| Comments | The Gibson L-5 CES has been the standard professional electrified archtop for – well, pretty much since it was introduced. The CES stands for ‘Cutaway Electric Spanish’.This 1983 example of the Gibson L-5 CES is in very good condition with a natural finish. There’s very little wear and the gold plating is in quite good shape; it’s possible that the original owner rested a fingertip on the pickguard and the corner of the bridge pickup, and there’s a little corrosion in the plating there.It also features an ebony bridge rather than an ABR tune-o-matic bridge, and the tuners have the fold-out cranks for speedier restringing.
This instrument was built in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the late part of 1983. It would be one of the last guitars built by Gibson in that plant; their move out of Kalamazoo to Nashville was completed in 1984. The label doesn’t have the serial number, but reads: |
| Serial Number | 82973003, dating to October 24, 1983 and built at Gibson’s Kalamazoo, Michigan plant. |
| Pricing | $6,000 Canadian with original case. SOLD |
| Neck | Flame maple neck with bound ebony fingerboard; mother of pearl dot position markers, Gibson logo and flowerpot inlay on headstock. |
| Frets | Original medium wide fretwire with little wear. |
| Body | Full size, 17 inch cutaway body. Carved spruce top, carved burl maple back, flame maple sides. |
| Finish | Original gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish in very good conditon. |
| Hardware/electronics | All original, gold plated hardware. Gold Gibson branded tuners with fold out stringing cranks, L-5 tailpiece,Custom L-5 truss rod cover, gold pickup covers with standard Gibson wiring. |
| Playability/Action | This guitar is really a joy to play. There is lots of room to move the action around. |
| Case | Original hardshell archtop Gibson case included. |
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