Gibson ES Series


The Gibson ES series of semi-acoustic guitars are manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.
The letters ES stand for Electric Spanish, to distinguish them from the EH line of lap steel guitars which are played flat on the lap. Many of the original numbers referred to the price, in dollars, of the model. Suffixes in the names indicate additional appointments, for example "T" means "thinline" while "D" means "double pickup". Many of the models come with f-holes, though some, such as B.B. King's signature Lucille series, are made without f-holes. Some models are full-bodied models, while single- and double-cutaways are also available. Two different styles of cutaways are used, both named by Gibson after Italian cities. Florentine models had a sharper, more pointed end on the cutaway, while more rounded and contoured cutaways were called Venetian style.
Numerous signature models of the ES series exist, as well as some later hybrid models such as the "ES-Les Paul" that combines features of a Gibson Les Paul with those of the ES series.
ES Series guitars were built at Gibson's Memphis, Tennessee factory from 2000 until 2019. After Gibson's change of ownership in 2019, the Memphis factory was closed and production was moved back to Nashville, Tennessee.

Models

ES models

  • ES-5 Three-pickup, full depth hollowbody. / ES-5 Switchmaster
  • ES-100 Entry-level archtop hollow-body model.
  • ES-120T Most basic student model, thinline
  • ES-125 Successor of ES-100. / ES-125T.
  • ES-130
  • ES-135 Thick-body version of ES-125TDC. /
  • ES-137 Upscaled ES-135 with Les Paul sound.
  • ES-139 Semi-hollow dealer exclusive, sized between a Les Paul and ES-135. No f-holes. Marketed as a lighter alternative to the Les Paul.
  • ES-140 3/4 size, short scale ES-175. / ES-140T.
  • ES-150 Gibson's first electric guitar, based on L-50. / EST–150 and EPG–150 were shipped. / ES-150DC resembling thick ES-335.
  • ES-165 Single pickup ES-175 based on Herb Ellis's.
  • ES-175 Full depth, florentine cutaway, maple top, 24 3/4" scale. / ES-175D. / ES-175T
  • ES-225T Variation on ES-125T, with trapeze bridge.
  • ES-250 Rare, fancier version of ES-150. Replaced by ES-300.
  • ES-260 Resembling ES-125T/ES-225T, but semi-hollow with center block, stop tailpiece, and humbuckers instead of P90 pickups.
  • ES-275 Slimmed down L5 hollowbody shape with a 15" upper bout, 2.25" depth, and a Venetian cutaway
  • ES-275 Thinline Semihollow version of the ES-275 with a 2" depth
  • ES-295 ES-175 resembling Les Paul Goldtop with trapeze bridge.
  • ES-300 Successor of ES-250, with a slant-mounted long pickup. Short PU in 1941. Reintroduced with P-90 in 1946, added second P-90 in 1949. Replaced by ES-350.
  • ES-320TD Similar to ES-330TD but with tune-o-matic and metal control plate.
  • ES-325 Similar to ES-330TD but with mini-humbuckers, single f-hole, and a half-moon shaped plastic control plate
  • ES-330TD Double rounded cutaway, thinline hollow-body
  • ES-333 Stripped-down version of ES-335
  • ES-335 World's first thinline archtop semi-acoustic / ES-335 Bass
  • ES-336 Replaced by CS-336.
  • ES-339 Size of CS-336 with construction of ES-335.
  • ES-340TD ES-335 with a master volume/mixer and phase switch
  • ES-345 ES-335 construction, but with parallelogram inlays, Varitone, and stereo outputs.
  • ES-347 Alternate ES-345 with a coil-tap switch instead of Varitone
  • ES-350 Rounded cutaway ES-300. / ES-350T as a plainer Byrdland.
  • ES-355 Upscaled ES-345 with vibrato unit, optional Varitone and stereo outputs.
  • ES-359 Upscaled ES-339.
  • ES-369 ES-335 with Dirty Finger humbuckers, coil tap switch, and snakehead headstock.
  • ES-390 Similar in size to the ES-339, but with the fully hollow construction of ES-330. Equipped with mini humbuckers or dog-ear P90s.
  • ES-775 ES-175 with higher quality components
  • ES Artist Upscale model of ES-335 without f-holes, with active circuit by Moog.

