Exceptionally beautiful and rare 1955 Gibson ES-295. The guitar has stood the test of time remarkably well and remains in fine, largely original condition.

The ES-295 was produced between 1952 and 1958. In 1955, the year of this particular example, only 166 were built.

This guitar sounds absolutely superb. Although the ES-295 shares its basic construction with the ES-175, it has a very different character thanks to the trapeze tailpiece (as opposed to a rosewood bridge). This results in noticeably more sustain, a slightly rawer and more immediate response, and less of a traditional jazz-box character. It is no coincidence that this was the guitar Scotty Moore chose when he started playing with Elvis.

The guitar is well set up with a set of flatwound strings and a low action. The neck has a medium C profile and sits perfectly in the hand.

This Gibson has no cracks or repairs and has remained largely original. In the past, only the tuners have been replaced, and the two volume pots are no longer original. The tone pots, however, are the original Centralab pots (week 11 of 1955). Everything else is original, including the pickups, plastics and hardware. The original brown Lifton case is also included.

The gold finish has aged beautifully over the past 70 years, developing in places the characteristic greenish hue caused by the use of bronze powder in the lacquer. The finish is entirely original throughout, with no overspray. There is a small area finish above the tone knob that flaked off.

If you have any questions or would like to see more photos of the guitar, please feel free to get in touch. The guitar can be shipped, but you are also very welcome to view and try it out in The Hague.