SOLD - Vintage Gibson ES-175D - USA 1962

SOLD

The Gibson ES-175 was first introduced in 1949 as one of Gibson's first electric archtop guitars. It was designed to meet the demand for a versatile jazz guitar with the ability to be played both acoustically and amplified. 

The ES-175D features a single-cutaway body design with a full hollow body construction. It has a laminated maple top, back, and sides, which help to enhance its resonance and feedback resistance. 

The "D" in ES-175D stands for dual pickup, indicating that it is equipped with two humbucking pickups. The original models were fitted with P-90 single-coil pickups, but Gibson transitioned to humbuckers in the late 1950s.  

Over the years, the ES-175D gained popularity among professional jazz guitarists and found its way into the hands of notable musicians. It became a go-to guitar for players like Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, and Pat Metheny, further solidifying its reputation as a jazz icon. 

This particular ES-175D has its fair share of musical history – owned by celebrated guitarist Jim Gannon, who was a member of the popular UK 1960’s rock band ‘Black Widow’ amongst many other musical endeavors. This guitar has been played by Jim over many years, and as a result it has the scars and bruises of constant use at gigs across the UK and the globe – we here at PG know that any guitar that has this much wear has it for one reason – it's a bloody great guitar! And that it is! 

The guitar displays repairs from cracks in the sides on both upper and lower bouts, there is a crack repair under the bass F-hole, the headstock has come away at some point and has been repaired. The fretboard binding is coming away in places on the treble and bass sides. As you can see, this guitar has seen it all, but it is structurally sound and plays like a vintage Gibson should.

The guitar has had a few mods and changes over its colourful history including addition of late 70s Seymour Duncan pickups, a push-pull on the neck tone knob that presumably would have been a splitter at some stage, the serial number has been imprinted on the back of the headstock at a later date, and the guitar has had a refret early in its lifetime.

Three of the four pots are original and date the guitar to 1962, confirming its vintage.

This is a really cool vintage Gibson jazz box jam-packed with musical history – it has been played and loved – the perfect player waiting for its next chapter! 

Specs: 

Scale length: 24¾”  

Fretboard Radius: 12  

Action at 1st fret: .25mm  

Action at 12th fret: 2mm  

Nut Width: 42.90mm   

12 fret width: 51.53mm  

Neck material: Mahogany  

Fretboard inlays: Pearl  

Body: Laminated maple top maple back and sides    

Pickups: Late 70s Seymour Duncan Humbuckers 

Tuners: Gibson Deluxe  

Pickguard: No 

Bridge: Ebony  

Electronics: 2 x volume, 2 x tone  

Hardware: Nickel/Chrome  

Case: Non-original HSC