Gibson ES-295 (1954)

An all-gold guitar might come off as a bit gaudy, unless of course it's one of the two most legendary 1950s goldies to have graced the guitar world - one is a Les Paul, which really doesn't need much of an introduction. The other? The ES-295.

From its beginnings in front of Elvis Presley's guitar ace Scotty Moore, to the hands of the virtuoso Danny Gatton, and more recently as a favorite of jazz and country guitarist extraordinaire Joel Patterson, the ES-295 has enjoyed a rich history as one of the most lusted after electric guitars made in the 20th century.

At its core, it adheres to most of the recipe as the iconic ES-175 model, but takes on an entirely different identity with its stage-commanding looks and unique presentation.

This ES-295 was completed towards the end of 1954 with its white label A-18304 serial number and FON of X9424 22, indicating it entered into production in 1954 as well. There's no questioning that this guitar became a favorite early on in its life, and that didn't seem to let up over the decades; the original gold finish shows varying degrees of wear and oxidation, with certain sections having chipped or worn away over time. The finish is completely worn off of the back of the neck except for behind the headstock and partially on the heel.

There are no signs of finish touch-up or overspray that we could identify. At some point, a decal of sorts was applied beneath the trapeze tailpiece, but was subsequently removed, leaving some witness marks. Despite the obvious play wear throughout, it remains wonderfully intact with excellent geometry and playability.

It features almost all of its original parts, including a fantastic sounding set of original P90 pickups, 'no line' Kluson tuners, and long trapeze tailpiece. The full C neck carve is quite comfortable and well worn at that, with a rich, dark Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and a recent refret done by Dan Erlewine. The original ground wire was replaced, and the two original Grey Tiger tone caps suffered lead deterioration. We sourced NOS Grey Tiger caps to install back in the guitar, and the electronics now work just as originally intended.

Without even plugging in, this 295 has a tremendous acoustic voice. Seriously, it's probably the loudest laminated Maple hollowbody electric we've had here in our shop; it could easily serve as a utility acoustic guitar in a studio setting. Plugged in, the medium output P90s lift all of that acoustic energy right out of the guitar, with a big, full, and warm tone that is still present enough to provide single-note power.

Included in the sale is the original 4-latch brown Lifton hardshell case and vintage songbooks that appear to have been paired with the guitar for some time.

**NOTE: Expedited Shipping required.**