Gibson ES-150
The Gibson ES-150 is a pioneering semi-acoustic electric guitar produced by Gibson Guitar Corporation. Introduced in 1936, it is generally recognized as the world's first commercially successful Spanish-style electric guitar. The ES stands for Electric Spanish, and Gibson designated it "150" because they priced it (in an instrument/amplifier/cable bundle) at around $150 (equivalent to $3,300 in 2023). The particular sound of the instrument came from a combination of the specific bar-style pickup and its placement, and the guitar's overall construction.
| Gibson ES-150 | |
|---|---|
Gibson ES 150 "Charlie Christian" | |
| Manufacturer | Gibson |
| Period | 1936–1940 (V1) 1940–1957 (V2) |
| Construction | |
| Body type | Hollow |
| Neck joint | Set |
| Scale | 24+3⁄4 inches (63 cm) |
| Woods | |
| Body | 16+1⁄4 inches (41 cm) wide, solid spruce archtop, solid maple back and sides |
| Neck | Mahogany |
| Fretboard | Rosewood with pearl dot inlays |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Ebony archtop-style bridge adjustable for height |
| Pickup(s) | One steel magnet blade-type single coil in the neck position (Charlie Christian pickup) |
| Colors available | |
| Sunburst | |
Unlike the usual acoustic guitars in jazz bands of the period, it was loud enough to take a more prominent position in ensembles. Upon its debut it immediately became popular with such notable guitar players as Charlie Christian, spreading its renown . Gibson produced the guitar with minor variations until 1940, when the ES-150 designation (the "V2") denoted a model with a different construction and pickup.