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The Guitar Center Hollywood Platinum & Vintage Room offers yet another opportunity for you to experience the sound of a rare guitar. This time, it’s a 1963 Gibson L-5 CES—a top-quality “jazz” hollowbody favored by Wes Montgomery that was also wielded by Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore to forge the sound of early rock and roll.
1963 Gibson L-5 CES Typical Specs
- Spruce top, maple back and sides
- Sharp Florentine cutaway (replacing the round Venetian cutaway)
- Maple and mahogany neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Two Seth Lover-designed humbucker pickups
- Gold hardware
Mason Stoops on the Evolution of the Gibson L-5
“The L5 goes as far back as the 1920s in Gibson's catalog. It was their top-of-the-line. kind of ‘Cadillac’ guitar. It had a big body, f-holes and every fancy appointment they could offer. By the ’50s, the L-5 was upgraded with pickups and electronics, because the electric guitar is very cool and Gibson wanted to keep up with what the public was wanting.”
Mason Stoops on the Bridge Pickup of the Gibson L-5 CES
“Does anyone use the bridge pickup on a Gibson L-5 CES? Well, the bridge pickup on the L-5 CES actually sounds very cool. It might have been my favorite sound, but maybe that’s just because I’m surprised. It's articulate all over the fingerboard in a way an archtop should be, but it also has a kind of Les Paul and ES-335 bite. It made me play this guitar in a very different way than I had expected.”
Continue Your Vintage Gear Expedition
- Love vintage Gibson hollowbodies? Find your dream guitar right here.
- Learn how to decode Gibson serial numbers.
- Visit the Guitar Center YouTube Channel.
- Follow Mason Stoops Instagram.