John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery, who died far too early in 1968 at the age of 45, is one of the most influential and well-known jazz guitarists of all time. With his unique playing and the soft, expressive sound he gave jazz standards and original compositions an individual character, and influenced an infinite number of guitarists, among them Lee Ritentour, Pat Metheny as well as Jimi Hendrix and Joe Satriani.
All his life, Wes Montgomery swore on archtop jazz guitars from Gibson and first played an ES-175 before finally switching to the Gibson L-5 CES. This jazz guitar with its 25.5" scale length and the large maple body with spruce top and a humbucker on the neck offered him the perfect basis for his characteristic sound.
With the Wes Montgomery L-5 CES, the Gibson Custom Shop's Crimson Division, which specializes in high-quality archtop guitars, now presents an authentic reissue of Montgomery's beloved guitar down to the smallest detail.
The classic 17" Hollow Body electric guitar does not compromise on solid premium hardware. In addition to the famous Gibson L-5 tailpiece in gold-plated and nickel-plated design including model engraving, a Gibson Floating ABR-1 is used, which is mounted on a rosewood base. The tuning mechanisms for the Wes Montgomery L-5 CES were world-famous M6 tuners from Schaller, a traditional German manufacturer.
The back and sides are made of heavily grained, solid curly maple, while the hand-carved top is made of solid spruce and is responsible for the vibrant, transparent sound of the Wes Montgomery L-5CES. The neck is also made of strongly figured maple and carries a noble precious wood fretboard with 20 frets and mother-of-pearl blocks to mark the layers.
The pickup is a Gibson '57 Classic Humbucker on the neck, which delivers authentic PAF sound. With its moderate output and warm transparency, it is the ideal companion for expressive jazz lines that are transmitted to the amplifier with natural dynamics. Last but not least, volume and treble can be controlled by volume and tone controls.