The Gibson ES series of semi-acoustic guitars (hollow body electric guitars) are manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.
The letters ES stand for Electric Spanish, to distinguish them from Hawaiian-style lap steel guitars which are 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" (a thinner profile than most) while "D" means "double pickup". Many of the models come with f-holes, though some, such as B.B. King's signature Lucille series, are made without f-holes. Some models are full-bodied models, while single- and double-cutaways are also available. Two different styles of cutaways are 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 the "ES-Les Paul" that combines features of a Gibson Les Paul with those of the ES series.
ES Series guitars were built at Gibson's Memphis, Tennessee factory from 2000 until 2019. After Gibson's change of ownership in 2019, the Memphis factory was closed and production was moved back to Nashville, Tennessee.
Models
ES models
ES-5 (1949–1955) Three-pickup, full depth hollowbody. / (1955–1962) ES-5 Switchmaster ES-100 (1938–1941) Entry-level archtop hollow-body model. (Renamed to ES-125) ES-120T (1962–1971) Most basic student model, thinline ES-125 (1941–1970) Successor of ES-100. / (1956–1960) ES-125T (thinline). ES-130 (1954–1956) (Renamed to ES-135) ES-135 (1956–1958) Thick-body version of ES-125TDC. / (1991–2002) ES-137 (2002–2013) Upscaled ES-135 with Les Paul sound. ES-139 (2013 only) Semi-hollow dealer exclusive, sized between a Les Paul and ES-135. No f-holes. Marketed as a lighter alternative to the Les Paul. ES-140 (1950–1957) 3/4 size, short scale ES-175. / (1956–1968) ES-140T (thinline). ES-150 (1936–1956) Gibson's first electric guitar, based on L-50. / (1937-?) EST–150 (tenor) and EPG–150 (plectrum) were shipped. / (1969–1974) ES-150DC resembling thick ES-335. ES-165 (1991–2013) Single pickup ES-175 based on Herb Ellis's. ES-175 (1949–) Full depth, florentine cutaway, maple top, 24 3/4" scale. / (1953-) ES-175D (dual pickup). / (1976–1979) ES-175T (thinline hollow-body)
ES-225T (1955–1959) Variation on ES-125T (thinline, florentine cutaway), with trapeze bridge. ES-250 (1938–1940) Rare, fancier version of ES-150. Replaced by ES-300. ES-260 (1982–1983) Resembling ES-125T/ES-225T (thinline, florentine cutaway), but semi-hollow with center block, stop tailpiece, and humbuckers instead of P90 pickups. ES-295 (1952–1959) ES-175 resembling Les Paul Goldtop with trapeze bridge. ES-300 (1940–1952) Successor of ES-250, with a slant-mounted long pickup. Short PU in 1941. Reintroduced with P-90 in 1946, added second P-90 in 1949. Replaced by ES-350. ES-320TD (1971–1974) Similar to ES-330TD but with tune-o-matic and metal control plate. ES-325 (1972–1979) Similar to ES-330TD but with mini-humbuckers, single f-hole, and a half-moon shaped plastic control plate ES-330TD (1958–) Double rounded cutaway, thinline hollow-body ES-333 (–2003) Stripped-down version of ES-335 ES-335 (1958–) World's first thinline archtop semi-acoustic (semi-hollow-body with center-block) / (2013–) ES-335 Bass ES-336 (1996–2001) Replaced by CS-336. ES-339 (2007–) Size of CS-336 with construction of ES-335. ES-340TD (1968–1973) ES-335 with a master volume/mixer and phase switch ES-345 (1958–1981) ES-335 construction, but with parallelogram inlays, Varitone, and stereo outputs. ES-347 (1978–) Alternate ES-345 with a coil-tap switch instead of Varitone ES-350 (1947–1956) Rounded cutaway ES-300. / (1955–1981) ES-350T as a plainer Byrdland. ES-355 (1958–1982) Upscaled ES-345 (ebony fretboard, extra binding, etc.) with vibrato unit, optional Varitone and stereo outputs. ES-359 (2008–) Upscaled ES-339 (ebony fretboard, extra binding, gold hardware, block inlays). ES-369 (late 1970s–) ES-335 with Dirty Finger humbuckers, coil tap switch, and snakehead headstock. ES-390 (2013–) Similar in size to the ES-339, but with the fully hollow construction of ES-330. Equipped with mini humbuckers (2013 model year) or dog-ear P90s (2014–present). ES-775 (1990–1993) ES-175 with higher quality components ES Artist (1979–) Upscale model of ES-335 without f-holes, with active circuit by Moog.