Gibson L-5 Wes Montgomery 1996

Legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery had always played a Gibson L-5 Cutaway Electric Spanish, which at the time (in the 1950s) featured a sharp "Florentine" cutaway and two P-90 or Alnico Humbucker pickups. In the early 1960s, Wes custom ordered an L-5 CES with a rounded, "Venetian" cutaway and a singular "PAF" humbucker in the neck spot. This was the model that he played on several of his timeless albums of the 1960s, and the model which was eventually given his namesake.

The Wes Montgomery model of L-5 varies from the standard L-5 in a few ways, most notably the one "57 Classic" (PAF) pickup, rather than two, and X-bracing rather than parallel bracing. The full specs:
 * Rounded "Venetian" cutaway
 * "Cello Grade" solid spruce top
 * High-grade Maple back and sides
 * Gibson ABR-1 bridge with Ebony base
 * period-correct Wes Montgomery gold tailpiece
 * 25.5" scale
 * 5-piece (3 Maple/2 Walnut) neck
 * 20 fret Ebony fretboard
 * Pearl block inlays, 3-ply neck binding
 * Single '57 Classic humbucker (PAF-voiced)
 * Bound F-holes
 * Multi-ply binding on top and back of body
 * Schaller tuners

This particular L-5 is in spectacular condition. There is a small scratch on the top near the tailpiece, a handful of extremely fine scratches on the back that are only visible in reflected light, and minimal wear on the pick guard. Frets are all level and do not show any signs of unevenness or excessive wear, action and setup are excellent, electonics perfectly working, and includes an original Gibson hard case in good shape. This was more or less a studio guitar for a local artist, and rarely, if ever, left home.