Gibson ES-150
One of the most influential electric guitars ever built was the ES 150.
Sometimes called the "Charlie Christian" model this was a purpose-built electric archtop, not simply an acoustic fitted with a pickup. The difference was easy to see and hear. The distinctive sound of Charlie Christian's recordings was born of his instrument and this sound has been a part of Jazz guitar ever since. No longer did the guitar have to sound like a rhythm "cannon", it could sound like a completely different instrument.
The design of the ES-150 influenced other Gibson electrics that followed
it. One obvious descendant was the ES-175, one of the best known
Jazz guitars in history. The ES-150 also influenced the ES-300,
the L-5 CES and the Super 400 CES. Notable is the fact that the
L-5 CES and the Super 400 CES were derived from acoustic models but had
structural differences to make them more suitable for the demands placed
upon an electric guitar.
Specifically, they had a greater resistance to feedback, something that any electric archtop player will appreciate. The electric guitar changed the course of music. Charlie Christian showed that the guitar could handle melodies as well as rhythm but it wasn't to end there. Eventually, guitar music would evolve into something that had never been possible before amplification but before that happened the electric guitar would have to develop further. In 1949 Gibson started production on a guitar that has been made continuously ever since, an instrument that has been used by many of the greatest names in Jazz guitar and it wasn't even at the top of Gibson's product line.
