Gibson L5S
The Gibson L5S is a solid-body electric guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.
Description and history
Introduced in 1972, the Gibson L5S was essentially a smaller, thinner solid-body version of the popular Gibson L-5 hollowbody. Like the L-5, it featured multiple binding on the single-cutaway 3-ply solid maple body, 5-piece maple neck, and headstock, and also featured an ebony fingerboard with block inlays. The headstock featured a flower-pot inlay similar to the L-5 archtop and most L5S models featured the L-5 trapeze tailpiece. The L5S was available in various finishes, such as ebony, cherry sunburst, wine red and natural.Upon its introduction in 1972, the L5S featured two low-impedance pickups, similar to those found on several Gibson Les Paul models of that period, such as the Recording model, the Signature model, the Personal model, and the Professional model. This incarnation of the model was not a success, however, thus Gibson switched from low-impedance pickups to regular humbucker Super Humbucking Tarback pickups, which were designed by Bill Lawrence. Though it was considered one of Gibson's more top-of-the-line models, it was still not particularly popular among guitarists. In the mid-1980s, the L5S was dropped from the Gibson line. L5-S guitars were produced with a one-piece top and back, two-piece top and back. The Norlin era in the production of Gibson guitars did not pass over the L5-S model, and that is why guitars with a three-piece top and back are the most common. probably they were saving on materials and that's why they started gluing tops from three pieces. Today, the L5-S is sought after by collectors and blues and jazz musicians, the sound of the L5-S is clear and warm. They work great with different types of music. Today it is extremely difficult to find a guitar with the original Tarback pickups.
Only 1,813 units were produced, according to Gibson.