Gibson 1957 L-5 CES Reissue AN

Gibson 1957 L-5 CES Reissue AN review

The Gibson 1957 L-5 CES Reissue AN is a jazz-style hollowbody built around a carved spruce top, a flamed maple body, and two Custombucker Alnico 3 pickups. Gibson says the reissue was developed using detailed 3D scans of original late-1950s models, with the stated aim of reproducing their appearance, feel, and sound. Those are the manufacturer's claims; no customer reviews or independent playing impressions are available here to confirm them.

The listed price is 10,222, with no currency specified in the supplied information. The model is listed as available since September 2026, and its item number is 653465. It is made in the USA and comes with a case. The specifications make this a premium, vintage-inspired instrument, but the practical assessment below is limited to the provided construction and hardware details.

Body, top, and finish

The body is described as solid, flamed maple, paired with an AAA-grade carved spruce top. This combination gives the instrument its defining material layout, while the hollowbody construction places it in a different category from a solid-body electric guitar. The supplied specifications do not state body depth or weight, so neither can be assessed from the available information.

Antique Natural is the listed finish color. Gibson specifies a VOS nitrocellulose lacquer finish, a tortoiseshell pickguard, and gold hardware. The binding is multi-ply: seven plies on the top, three on the back, four on the fingerboard, and five on the pickguard. The headstock is also five-ply. These details indicate a heavily ornamented build, consistent with the model's historical design brief.

Neck and fingerboard

The three-piece set neck combines maple and walnut. Its profile is listed as a chunky 1950s D shape, a substantial contour by description, though the exact hand feel will depend on the player. The 648 mm scale length is equivalent to 25.5 inches. The ebony fingerboard has a 305 mm radius, or 12 inches, and carries 20 medium-jumbo frets.

Mother-of-pearl Big Block inlays mark the fingerboard, with a separate mother-of-pearl flowerpot inlay on the headstock. The nut is Corian. These are specific material and design choices, but the supplied data does not give nut width, neck thickness measurements, or fret dimensions. Buyers who need those measurements should confirm them with Gibson or the retailer before ordering.

Pickups and controls

The electronics consist of two Custombucker Alnico 3 pickups, with two volume controls, two tone controls, and a three-way toggle switch. This arrangement allows pickup selection and separate volume and tone adjustment for each pickup. The specifications do not provide resistance readings, wiring details, or output measurements, so tonal character and signal level cannot be quantified from the listed information alone.

There is no tremolo system. The bridge is an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic, and the tuning machines are Kluson Sealfast units. Together, these parts fit the reissue's traditional hardware specification. The available information does not identify the tailpiece, so that component should be checked against the retailer's full listing if it matters to a purchase decision.

What the specifications establish

The strongest case for this model is its specific vintage-oriented construction: a carved spruce top, flamed maple body, set maple-and-walnut neck, ebony fingerboard, and period-inspired decorative details. The pickup and control layout is clearly documented, as are the scale length, fingerboard radius, fret count, bridge, and tuning machines. Those facts give buyers a useful basis for comparing it with other hollowbody guitars.

There are limits to what can be concluded. No customer feedback is available, and no independent measurements or listening tests were supplied. The claim that the scans reproduce the look, feel, and sound of original late-1950s models remains Gibson's stated intent rather than a verified result in this assessment. Weight, dimensions, setup, and detailed electronic measurements are also absent.

Verdict

The Gibson 1957 L-5 CES Reissue AN is a detailed, USA-made hollowbody reissue with premium listed materials, elaborate binding, and a traditional two-pickup control scheme. Its specifications are unusually specific about the neck, finish, and decorative appointments, while leaving several practical buying details unreported. At a listed price of 10,222, with currency unspecified, buyers should verify those missing details and evaluate the instrument in person where possible. This is a technical assessment of the supplied specifications, not a report of customer experience or hands-on testing.