1958 Gibson ES-175, Sunburst

By Gibson
£6,995.00

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One of our favourite Golden-Era Gibson models the ES 175 debuted in 1949 as an ES (electro-spanish) laminate version of the already established L-4 model with the 175 in the title representing the models original retail price of $175. Immediately popular, the ES-175 was initially offered with a single neck position P-90 pickup with a dual pickup version offered from 1953 onwards. Measuring just 16 1/4" wide and with a shorter scale compared to the full scale 17” and 18” inch instruments the ES-175 also featured a fully laminate construction. Not only did this reduced the list price significantly in comparison to the larger solid tone wood Super 400 and L-5 it also had the the desirable effect of suppressing feedback.
By 1957 the ES-175 tailpiece had changed to a new ‘zig-zag’ design and in the February of that year the model received the addition of Gibsons newly designed Humbucking pickup. Still offered in single and double pickup configurations the Es-175 would remain essentially unchanged until the early 1970’s when the single pickup model would be discontinued.

Dating to 1958 this guitar is in excellent condition, crack free and with no signs of any repairs or finish work with it sunburst finish unfaded and free of any lacquer checking of note. The neck has a full, gently rounded and highly desirable late 50’s neck profile with a full width 1 11/16” nut. The electronics feature an early unopened PAF pickup with pots and input jack still inside their protective shielding cans. The tuners are Factory fitted Pat. Pend. Grover Rotomatics and the guitar still has its original compensated rosewood bridge. The guitar has the addition of a strap pin to the neck heel and an excellent refret with period correct ‘banjo’ wire. A great player the guitar sounds lively acoustically with a deep and warm amplified voice thanks in part to the excellent early PAF pickup.

This fantastic example was previously owned by a collector and is one of only 211 single pickup ES-175 shipped in 1958. The guitar comes with its original brown Lifton Case.