The 1988 Gibson L-4 CES Spruce Top Master Series is a rare, high-end hollowbody jazz guitar. It belongs to the Master Series — essentially Custom Shop-level instruments built with great attention to traditional archtop craftsmanship.
Specifications
- Model name: Gibson L-4 CES (Cutaway Electric Spanish)
- Year: 1988
- Series: Master Series (Custom Shop / high-end production)
- Top: Solid carved spruce
- Back & sides: Mahogany
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Ebony with split-block inlays
- Scale length: 24.75"
- Binding: Multi-ply on body, neck, and headstock
- Finish: Nitrocellulose lacquer, Vintage Sunburst
- Hardware: Gold-plated
- Pickups: Two Gibson humbuckers Tim Shaw PAFs
- Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle switch
Tone & Character
The spruce top gives this L-4 CES a tone that’s:
- Warm, woody, and harmonically rich — ideal for jazz, fingerstyle, or chord melody
- Less compressed and more dynamic than the ES-175
- Slightly less sustain and punch at high volume, but far more nuance
Essentially, it bridges the tonal space between a carved L-5C and an electric ES-175.
The guitar has newer tuners and there is some discoloration on the back of the headstock.
| Listed | a month ago |
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| Condition | Very Good (Used) Very Good items may show a few slight marks or scratches but are fully functional and in overall great shape.Learn more |
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