1952 Gibson ES-295 Black Refin

DESCRIPTION

A rare early example of the iconic ES-295, this 1952 model (serial A12229) is one of the earliest known to exist. Most recently owned by the head luthier of Spector Basses, this guitar has seen its share of play and love while undergoing several modifications over the years.

Originally finished in gold, it was professionally refinished in sleek black. The pickup cavities were routed to fit humbuckers at some point, but it now houses a set of Lindy Fralin HC-P90s. Other updates include Kluson Supreme tuners, a compensated MojoAxe bridge, and completely replaced electronics. The neck has been re-fretted with vintage-style wire, and the nut and pickguard have also been replaced.

Cosmetically, the guitar has expected wear for its age—scratches, small finish chips, and a stable finish crack near the output jack. The neck finish has worn through in spots, and there’s a minor binding repair. Despite these character marks, the guitar is structurally solid and plays beautifully. It has been cleaned, tested, and set up for comfortable medium/low action with no fret buzz.

A unique and well-loved player's piece, this ES-295 is packed with history and tone, ready for its next chapter.

Please find more detailed specs and condition description below!

SETUP & INSPECTED BY OUR TECH TEAM

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Weight: 5.6 lbs 

Case: Hardshell Case

Year: 1952

Condition: Good with some scratches/wear/imperfections throughout.  Some markings near pickups and small chips in the finish under the tail piece.  Output jack hole area has some finish cracks.  Open screw hole on side from pick guard as well as a small seam in binding from repair.  Finish on neck has worn through in a few areas near the binding and there is a small finish chip on back of neck.  

Tech Notes: Guitar, Hardware, and Electronics were cleaned/tested and are functioning appropriately. Fretboard cleaned and frets polished. Low profile Vintage Gibson style frets have no inconsistencies in fret wear. No evident fret buzz. Truss rod functioning appropriately. Setup with minimal neck relief and very comfortable medium/low action. Clearly loved dearly by a player in the past with long life left ahead of it. 

Mods or Repairs:

As is consistent with many vintage players instruments of a similar age there have been several mods/changes throughout the years. 

• Original Gold finish was stripped and refinished professionally to an all black.
  
• Pickup Holes were routed in the past to accommodate humbuckers.
  
• Original Tuners replaced. (Kluson Supreme).
• Original Electronics completely replaced.
• Original Pickups replaced with Lindy Fralin HC-P90's.
• It appears there was a different tailpiece added at some time in the past. Can see evidence of previous screw holes and a circle dot inlay fill on original hole. 
• Evidence of a different bridge at some point, see marks on body. 
• Current tailpiece appears original, with an updated compensated MojoAxe bridge. 
• Nut was replaced. 
• Pickguard was replaced (can see one additional screw hole from previous guard brace by binding. 
• All the binding is intact and attached appropriately to the guitar. You will notice one small split from a previous binding repair. 
• There were two slightly loose inlays. These were glued back in place. All other inlays inspected and secure. 
• Guitar was re-fretted in the past. Current are small vintage style fret wire. 
• There is some finish cracking/imperfections from a bump in the past where the output jack is. This issue is stable. We inspected the internal side of the area (see attached photos) and there are no cracks/evidence of further damage. 
• Serial number is very hard to read. Looks like some glue/gunk adhered to the area at some point in the past. To our best knowledge it reads either A12229 or A12227, but we chose to use the later serial of the two.  

Neck Profile: C Standard 

Neck Thickness: 1st: 0.87"  / 10th: 0.96"

Fingerboard Radius: 12"

Nut Width: 1 11/16"

Scale Length: 24 3/4"

Electronics Layout: 2 x Volume, 2 x Tone, 3-Way Pickup Switch 

Pickups: Lindy Fralin HC-P90 Pickups (Hum Canceling P90's)

String Gauge: 10 - 46 

Tools Included: None

Please note: All measurements are taken in-house. While we strive for accuracy, slight variations may occur compared to manufacturer specifications due to the nature of hand-measuring.