Gibson ES Series


The Gibson ES series of semi-acoustic guitar are manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. The letters ES stand for Electric Spanish, to distinguish them from Hawaiian-style guitars which were played flat on the lap. Many of the original numbers referred to the price, in dollars, of the model. Suffixes in the names indicate additional appointments, for example "T" means "thinline" while "D" means "double pickup". Many of the models came with f-holes, though some, such as B.B. King's signature Lucille series, were made without f-holes. Some models were full-bodied models, while single- and double-cutaways are also available. Two different styles of cutaways were used, both named by Gibson after Italian cities. Florentine models had a sharper, more pointed end on the cutaway, while more rounded and contoured cutaways were called Venetian style.
Numerous signature models of the ES series exist, as well as some later hybrid models such as a Les Paul ES that combines features of a Gibson Les Paul with those of the ES series. ES guitars were built at Gibson's Memphis, Tennessee factory from 2003 to 2019. After Gibson's change of ownership in 2019, the Memphis factory was closed and the production was moved back to Nashville, Tennessee.

Series includes