Gibson ES Supreme Gloss Ebony

Gibson ES Supreme Gloss Ebony: A specification-based review

The Gibson ES Supreme Gloss Ebony is a U.S.-made, ES-style semi-hollow guitar listed at 3,999. Its specifications describe a model with a layered maple and poplar body, a mahogany neck, an ebony fingerboard, and two humbucking pickups. The listed availability date is July 2026. No customer reviews or hands-on test results are available, so this assessment is limited to the published features and what they indicate about the instrument's design.

Despite the ES-style outline, the specification sheet explicitly says this is not a hollowbody guitar. It identifies the instrument as semi-hollow, which is an important distinction when comparing it with fully hollow designs. The body and top use maple, poplar, and maple layers. The listed details do not state the internal construction or describe the amount and placement of any solid material, so those specifics cannot be assessed here.

Body, neck, and fingerboard

The mahogany neck is set into the body. Gibson lists a rounded C neck profile, a 43.1 mm nut width, and a 629 mm scale length, also given as 24.75 inches. These figures provide useful points of comparison for players choosing among neck shapes and scale lengths, but they do not establish how the neck will feel in hand. That depends on factors such as personal preference and setup.

The ebony fingerboard has 22 medium jumbo frets and split-block mother-of-pearl inlays. Its compound radius transitions from 254 mm to 406 mm, or 10 to 16 inches. The changing radius is a notable design detail: the fingerboard is more curved near the nut and flatter toward the higher frets. The specification alone does not show fretwork quality, playability, or setup condition on an individual guitar.

Binding is specified in three configurations: five-ply on the top and headstock, three-ply on the back, and single-ply along the fingerboard. The high-gloss ebony finish, black pickguard, and gold-finished hardware establish the listed visual scheme. These are documented finish and trim choices, rather than evidence of how well the finish holds up over time.

Pickups and controls

The pickup set pairs a Burstbucker Lead Pro humbucker at the bridge with a Burstbucker Rhythm Pro humbucker at the neck. The guitar has two volume controls with push-pull coil-tap functions, two tone controls, and a three-way toggle switch. The layout offers separate volume and tone adjustment for the two pickups, while the push-pull controls add a coil-tap option.

Gibson does not provide output measurements, wiring diagrams, or detailed descriptions of the available coil-tap modes in the supplied specifications. As a result, it would be premature to make claims about the guitar's sound, output level, or how closely the tapped settings resemble a separate single-coil pickup. Those are questions a hands-on test could address, but they cannot be answered from this information alone.

Bridge, tuners, and included case

The bridge is an aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic, and the tailpiece type is not specified. The tuning machines are Grover locking models with Keystone buttons. The locking design is part of the listed hardware, though the specifications do not include tuning-stability measurements or details about the guitar's setup. A case is included; a separate bag is not.

Other listed details include 22 frets, no tremolo, and a Graph Tech nut. The item number is 640726, and the sales unit is one piece. The model is not identified as a limited run. These points help distinguish the specific configuration from other ES-style instruments, but they do not replace information about weight, factory setup, or individual production variation, none of which is supplied here.

What the specifications establish

The Gibson ES Supreme Gloss Ebony is specified as a semi-hollow, set-neck instrument with a layered maple and poplar body, an ebony fingerboard, two Burstbucker humbuckers, coil-tap controls, and a locking tuner set. Its compound fingerboard radius, detailed binding, and included case are also confirmed features. The published information does not establish its sound, comfort, weight, construction quality, or value relative to competing guitars.

For a buyer considering the listed 3,999 price, the next useful step would be to verify the current price and play the instrument in person, if possible. A test should check the neck feel, fretwork, pickup response in both selector positions, coil-tap operation, and tuning behavior. Without customer feedback or direct inspection, this review can describe the design on paper, but it cannot support claims about real-world performance.