    ES signature models

  • Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333 Equipped with a single high-output Gibson Dirty Fingers bridge humbucker.
  • DG-335 Dave Grohl model based on Trini Lopez.
  • Trini Lopez Trini Lopez two versions: Standard model based on ES-335, Deluxe model based on [|Kessel] model, both with diamond-shaped sound holes and a single-side headstock.
  • Chris Cornell First edition released in 2013 with a limited edition run of 250 released in 2019 - green Olive Drab finish with Jason Lollar Gretsch Filtertron style Lollartron pickups, Bigsby vibrato, and Cornell's signature inlaid on the headstock
  • Lucille B.B. King model based on ES-355TD-SV without f-holes.
  • Johnny A. ES-336 sized fully-hollow thinline body with sharp double cutaways that resemble the Barney Kessel model with three variants :
  • *Signature with Bigsby vibrato
  • *Standard with Bigsby vibrato, which has less cosmetic appointments compared to the Signature, nickel instead of gold hardware, and a rosewood fretboard instead of ebony
  • *Spruce Top, with a spruce top instead of maple and a stopbar tailpiece instead of a Bigsby vibrato, rosewood fretboard, and Alnico III CustomBuckers instead of '57 Classics

    Derived models

  • 335-S Loosely related solidbody guitar similar in shape and controls to ES-335 with two Dirty Fingers pickups.
  • CS-336 Custom Shop's first "tonally carved" guitar.
  • CS-356 Upscaled CS-336 with goldplate parts, etc.
  • Offset semi-hollow with similar aesthetics to the Trini Lopez - non-reverse Firebird six-in-line headstock, diamond f-holes, and split-diamond inlays. Two variants:
  • * - Plain maple top, ebony fingerboard, '57 Classic humbuckers, four finishes: Ebony, Natural, Sunburst, Wine Red.
  • * - AAA Flame maple top, gold hardware, block inlays, Burstbucker Pro humbuckers, four finishes: Desert Sunset, Felt Green, Neon, Roulette Red.
  • Les Paul Bantam/Florentine Custom Shop models with thinline semi-hollow-body with center-block.
  • ES-Les Paul Mash up of Les Paul and ES-335
  • Les Paul Signature
  • *Midtown Smaller chambered body with f-holes that came in five variants:
  • **Standard with dot inlays and BurstBucker humbuckers, as well as optional Bigsby vibrato
  • **Standard P-90 with trapezoid inlays and P-90 pickups
  • **Custom with humbuckers, block inlays and split diamond headstock inlay, like an ES-355
  • **Kalamazoo, with appointments referencing the Byrdland
  • **Signature Bass
  • EB–2 bass
  • EB-6 6-string bass/baritone guitar

    Related models

Origin models

  • L-4 The bass model of ES-175 and its derivatives.
  • L-5 The bass model of ES-5, Byrdland, ES-350T, possibly ES-225, and these derivatives.
  • *Byrdland Thinline, short-scale L-5 CES, named after Billy Byrd and Hank Garland.
  • *Super 400 CES
  • L-50 The base model of the first Electro Spanish model, ES-150.
  • The Log A forerunner of the later center-block semi-hollow models, ES-335/345/355.

    Related signature models

  • Tal Farlow Tal Farlow model.
  • Howard Roberts Fusion Howard Roberts model.
  • Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Gibson version of the Gretsch Chet Atkins signature model 6120, with Gibson 492R and 490T humbucking pickups instead of Gretsch Filtertrons.
  • Chet Atkins Tennessean Mid-priced Gibson Chet Atkins signature model designed by Gibson.

    Related derivative models

  • EDS–1275 Double 12 Doubleneck, hollow-body or SG-shaped solid-body guitar with 12 and 6 string guitar necks.
    Other doubleneck models include:
  • *EMS–1235 Double Mandolin or solid-body )
  • *EBSF–1250 Double Bass
  • *EBS–1250 Double Bass
  • *EDS–1250
  • Barney Kessel Barney Kessel model. 3" deep, double florentine cutaway hollow-body.
  • Johnny Smith Later renamed as Gibson LeGrande.
  • * - new style archtop using 1/2 the wood by bending it instead of traditional carving. 17" full hollowbody with a venetian cutaway and floating Johnny Smith style humbucker.
  • Blueshawk
  • * Little Lucille another Lucille endorsed by B.B. King.

    ES models (with signatures and derivations)

Related models

Tree chart