Wes Montgomery, a name synonymous with unparalleled jazz guitar mastery, remains an enduring influence for musicians worldwide. For many, including myself growing up immersed in the era of vinyl LPs, the album covers and liner notes were more than just packaging—they were portals into the world of jazz. These sleeves told compelling stories of artists and recordings, punctuated by photographs that educated as much as they intrigued. It was through these liner notes, poring over them repeatedly, and studying the images of jazz musicians, that a deeper understanding of jazz history was formed, one that music school alone couldn’t provide. And when it came to Wes Montgomery, his story was often intertwined with the iconic Gibson L5.
Wes Montgomery and the Gibson L5: An Iconic Pairing
As a dedicated fan and student of Wes Montgomery’s groundbreaking music, I eagerly absorbed every recording he released. These albums not only offered access to his revolutionary playing but also to the captivating stories and photographs adorning their covers and liner notes. While early images occasionally showed Wes with a Gibson ES-175, it was the Gibson L5-CES that became his primary instrument throughout his illustrious recording and performing career. European videos of Wes in rehearsal even capture him discussing the L5’s superior intonation compared to his earlier guitars, highlighting its importance to his sound and performance.
Exploring Wes Montgomery’s Gibson L5 Collection
Over the years, Wes Montgomery played a variety of Gibson L5 models, each with its own distinct characteristics and story. Here’s a look at the L5s he favored, presented chronologically to trace the evolution of his iconic sound.
Early L5s: P-90 Pickups and Venetian Cutaway
In his early career, Wes was seen playing a Sunburst L5-CES featuring a Venetian (round) cutaway and equipped with two black P-90 pickups. There’s also mention of a similar model with Alnico pickups, though photographic evidence of this specific variation remains elusive. These early models represent the foundation of his amplified sound, showcasing the warm, articulate tones achievable with P-90 pickups in a full-bodied archtop.
The Natural L5-CESN: Humbuckers and Venetian Cutaway
Transitioning into the early to mid-1960s, Wes adopted a Natural finish L5-CESN. This model maintained the Venetian cutaway but featured a significant change in pickups: two humbucking pickups. This shift marked a move towards a warmer, thicker tone, characteristic of his most celebrated recordings.
Wes Montgomery playing his natural Gibson L5-CESN guitar with humbucker pickups, as seen on the album "Full House".
Florentine Cutaway and Sunburst Finish: The Benson Connection
Wes also played a Sunburst L5-CES with a Florentine (sharp) cutaway, again fitted with two humbucking pickups. This particular guitar holds a unique place in jazz guitar history as it was later acquired by George Benson. Benson eventually sold this prized instrument to Pat Metheny, further cementing its legendary status within the jazz guitar community.
The Heart Inlay L5: A Personalized Touch
Perhaps one of the most recognizable of Wes’s L5s was a Sunburst L5-CES with a Venetian cutaway and a single humbucking pickup. What made this guitar truly unique was the pearl inlay heart, inscribed with Wes’s name, placed on the body. The story behind this inlay is that it served to cover a wear spot created by Wes’s fingers rubbing against the wood over years of playing. This marked the first instance of Wes personalizing his L5 with his name. This cherished instrument faced damage in a fire but was expertly restored by Mike McGuire of Gibson’s Custom Shop, preserving a vital piece of jazz history.
Close-up of Wes Montgomery's sunburst Gibson L5-CES guitar featuring a Venetian cutaway, single humbucker pickup, and a unique pearl heart inlay with his name, from the back cover of the "Tequila" album.
The Sticker L5: Wes’s Final Guitar
Wes’s final L5 was another Sunburst L5-CES with a Venetian cutaway and a single pickup. This guitar is distinguished by a large black sticker affixed to the cutaway bout, displaying Wes’s name in bold white letters. This was the L5 I referenced in my previous Jazz Guitar Today article from 2018, marking it as a significant instrument from the later part of his career.
Wes Montgomery with his sunburst Gibson L5-CES guitar, his last L5, recognizable by the large black sticker with his name in white letters on the cutaway bout.
The Legacy of Wes Montgomery’s L5 and the Gibson Custom Shop
It’s noteworthy that Wes’s last two L5s were custom-made by Gibson. At the time, a single-pickup L5-CES wasn’t a standard stock model. Despite Wes’s immense popularity and influence, Gibson didn’t introduce a production Wes Montgomery signature L5 model until decades after his untimely passing in 1968. However, in 1997, Gibson’s Custom Shop produced a special limited run of Wes Montgomery L5 guitars, with only 25 instruments crafted. One of these rare guitars is showcased at Norman’s Rare Guitars, a testament to the enduring demand and appreciation for Wes’s preferred instrument.
A special run 1997 Gibson Custom Shop Wes Montgomery L5 guitar in sunburst finish, showcased at Norman's Rare Guitars.Jazz Guitar Trivia: The Journey of a Legendary L5
Adding a bit of jazz guitar trivia: the Gibson L5-CES with double pickups and a Florentine cutaway featured on the cover of Wes Montgomery’s “Movin’ Wes” album has a fascinating history. As mentioned earlier, this guitar was purchased by George Benson after Wes. Years later, Benson sold this coveted axe to Pat Metheny. Eagle-eyed viewers can even spot Wes’s L5 leaning against a conga drum on the cover of Pat Metheny’s “Orchestrion” CD, a subtle nod to its prestigious lineage (excerpted from my JGT article “The Year Was 1968”).
In conclusion, Wes Montgomery’s Gibson L5 guitars were more than just instruments; they were partners in creating a revolutionary sound that continues to inspire and captivate. From P-90 pickups to humbuckers, Venetian to Florentine cutaways, and personalized inlays to simple stickers, each L5 in Wes’s collection tells a part of his incredible musical journey.
Marc Silver is a guitarist, composer, and author, best known for writing the classic instruction book Contemporary Guitar Improvisation (Utilizing the Entire Fingerboard), which has been teaching guitar players around the world how to improvise since 1978. Visit online at MarcSilverGuitarImprov.com
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