Any ES 5 Switchmaster Players?

[cody78]

I noticed there are not too many threads on the beautiful ES 5's & ES 5 Switchmasters here, so thought I'd start a new one. Add your pics, opinions and experiences of these fine instruments This is my 2010 model.

 

 

 

[JimR56]

Wow, yours is gorgeous. Congratulations! I haven't seen a lot of the modern reincarnations around, but I'd love to try one of those. Any comments on the sound and the type of music you play on it?

 

I owned a 1953 ES-5 back in the 1980's. I remember enjoying it, but I eventually traded it for a 1951 ES-350 and an amp. The 350 clearly delivered more of the sound I was looking for at the time, and that has remained somewhat mysterious to me with the similarity of those two instruments. Then again, sometimes different examples of the same model can sound quite different, so that may have come into play also.

 

Here's the one I had. Forgive me for the poor quality of the photo. It's a scan of an old Polaroid.

 

[Danny W.]

Here's a '94 (I think) that I owned for awhile--the photo doesn't do it justice:

 

 

 

Danny W.

[cody78]

Wow, yours is gorgeous. Congratulations! I haven't seen a lot of the modern reincarnations around, but I'd love to try one of those. Any comments on the sound and the type of music you play on it?

 

I owned a 1953 ES-5 back in the 1980's. I remember enjoying it, but I eventually traded it for a 1951 ES-350 and an amp. The 350 clearly delivered more of the sound I was looking for at the time, and that has remained somewhat mysterious to me with the similarity of those two instruments. Then again, sometimes different examples of the same model can sound quite different, so that may have come into play also.

 

Here's the one I had. Forgive me for the poor quality of the photo. It's a scan of an old Polaroid.

 

 

 

That's a lovely 1953. I haven't tried one with P90's. When I bought mine I was also looking at a Tal Farlow or an L4 CES, but chose the ES 5 because of it's bigger L5 based body size compared to the L4 and it's thicker body depth than the Tal model. I play jazz on mine mainly, but also some classical pieces. I tend to use positions 1 & all with the switch which best suits these styles, but on positions 2 & 3 you can achieve a bright sound which is good for country, blues and more contemporary styles. The guitar has a lovely deep woody sound with lots of resonance.

 

I'd love to see a pic of your ES 350 if you have any? As you say these models are very similar and I have always liked the look and sound of the 350 - like the early Tal sound before he started using his signature prototype! What styles do you play? Also, I see you are in the Bay Area, SF, I was lucky enough to spend some time in San Francisco a few years ago and it is beautiful place

[cody78]

Here's a '94 (I think) that I owned for awhile--the photo doesn't do it justice:

 

 

 

Danny W.

 

 

That's a mighty fine looking example with a lovely top Back in the 90's they did more finish options than now and I believe you could order one with P90's if I remember correctly? How come you sold yours?

[Danny W.]

That's a mighty fine looking example with a lovely top Back in the 90's they did more finish options than now and I believe you could order one with P90's if I remember correctly? How come you sold yours?

 

When I downsized my collection none of the laminated hollow bodies made the cut.

 

In the case of the Switchmaster, it really didn't serve any purpose for me.

 

Danny W.

[JimR56]

That's a lovely 1953. I haven't tried one with P90's. When I bought mine I was also looking at a Tal Farlow or an L4 CES, but chose the ES 5 because of it's bigger L5 based body size compared to the L4 and it's thicker body depth than the Tal model. I play jazz on mine mainly, but also some classical pieces. I tend to use positions 1 & all with the switch which best suits these styles, but on positions 2 & 3 you can achieve a bright sound which is good for country, blues and more contemporary styles. The guitar has a lovely deep woody sound with lots of resonance.

Thank you. Interesting that you use the term "resonant" to describe a three-pickup guitar with a laminated top (not that I'm doubting you, it just goes against the common stereotypical descriptions of these types of instruments). But it's all somewhat relative and subjective. I wish my ES5 had been more resonant, as that is a quality that I was always trying to find in archtops. Just a few years ago, I went back to using a semi-hollow (a 1962 Epiphone Sheraton) more often, and I also purchased a 1960 Gretsch Country Gentleman, with trestle bracing. I wasn't planning on using that one for jazz, but it sustains like crazy, yet still provides some of that archtop airiness. It's really heavenly for playing chord/melody style. I also have a '66 L5 custom (Charlie Christian pickup) that I love, and a '63 L5CT with humbuckers, which has been perhaps my favorite guitar of all.

