Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends

Please note: This guitar has been purchased by one of our customers, and is no longer available for sale. For instruments now available, please visit our Instruments section here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments as they arrive, please contact joev@archtop.com. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.

archtop.com

1953 Gibson ES-175

Serial #: A-13959 white oval label.

Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 11/16"

Materials: Solid mahogany neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; arched maple top and back; dual-parallelogram mother of pearl fingerboard inlay and thistle peghead inlay; triple bound top, bound back.

Hardware: Original nickel Kluson Deluxe tuners, original nickel trapeze tailpiece with raised-parallelogram crossbar; original compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge; original P-90 pickup and electronics; deluxe L-5 style 5-ply bound tortoise pickguard.

Notes: One pickup. Two knobs. The rest is up to you.

Introduced in 1949, the Gibson ES-175 quickly became the most popular jazz guitar ever made. Fast, clean and road-ready, the 175 has been the workhorse of the touring player and studio ace ever since, from Joe Pass to Pat Metheny. The legendary P-90 pickup of the early 50's provides a bright, rich sound unduplicated before or since, but was available on this model only until 1957. And since 1971, Gibson has not produced the 175 in the classic one-pickup configuration shown here.

This example is elegance itself, with a formal dark sunburst, gently ambered barrel knobs and tuner buttons, and rich Brazilian fingerboard and bridge. Lightweight and resonant, the 16" body sits easily in the lap, and the 24 3/4" scale is a joy to play. The instrument is in exceptionally clean condition, with some feather-light checking confirming its original sunburst finish. We've dressed it up with a deluxe bound L-5 style tortoise pickguard, and it plays as good as it looks. (An accurate beveled black guard may be substituted on request.) An outstanding example of the ultimate journeyman's jazz guitar

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel wound strings (.013-.057). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

Case: Black plush hardshell case.

Home / Instruments /Accessories / Ordering / Tips / Friends

Please note: This guitar has been purchased by one of our customers, and is no longer available for sale. For instruments now available, please visit our Instruments section here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments as they arrive, please contact joev@archtop.com. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.