which the Switchmaster became so beloved.

The three original P90 pickups deliver that characteristic warm yet clear tone Gibson was known for at the time, while the four-way switch gives you all possible combinations to quickly switch between different sounds. Each pickup can be switched on individually, and the fourth position activates all three pickups simultaneously. The volume control also allows you to access various combinations of two pickups.

For a guitar from 1949, this one is in excellent condition, which, considering its age and the fact that it's a conversion, is nothing short of a miracle. The guitar has playwear and weather checking in the finish, and part of the finish on the back of the neck has worn off due to playing. During the conversion, in addition to its modified electronics, the guitar also received replacement hardware such as the tailpiece, bridge, and tuners. It was also refretted at some point, and the nut was raised.

This ES5 Conversion is not only a beautifully playable vintage Gibson, but also a unique piece of music history that perfectly captures the evolution of the electric guitar; from an experimental concept to the refined instrument that would lay the foundation for many iconic recordings of the 1950s and 1960s. And a nice detail: Gibson built 66 sunburst ES5s in 1949, so you won't find another one like it anytime soon!

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