Gibson’s 1957 L-5 CES Reissue Is a Jazz Guitar Lover’s Dream Come True
Jazz guitar fans just got a reason to celebrate. Gibson Custom has announced the 1957 L-5 CES Reissue, a hollowbody archtop the company describes as the return of one of the most revered guitars in music history.
Handcrafted in Nashville and offered in Vintage Sunburst and Antique Natural, the guitar joins the Gibson Custom core lineup. Gibson says it is available worldwide through authorized Gibson dealers, Gibson Garage locations and gibson.com.
Gibson Custom 1957 L-5 CES Reissue: A Jazz Legacy Reborn
The L-5 was first introduced in the early 1920s during the Lloyd Loar era, according to Gibson. It helped define the modern archtop and became a favorite of country artists, jazz greats, rockabilly pioneers and blues legends.
The electric L-5 CES arrived in 1951. Gibson says the introduction of Patent Applied For humbuckers in late 1957 established what many players and collectors consider the model’s pinnacle form.
Mat Koehler, Gibson’s senior vice president of product, said in the announcement that the company chose the 1957 model for its versatility and influence. “No corners were cut in bringing it back to life,” he said.
Koehler said the guitar even uses a dovetail neck joint for the first time at Gibson’s Custom Shop. The company says it joins the Historic Reissue range.
In a video shared by the company, Gibson Spotlight Artist Ponpon shares the story of a Wes Montgomery L-5 that later passed to George Benson and then Pat Metheny. Gibson says the story links three generations of iconic players through one guitar.
What’s Inside the Gibson L-5 CES Reissue: Specs, Pickups and Build
Gibson Custom used detailed 3D scans of original late-1950s examples to recreate the guitar, according to Gibson. The company says the neck profile, carved body, electronics and ornamental appointments were all carefully considered.
The body is fully carved, with an AAA spruce top, a bookmatched AAA curly maple back and solid AAA curly maple sides. A Venetian cutaway provides access to the upper frets, while seven-ply top binding and three-ply back binding add refinement.
The three-piece, 25.5-inch scale neck uses two sections of curly maple with a walnut center strip. Its Authentic 1957 L-5 profile comes from vintage scans, and the ebony fretboard has 20 medium jumbo frets and mother-of-pearl block inlays.
The five-ply bound headstock features a mother-of-pearl flowerpot inlay, while gold Kluson Sealfast tuners provide dependable tuning stability. The gold hardware includes a Historic Reissue ABR-1 bridge on a rosewood base and an engraved L-5 tailpiece.
Two unpotted Custombucker pickups with Alnico 3 magnets are designed to capture the warmth and clarity Gibson associates with coveted late-1950s instruments. The guitar ships with light-gauge .012–.052 flatwound strings and a Gibson Custom Shop hardshell case.
Koehler called the guitar “as fine an instrument as we’ve ever made.” Pricing was not included in the announcement, so interested players should check with authorized dealers or gibson.com.
