The Guitar Magazine – July 2019

VINTAGE BENCH TEST

TRIPLE THREAT

WORDS HUW PRICE

The Gibson ES-5 is widely regarded as
the fi rst commercially available electric
guitar with three pickups. This beautiful
Switchmaster from 1957 is loaded with
a trio of the most iconic electric-guitar
pickup of them all... the PAF humbucker

B

y the 1950s, Gibson’s reputation as a

jazz-guitar manufacturer was founded on

traditional lutherie skills and understated

style. But when the mood took it, the

company could certainly bling it out with anybody –

Gretsch and Epiphone included.

This ES-5 Switchmaster is a prime example, with

gold hardware, fancy multi-ply fingerboard binding

and no less than six knobs to go with three original

PAF humbuckers. The ‘Switchmaster’ name comes

from the four-way switch mounted on the Venetian

cutaway with an accompanying plate engraved

to denote settings for each individual pickup, or

‘all’ three.

THREE’S A CROWD

The ES-5 model was introduced in 1949 with a

rosewood bridge, a gold-plated version of the ES-175

parallelogram tailpiece and three P-90 pickups. The

triple-pickup complement is considered an industry

first and pre-dates the Epiphone Zephyr Emperor

Regent by a year.

Some players found having three individual volume

controls and a master tone mounted on the cutaway

somewhat impractical. So, the Switchmaster specs

were introduced in 1955, along with a gold-plated

ABR-1 bridge on a rosewood base. The double-loop

tailpiece followed in 1956 and by 1957, state-of-the-

art PAF humbuckers had replaced P-90 single-coils.

In 1961, a Florentine cutaway was introduced and

cherry sunburst became the standard finish before

the model was discontinued the following year. While

the Switchmaster might easily fall into the jazzbox

category, it wasn’t such a hit with jazz players. That’s

fine because plenty of blues, country and rockabilly

players love them.

It’s pretty obvious why jazz guitarists weren’t

enamoured with the Switchmaster – their baffling

preference for playing music rather than perpetually

fiddling about with gear means that few jazz players

bother switching pickups.

This example from ATB Guitars in Cheltenham,

UK is in stunning condition, with no discernible play

wear on the body or neck. There is a small lacquer

chip deep inside the cutaway and another near the

VINTAGE BENCH TEST

GUITAR MAGAZINE 89