1941 Gibson ES-300

A few weeks ago I picked a 1940 Gibson ES-300 as the Catch of the Day. Today I’d like to look at the version that Gibson introduced one year later. The only difference between the two guitars is the pickup. The 1940 version had an absurdly large 6 1/2-inch monster while the 1941 version had a heavy but more normal sized pickup. The ES-300 was introduced in 1940, just before the US entered World War II, and this guitar was shipped on December 15, 1941, a week after Pearl Harbor. Very soon after this guitar was made, Gibson halted production of electric guitars for the duration of the war, making this one of the very last prewar electrics they built.

As with Gibson’s other ES models of the period, the top on the ES-300 is made of laminated spruce. The heavier plywood tops were not as resonant as solid wood tops but because of that they were less likely to feedback. Also, the plywood was stronger and more able to support the weight of the heavy pickups. (If you look carefully you can see the pickup’s large mounting screws.) I actually owned a sunburst version of this guitar years ago. Like all of Gibson’s instrument from the period it was very well made and played very well. The pickup didn’t have a lot of output but it had a dark, mellow tone that worked well for jazzy playing. I really enjoyed playing it but I sold it to raise money for another, more expensive guitar. This ES-300 is priced at $6500 and it is currently hanging out at Player’s Vintage Guitars.

You can buy the two ES-300s separately or together as a set.