1959 Gibson Super 400 CES
In 1934 Gibson introduced the Super 400 as its top-of-the-line acoustic archtop. It was the largest and most ornate archtop guitar made at that time. By 1936 Gibson had launched its first electric archtop, the laminated, plain ES-150. Gibson continued to make only laminated electric models (except for occasional special orders) until demand from professional players became great enough to warrant adding an all solid wood electric Super 400 to the line. The Super 400 CES (Cutaway Electric Spanish) was unveiled in 1951. The Super 400 CES featured this month has all the characteristics common to a late-fifties Super 400 CES, including a rounded Venetian cutaway (until 1960), a two-piece maple neck with mahogany center strip (until 1961), a Tune-O-Matic bridge (from 1955), and humbucking pickups (from 1958). Credit: Tim Mullally & Dave Rogers, Dave's Guitar Shop, La Crosse, WI.