The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary

View Poll Results: Your L5 choice

Voters
85. You may not vote on this poll
  • L5 acoustic floater ok

    15 17.65%
  • L5ces 2 pickup

    34 40.00%
  • L5 Wes 1 pickup

    36 42.35%
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  1. #1

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    You have 3 choices only. You can buy a Gibson L5 of approximately same vintage of each choice. Does not matter the actual difference in price. It is your guitar to play. Pick what L5 you would buy? Assume cutaway.

    1. L5 acoustic ( a floater ok)

    2. L5 ces 2 pickups

    3 L5 Wes one neck pickup.

  2.  

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  3. #2

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    3 -- a mounted pup usually sounds fatter than a floater and I have no use for the bridge pup.

  4. #3

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    None of them have 24.75" scale so I'm out of luck. Pity since I like the 17" body. But I do like a top mounted single PU configuration...

  5. #4

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    An L-5CES with two humbuckers would pretty much ring my chimes. Blonde, sunburst, black, blue, metallic green, gold-top, red sparkle, whatever. That tailpiece, '57 Classics, a set of 0.012s, I'm good to go. Oh, and the case it will rarely be in.
    Last edited by citizenk74; 01-14-2021 at 01:41 PM. Reason: typo

  6. #5

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    Agree completely. While I have never played a 2 pickup CES, I own both a Wes Mo and an L5 with a floater. The set pickup has a fatter sound that cuts through. The BJB floater is thinner. Two very distinct sounds.

  7. #6

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    No bridge pickup, no clean harmonic soloing. I know, I’ve said it before.

  8. #7
    I voted acoustic because that is my primary way I look at an archtop. I have no real reason to have a bridge pickup so the Wes is my 2nd choice. I am interested also in how if effects the used market for these too. That said I would not all mind having a Wes over an acoustic depending on cost.

  9. #8

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    L5P 4 Me!

  10. #9

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    I voted for the WesMo as i already own two L5CES and rarely ever use the bridge pickup.

  11. #10

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    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-l-5-sig-collection-1-jpg

    It's not a poll I can honestly answer--I find each choice serves a purpose and I enjoy playing all of them.

    Danny W.

  12. #11

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    Danny,
    Oh my God.
    I just don’t know what to say..
    Beautiful.
    Joe D

  13. #12

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    Danny W,

    No argument with that, if you have a selection to choose from. You're choices are phenomenal!

    Me, I have to suffer with my Premier. ?

    Steve

  14. #13

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    I'll pick the acoustic Dan. Please don't tell me that that is the quilted one I sold you 30 years ago ?!?

  15. #14

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    Acoustic L-5, no cutaway, pre-war, 17 inch....which describes the only L-5 I own, my 1940. I know it’s not exactly one of the choices, but those are my specs.

    For the purposes of survey, an acoustic L-5.

  16. #15

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    I have a Wesmo, a CES and my 1935 D'Angelico Excel is essentially an acoustic L-5, so I like all three, but I voted for the CES as that is the most useful guitar of the three.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Max405
    Danny,
    Oh my God.
    I just don’t know what to say..
    Beautiful.
    Joe D
    Thanks--I have posted this photo here before. I should do it more often.
    Quote Originally Posted by skykomishone
    Danny W,

    No argument with that, if you have a selection to choose from. You're choices are phenomenal!

    Me, I have to suffer with my Premier. ?

    Steve
    You're not exactly deprived.
    Quote Originally Posted by Archtop Guy
    I'll pick the acoustic Dan. Please don't tell me that that is the quilted one I sold you 30 years ago ?!?
    Okay, I won't tell you that. Those are all small-body L-5 Signatures from 2003-4. The acoustic is an L-5 Lee Ritenour Signature. The one you sold me was unusual because it was one of the few carved-top guitars Gibson built in '87 after having left Kalamazoo. My records show that I bought it from you in 8/87 and sold it to Buzzy Levine in 4/91. It was a nice guitar, but Gibson's best days were still ahead.

    It looked like this:

    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-87-l-5c-front-jpg

    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-l-5c-1987-rear-jpg

    Danny W.

  18. #17

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    One of these would be the one to float my boat.

    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-1955-l5-jpg

  19. #18

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    This poll just cracks me up. (The "assume the same vintage" doesn't really work when they didn't offer pickups standard until 1952 and CES, and I'd only want an acoustic from well before then anyway, and I certainly wouldn't want a cutaway, and I wouldn't be putting a floater on it, either). Lol.

    Ah well, don't cry for me being left off the poll, I'm doing just fine...(with my 1939 and 1932 L-5's that is).
    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-93708962-a344-4702-a300-99568ff822f6-jpg
    (good lord, I hope you realize I'm just giving you all a hard time - shooting spitballs over here from the era of jazz time forgot, ha!)

  20. #19

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    For me its a single p'up Wes Mo all the way.

    However, if Danny W. would simply adopt me I'd be happy with any variety L-5.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by campusfive
    (good lord, I hope you realize I'm just giving you all a hard time - shooting spitballs over here from the era of jazz time forgot, ha!)
    I've an archtop from the 20's and two from the 30's; humbler than those above but glorious still.

    I don't own the era like Mr. Stout with his superpowers and power tools (if only!)
    but it's very much my era too and I celebrate these beautiful ladies.

  22. #21

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    Would I have 3 choices, that you be cool because I'd take the 3

    Actually, I would let the Wes Montgomery go and change it with an uncut prewar 17 inches L5. Lucky me, that's exactly what I have. A L5N from 1940, a L5C from '53 (with a floater) and a L5CESN from '96.

    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-l5n-40-jpgYour Gibson L-5 Choice-l5c53-jpgYour Gibson L-5 Choice-l5cesn96-jpg

  23. #22

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    Write-in vote:

    Your Gibson L-5 Choice-a3717e31-08b7-476a-8b17-cdcc54a5a10d-jpeg

  24. #23

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    I think the original early L5’s are the most gorgeous guitars I’ve ever seen. The proportions are just perfect.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    I think the original early L5’s are the most gorgeous guitars I’ve ever seen. The proportions are just perfect.
    Agree, but I owned a '24 L5, and the giant neck was like trying to wrap your hand around a sump pump discharge pipe.

  26. #25

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    I like Woodysound and FredArchtop’s approach. Write in votes clearly outside the comfortable WesMo box many tout