Gibson Custom brings the 1957 L-5 CES back with scanned vintage geometry
The core-line reissue pairs carved AAA woods and Custombuckers with prices starting at $10,999.
Oct 8, 2026
Credit: Gibson (via source)
Gibson Custom has returned the 1957 L-5 CES to its core lineup, building the reissue from 3D scans of rare late-1950s originals. The hollowbody uses a carved AAA spruce top, carved bookmatched curly-maple back, solid maple sides and a dovetail-set three-piece maple-and-walnut neck.
Unpotted Alnico 3 Custombuckers, an ebony fingerboard and gold historic hardware complete the Vintage Sunburst and Antique Natural versions. Gibson lists them at $10,999 and $11,999 respectively, positioning the model as a high-end revival of one of its defining electric archtops.
Credit: Gibson
Why it matters
This is a full-production return for a foundational jazz archtop, not a cosmetic limited edition, and the scanned construction gives players a rare modern reference point for late-1950s L-5 design.
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