2010 Gibson L5 Signature Custom

From Gibson: A big sound in a smaller package. If you love the sweet tone of a classic Gibson carved top, but have never been comfortable, then the new L-5 Signature is the guitar for you. This beautiful instrument provides all of the tonal characteristics and appointments of the original L-5 in a compact size that is significantly easier to manage on and off stage, yet it retains the same impeccable tonal properties.

Thanks to an artist deal I had with Gibson, I’ve been very fortunate to have had many great guitars built for me over the years by Mike Maguire, head of the Gibson Custom Shop. This particular guitar, a small body L5, was inspired by a finish on a Les Paul I had seen at my buddy Steve Mesple's shop, Wildwood guitars.

I felt that the Golden Ice Tea finish would be perfect on an archtop, so I commissioned Gibson to make me this specific Gibson L5 Signature. I specified the best woods, carefully tone tapped, with a proper neck angle and classic L5 neck shape.

Those are basically all the elements that make up a great classic Gibson, guitars I’ve coveted and been familiar with since I was a young man at my father’s music shop.

After waiting what seemed like forever, this beauty arrived. As I had hoped (never having seen an L-5 in this particular hue), it turned out to be a truly stunning instrument.

Even though it’s slightly smaller than the L-5 that has inspiried some of the most fantastic music ever played on a guitar, it has the same rich, woody electric tone that would make any lover of this classic model smile.

Personally, I prefer the smaller body (15.5") to the standard L-5 ( 17"). It's more comfortable to play, and has a quicker response than the standard-sized classic.

The neck profile is a beautifully carved, classic Gibson shape. It’s sort of a ES rounded shape that starts out low profile at the 1st fret and then blooms in its taper as you move towards the 12 fret. Super comfortable, easy to play, and immediately familiar to Gibson lovers anywhere. If you’ve never experienced how a great Gibson feels (and there is a fair amount of variance in Gibson necks), I’m confident you’ll fall in love with this the moment you put it in your hands.

The L-5 has always held a special place in my heart. In many ways, for me it has always been the jazz guitar. If you’ve already experienced playing an L-5, you’ll find this L-5 S to be an exceptional example of what these iconic guitars can be. In short, a gorgeous, beautifully executed, wonderful playing spin on a model that has been the holy grail of many jazz guitarists for decades.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.