 

 

I'd love to see a pic of your ES 350 if you have any?

I do have a scan of a similarly poor old Polaroid shot, but it's one among many (I've owned a lot of guitars over the years) that I've never bothered to upload. Mine was a sunburst model with two pickups, but it had been re-wired. It had the original two control knobs, but the master tone knob in the upper bout had been replaced by a toggle switch. It was clean and beautiful (modest flame), played great and had a wonderful sound, but because I was always restless and curious, it eventually was part of yet another trade that I made.

 

As you say these models are very similar and I have always liked the look and sound of the 350 - like the early Tal sound before he started using his signature prototype!

Exactly! Mine could get that early Tal sound, and I wasn't even trying for that, exactly.

 

What styles do you play?

I like to play a wider variety of things now, but still primarily jazz, which is what I've focused on for most of my life (emphasis on chord/melody). I was more or less transitioning from blues to jazz back when I owned the ES5 and the 350.

 

Also, I see you are in the Bay Area, SF, I was lucky enough to spend some time in San Francisco a few years ago and it is beautiful place

Yes, and it was even more beautiful 50+ years ago when I was growing up, and further back when my parents moved here in 1950. I've lived here in the south bay area for my entire life, and I've never really desired to live anywhere else (except dreaming about not getting onto return flights when I've visited Hawaii :) ).

[cody78]

Thank you. Interesting that you use the term "resonant" to describe a three-pickup guitar with a laminated top (not that I'm doubting you, it just goes against the common stereotypical descriptions of these types of instruments). But it's all somewhat relative and subjective. I wish my ES5 had been more resonant, as that is a quality that I was always trying to find in archtops. Just a few years ago, I went back to using a semi-hollow (a 1962 Epiphone Sheraton) more often, and I also purchased a 1960 Gretsch Country Gentleman, with trestle bracing. I wasn't planning on using that one for jazz, but it sustains like crazy, yet still provides some of that archtop airiness. It's really heavenly for playing chord/melody style. I also have a '66 L5 custom (Charlie Christian pickup) that I love, and a '63 L5CT with humbuckers, which has been perhaps my favorite guitar of all.

 

 

 

I do have a scan of a similarly poor old Polaroid shot, but it's one among many (I've owned a lot of guitars over the years) that I've never bothered to upload. Mine was a sunburst model with two pickups, but it had been re-wired. It had the original two control knobs, but the master tone knob in the upper bout had been replaced by a toggle switch. It was clean and beautiful (modest flame), played great and had a wonderful sound, but because I was always restless and curious, it eventually was part of yet another trade that I made.

 

 

Exactly! Mine could get that early Tal sound, and I wasn't even trying for that, exactly.

 

 

I like to play a wider variety of things now, but still primarily jazz, which is what I've focused on for most of my life (emphasis on chord/melody). I was more or less transitioning from blues to jazz back when I owned the ES5 and the 350.

 

 

Yes, and it was even more beautiful 50+ years ago when I was growing up, and further back when my parents moved here in 1950. I've lived here in the south bay area for my entire life, and I've never really desired to live anywhere else (except dreaming about not getting onto return flights when I've visited Hawaii :) ).

 

 

Thanks for the reply & pictures, you have some fantastic instruments in your collection I would love to own an L5, especially a vintage one, but they're slightly out of my price range at the moment and fairly rare here in the UK. Not many of the local stores or vintage dealers here have much in the way of archtops that you can try out, let alone the higher end ones! I was lucky to find my ES 5 far away in a store down south and I also have an ES 175 which I found in Scotland!

 

Regarding my comment on the sound of the Switchmaster being resonant, that may not have been the best description in comparison to say an L5 or Super 400! I was comparing the sound to my other laminated guitars such as the 175 and a lower end modern Epiphone Broadway & Gretsch I have, not to a high grade solid wood instrument I've been reading Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years by A.R. Duchossoir recently and still have much to learn about some of the vintage classic archtops that got discontinued, and also the various pickups they designed over the years. It is a fascinating book and a shame a lot of these things got forgotten over the years.

[cody78]

Zappa was.

 

Yes, I believe he modded his too!!! Crazy!