When Ted McCarty was appointed general manager of Gibson in 1948 (he became president in 1950), one of his first major goals was to rapidly increase the range of electric guitars offered by the company. In 1949, the lineup, including the 17"-bodied ES-300 and ES-350, was joined by the mid-priced 16" Florentine cutaway ES-175. The ES-175 had a laminated maple arched top and back, with a 24 3/4" scale-length neck.
After the turn of the 1950s, around the time the Les Paul model was in the early planning stages, Les requested that an instrument be finished all in gold, as a gift for a disabled guitarist. Gibson chose an ES-175 body, and a one-off was made. This gold finish became the standard color for the Les Paul guitar, introduced in 1952. And that striking golden ES-175 became the inspiration for a new two-pickup model that debuted the same year.
This first-year Gibson ES-295 and early Fender Deluxe are part of the original recipe for rock 'n' roll. Elvis Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore bought his 295 in 1953, to replace a Fender Esquire.
Called the ES-295, that guitar was the full-sized hollowbody archtop complement to the solidbody Les Paul model. Is the new Les Paul too radical? Try our ES-295. While the 295 shared the same flashy finish and tailpiece with the Les Paul, it was, of course, still just a fancier two-pickup version of the ES-175. The actual two-pickup ES-175D did not appear until 1953.
A close-up view reveals the usual finish cracking for a model of this vintage, but the pickup housings and pickguard are remarkably intact.
The Gibson catalog's description of the then-new ES-295 stated: "The entire body and neck are finished in gleaming gold lacquer accented with the ivory color of the binding and guardplate." The debut-year ES-295 spotlighted in this column has the standard features for the model, which include that distinctive finish, two single-coil P-90s with cream covers, a 3-way pickup switch, Gibson's usual 4-dial control set, a cream pickguard with a gold floral design, that early Les Paul-style bridge/tailpiece combination, and gold-plated metal parts.
Around the time the Les Paul model was in the early planning stages, Les requested that an instrument be finished all in gold, as a gift for a disabled guitarist.
The bridge, by the way, was created by Paul to increase sustain, although it was a failure on the original generation of solidbody Les Paul guitars, because a design error routed the strings under the bridge instead of over it. They're in the correct place on the highly resonant ES-295. The model's clear, sustaining tone has made it popular with generations of players, from Scotty Moore to Danny Gatton. This ES-295's original price was—get ready for it—$295. The current value for one in excellent, all-original condition is $7,500.
Brand tectonics: Sure, they were competitors, but when it came to establishing the direction of electric guitar, the intersection of Gibson and Fender was transformative.
The amp behind the ES-295 is an early 1953 wide-panel Fender Deluxe 5B3. Two 6V6 power tubes push about 10 watts through the Jensen P12R speaker. The simple controls consist of an on/off knob doubling as a tone dial, a volume knob for the instrument channel, and a volume knob for the microphone channel. The original price was $99.50, while the current value is $3,500.
Sources for this article include Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years by A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Guitars: Ted McCarty's Golden Era: 1948-1966 by Gil Hembree, and Fender Amps: The First Fifty Years by John Teagle and John Sprung.
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- Gibson ES-295: To Refinish or Not to Refinish? - Premier Guitar ›
- GALLERY: Born in the Fifties: Electric Guitars - Premier Guitar ›
The Ariel Posen Signature String Set from Stringjoy
Ideal for B Standard, Open C, and other lower tunings, this set offers exceptional tone and feel for players who want to explore new sonic territory while maintaining their guitar's unique voice.
Each string in this set is built with Stringjoy’s trademark quality: wound at tension with high compression winds for maximum output, durability, and smooth playability. The result? Strings that hold up under pressure while delivering a natural, expressive voice—perfect for hybrid playing and expressive slide work.
Ariel Posen Signature Set Specs:
• .014 – .018p – .026w – .038 – .050 – .062
• Wound 3rd string
“If you didn’t know these were 14-62 gauges, you’d swear they were just 11s tuned down,” said Ariel Posen. “They feel like home and preserve the sound of the guitar, even in lower tunings. That’s the biggest thing—it still sounds like guitar.”
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Stringjoy’s Ariel Posen signature string set carry a street price of $13.99. Learn more at at stringjoy.com.
There’s nothing subtle about Billy Idol, so it tracks that there’d be nothing subtle about the guitars used onstage by his longtime guitarist, Steve Stevens. Famous for his guitar work with Idol and the Grammy-winning symphony of sustain “Top Gun Anthem,” Stevens brought a brigade of eye-popping signature electrics and some choice other jewels out on the road with Idol this spring.
The tour touched down at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville in May, and while Stevens was jetting into town, PG’s John Bohlinger met up with tech and guitar builder Frank Falbo to learn the ins and outs of Stevens’ rig.
Brought to you by D’Addario
Cherry Pie
This cherryburst is one of a score of single-cut Knaggs Steve Stevens signature models in Stevens’ arsenal. He plays with heavier Tortex picks and uses Ernie Ball strings, usually .010–.048s.
More, More, More (Sustain)
This Knaggs Steve Stevens Severn XF, complete with a Sustainiac pickup system, was designed to mimic the look of one of his old guitars, and the stage lights make this finish go insane. It comes out for three to four songs in any given set, including “Rebel Yell.”
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
This Knaggs Steve Stevens, finished in silver sparkle, is outfitted with a killswitch, push-pull control knobs, and Fishman Fluence pickups. Falbo was on the R&D team that helped design the Fluences.
Other guitars backstage include a red sparkle Knaggs with PAFs, a Godin LGXT with piezo saddles and Seymour Duncan pickups that sends three signals (synth, electric, and piezo), a pair of piezo- and MIDI-equipped Godin nylon-string guitars, a dazzling Gibson Les Paul with stock Gibson pickups, a Suhr T-style electric, and a Ciari Ascender for travel and dressing-room rehearsal.
Tube Heart, Digital Brains
Stevens runs through a pair of Friedman heads—a B100 and Steve Stevens SS100, plus a third backup—with each panned hard to either the left or right. Both signals run through a Neve 8803 rack EQ into two RedSeven Amplification Amp Central Evo loadboxes, and through their impulse response programs to front of house. A Neural Quad Cortex is on hand as a backup and for fly dates.
Steve Stevens’ Pedalboard
Stevens’ pedal playground is masterminded by an RJM Mastermind GT, which lives on its own board alongside a Fractal FM3 MK II. He orchestrates most of the changes himself, but Falbo is ready to flip switches backstage in case Stevens is away from his board for a key moment.
The centre hub, built on a Tone Merchants board, carries a TC Electronic PolyTune2 Noir, Xotic Effects Super Sweet Booster, Vox wah, Ernie Ball volume pedal, Mission Engineering expression pedal, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Suhr Discovery, JHS Muffuletta, DigiTech Drop, ISP DECI-MATE, Walrus Voyager, Suhr Koji Comp, Zvex Super Ringtone, DryBell Vibe Machine, and Ammoon EX EQ7. An Ebtech Hum Eliminator, two Strymon Ojais, and a Strymon Zuma keep the wheels greased.
The board to the right carries a Boss RV-500, Fender Smolder Acoustic OD, Lehle Dual Expression, Boss GM-800, Empress Bass Compressor, Grace Design ALiX preamp, Fishman Aura, and a Peterson tuner. Utility boxes include an Ernie Ball Volt and a Radial J48.
