The concept of a “custom shop” was still unknown to guitar makers and buyers in the early 1960s, largely because manufacturers (even major ones such as Gibson) were still able to accommodate special orders and modifications as part of their production process.

An unknown musician commissioned this unusual L-5 1964. His requirements were relatively simple. He preferred a Venetian cutaway to the usual Florentine type, and asked for a bar-style single-coil pickup to be fitted instead of the usual humbucker. This preference suggests that he might have been a devotee of Charlie Christian, the 150’s most famous user.

The L-5 Custom Order’s gold-plated bridge permits precise adjustments to be made for individual strings.