I bought a 1957 ES-5 Switchmaster when I was 16 in 1986. Everyone who sees it falls in love with it. It is truly the most remarkable guitar I've ever seen and I am very lucky to have it. The frets are so low it's almost fretless. I have always played flatwound strings and the tone is amazing. And yes, I have played it under full overdrive in front of a huge crowd and she will sing in any octave.
The Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster is the First Electric Guitar that came out in 1949 that had three Pickups and a Volume and tone Control Knob for each Pickup, plus a 4-way Selector Switch for each individual pickup plus one for all pickups! So, it's the other way around , the Stratacastor Sounds like This Beautiful Gibson ES-5 Switch Master you're playing, listen, you said it has a Strat sound but the Stratocaster wasn't Even invented yet, However, it's Really the Gibson Sound! That's why Rock N Roll Started out with the Gibson Archtop Guitar s like "The Classic ES-400, L-4's & L-4's, Scotty Moore's Gibson ES-249 Archtop, Bill Haley and the Comets use the Combination of the Brand New Gibson Les Paul Classic 3-Pickup Ebony Black Gold Hardware Guitar & Pickups and The Classic ES-400 Archtop Gibson Guitars to get that Unique Classic Rock N Roll Sound Way Before Fender Ever Came out with the Telecaster or Stratocaster! So it was Gibson Guitar Company along With Les Paul Invented The First Solid Body Electric Guitar with Both the The Single Coil (P-90) Pickups and The 1955 PAF Humbucker Pickups That Still Rule Every Jauderer of Music hall to this Day! A Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster will never have "The Powerful Stage Presents or Studio Special Affects Sound Of A Gibson Les Paul or any Other Electronic Guitar Gibson Manufacturers! Man, look at all the Legendary Electric Guitars that are Gibson Classical and Desired Collectable Guitars from The Gibson Archtop Guitars L-4'S, L5's, Classic ES-400, ES-175, ES-249, ES-Acoustic Guitars, The J-Series Acoustic Guitars, The Awesome Solid Body Guitars " The King of Hill "The Gibson Les Paul Guitar", The Futuristic Guitars of Gibson's President! He Designed in 1957 and Produced The "Gibson Flying V Guitar, The Gibson Explorer, and The Gibson Firebird! These three are The Most Awesome Sounding Rock N Roll Axes of All time, Plus Like The Gibson Les Paul they're very Valuable! Man, Stop fooling around with the Cheap Fender and other make of Guitars buy "The Real Musicians Instrument". Buy a "Gibson Les Paul or any of Their Awesome Guitars,Period! It's worth the Extra money!
These are beautiful sounding guitars. I played one at a shop when I was getting some strings, and couldn't get the sound out of me, so I just bought one. Arrives next week. Nice playing BTW.
Underwound or at least not overly hot humbuckers, plus that middle pickup added to the mix for "Stratocaster-ish" bell-like tones with two pickups together in parallel. Great guitar!
I was privileged to see Gibson’s Demonstrator Bruce Bolan ,back in the late 70s I think . Remember being Entranced both by the Iconic Gibson Archtops and Bruce’s brilliant playing. Your Awsome. Technique takes me right back to that time .
My dad had a 1955 Switchmaster {natural finish} with p-90s, just like the one Carl Perkins used to play back in the 50s. He traded it for a Browning Sweet sixteen shotgun back in the 70s. Turned out to be a VERY bad trade for dad! But he loved that shotgun, so as long as he was happy. Today he is 86 and doesn't play guitar or hunt pheasant and quail.
I played a 57 p90 version of this, the bridge pickup is magnetically out of phase, so if you set it to ALL and roll off the middle pickup you get crazy out of phase tones like early BB King or T Bone Walker, I was hoping to hear you touch on the out of phase settings to see if the modern ones do that.
I recently passed on buying a ‘56 Switchmaster that I’d been coveting for years; however, I’d recently learned that the 5-way position switch is no longer available. So, if the switch had ever started giving major trouble I’d have been left with a Gibson ES-Boatanchor (as have one or two guitar players I’ve read of that bought Switchmasters.) You’d have thought when Gibson reissued the Switchmaster they’d have kept a large stock of critical parts, such as that pickup switch. If anyone knows of a resource for that switch please let me know and I may try and hunt down the Switchmaster I’d coveted and see if I can buy it.
This one is super versatile, way cool, man. I heard that “coo” sound similar to a Strat; that’s fascinating coming from a Gibson hollow. I really like this one. I had a ‘94 Mexican Strat, a Fender, single coil pickups. This Gibson obviously has more bass tones coming out of it. It’s a baritone coo. Great demo, some cool playing.
I’ve been told by a luthier that the laminated Switchmaster (as well as the Gibson ES-175, which is also laminated) make for really good workhorse guitars for working guitarists as they’re less prone to weather/humidity damage. I play a ‘65 ES-175 and have never had any body cracks, etc. A friend played his ‘56 Switchmaster 5 nights a week on gigs for 60 years and likewise never had any issues with it being laminated. Neither of us had to baby our guitars either.
@@kbrown4ou the E5 Switchmaster used, costs nearly as much as L5CES..I would spring for the L5 being they are both so expensive assuming it was do able. Though it sure would be nice to own both as it's sure is a beauty : )
@@merseybeat1963 The Switchmaster was a friend’s who was retiring from playing and thus was going to give me a very good deal. Btw, you can see him play it if you check RU-vid for Tommy Crook Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar. I’d rather have a L5CES, better value, lighter, and easier to play (middle pickup on Switchmaster used to get in my way playing fingerstyle.)
I don't know his last name - but I totally agree that he has great integrity and is an excellent player; perfect for these types of video demos. Refreshing! Also, some great reasonable and knowledgeable comments coming from people like yourself.
