Gibson ES-175DN Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1958)
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Item # 13016
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Gibson ES-175DN Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # A-26835, natural lacquer finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown hard shell case.
This guitar is a superb early example of a double-PAF ES-175DN from Gibson's finest era, nicely original with amazingly little wear. This guitar represents the design apex of Gibson's 16" electric Jazz guitar perennial, with two of the first "Patent Applied For" humbucking pickups and the four knob/one switch wiring rig that has become the classic Gibson electric layout. Over the years, many of these very fine instruments have been stripped of their electronics (material for all the "extra" 1950s Sunburst Les Pauls floating around had to come from something!), so finding a fine unaltered one is always a treat.
This guitar features a natural-finish laminated maple body with triple-bound top and single-bound back. The mahogany neck is topped with a single-bound rosewood fingerboard inset with pearloid double parallelogram inlays. The nickel-plated tailpiece is a special design used only on the ES-175 and the bridge is the standard rosewood adjustable style. The unbound headstock features a pearl Gibson logo and crown inlay, and carries Kluson Deluxe tuners with "single line" keystone buttons.
The "A-artist" serial number on the orange label indicates this guitar was shipped in early January 1958; the body also carries a mid-1957 factory order number. A surprisingly small total of only 114 total of these blond double pickup 175s left Kalamazoo that year, and few will have survived as beautifully as this one. The list price was $305 plus another $46.50 for the case; that was considerably higher than the cost of a Les Paul Standard!
Although often pigeon-holed as a jazz guitar the ES-I75D is actually a very versatile instrument suitable for a range of styles. Steve Howe famously played one with Yes in the early 1970s; Richard Thompson also did so on the earliest Fairport Convention records. In the lower volume environments common today this ES-175D can handle practically anything with grace, style and that always amazing PAF tone. This lovely blonde is not only superbly preserved but remains all original and sounding fantastic. This is easily the nicest PAF-equipped ES-175 we have seen in a long time; a real treat to play and hear.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
While vintage guitar descriptions are usually of necessity catalogs of faults, there's just not much to say here! This guitar shows just very light wear overall, and some typical very fine checking to the top and back finish, which has aged and ambered beautifully over the years. There are slight divots in the fingerboard around the first position, and some light wear to the frets in the same area, with a small thumb mark through the finish on the back of the neck in the first position. This was not a jazz player's guitar, as there is almost no wear above the 4th fret!
The instrument remains completely original and undisturbed except the tuner buttons (on the original pegs) are reproductions; the originals from this period have often crumbled away. A small re-inforcing plate has been added under the back section of the original celluloid pickguard to help hold it flat; this was likely a precaution, as many have shrunk upwards dramatically by this point. This one has still cupped a bit but is not a hindrance. Overall this is simply a fantastic example of the very best of Gibson's 1950s arch top glory, complete in a similarly well-preserved brown HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
This guitar is a superb early example of a double-PAF ES-175DN from Gibson's finest era, nicely original with amazingly little wear. This guitar represents the design apex of Gibson's 16" electric Jazz guitar perennial, with two of the first "Patent Applied For" humbucking pickups and the four knob/one switch wiring rig that has become the classic Gibson electric layout. Over the years, many of these very fine instruments have been stripped of their electronics (material for all the "extra" 1950s Sunburst Les Pauls floating around had to come from something!), so finding a fine unaltered one is always a treat.
This guitar features a natural-finish laminated maple body with triple-bound top and single-bound back. The mahogany neck is topped with a single-bound rosewood fingerboard inset with pearloid double parallelogram inlays. The nickel-plated tailpiece is a special design used only on the ES-175 and the bridge is the standard rosewood adjustable style. The unbound headstock features a pearl Gibson logo and crown inlay, and carries Kluson Deluxe tuners with "single line" keystone buttons.
The "A-artist" serial number on the orange label indicates this guitar was shipped in early January 1958; the body also carries a mid-1957 factory order number. A surprisingly small total of only 114 total of these blond double pickup 175s left Kalamazoo that year, and few will have survived as beautifully as this one. The list price was $305 plus another $46.50 for the case; that was considerably higher than the cost of a Les Paul Standard!
Although often pigeon-holed as a jazz guitar the ES-I75D is actually a very versatile instrument suitable for a range of styles. Steve Howe famously played one with Yes in the early 1970s; Richard Thompson also did so on the earliest Fairport Convention records. In the lower volume environments common today this ES-175D can handle practically anything with grace, style and that always amazing PAF tone. This lovely blonde is not only superbly preserved but remains all original and sounding fantastic. This is easily the nicest PAF-equipped ES-175 we have seen in a long time; a real treat to play and hear.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
While vintage guitar descriptions are usually of necessity catalogs of faults, there's just not much to say here! This guitar shows just very light wear overall, and some typical very fine checking to the top and back finish, which has aged and ambered beautifully over the years. There are slight divots in the fingerboard around the first position, and some light wear to the frets in the same area, with a small thumb mark through the finish on the back of the neck in the first position. This was not a jazz player's guitar, as there is almost no wear above the 4th fret!
The instrument remains completely original and undisturbed except the tuner buttons (on the original pegs) are reproductions; the originals from this period have often crumbled away. A small re-inforcing plate has been added under the back section of the original celluloid pickguard to help hold it flat; this was likely a precaution, as many have shrunk upwards dramatically by this point. This one has still cupped a bit but is not a hindrance. Overall this is simply a fantastic example of the very best of Gibson's 1950s arch top glory, complete in a similarly well-preserved brown HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.