Gibson ES-150 Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1952)
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Item # 9276
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Gibson ES-150 Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1952), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # Z1702-24, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown tolex hard shell case.
This early 1952 ES-150 is a fantastic example of this venerable arch-top Gibson, the model where the Kalamazoo company's professional-grade line of electric guitars began. The 1950's version is not a flashy guitar but simply a solidly classy instrument, with typical Gibson features for the era. The post-war ES-150 is built on a full-depth 17" non-cutaway all-maple body with a dark sunburst top. Besides the inch-wider body, the long 25 1/2" scale bound fingerboard with pearloid block markers and beveled-edge black pickguard also set it above the generally similar but "amateur" grade ES-125. The mahogany neck has the lovely round-backed profile typical of '50's Gibsons, with the older style 1 3/4" wide nut.
The single P-90 pickup is controlled with gold-knob tone and volume controls and offers that classic 1950's warm Gibson sound that made (and still makes) for a very fine electric archtop at a relatively moderate price. Full-body, non cutaway instruments lost favor in the increasingly loud 1960's but many modern players have rediscovered their charms in today's lower-volume playing environments. This is not an exceptionally rare guitar with 486 shipped in 1952, but examples as clean as this are far from common. This is a truly lovely instrument, looking little used and very well cared for over the last nearly 70 years.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is an extremely well preserved guitar, just about as nice as they come from the early 1950's unless they were put away immediately. The finish and plating still shine like they did under Eisenhower, showing only some very light wear. There are a couple of small dings to the top above the tailpiece, a few on the headstock edges and some minor dings and dents to the back of the neck. Other than this the instrument shows only small dinks, scuffs and handling marks.
There are no repairs or alterations and the guitar remains all original except for replaced plastic buttons on the original Kluson tuners and a newer endpin; both victims of shrinking/crumbling plastic. The instrument plays and sounds lovely as it did in 1952 and the original brown case is included, still quite clean but with the pocket inside missing the lid. A stunning period piece and a great instrument of its type. Excellent + Condition.
This early 1952 ES-150 is a fantastic example of this venerable arch-top Gibson, the model where the Kalamazoo company's professional-grade line of electric guitars began. The 1950's version is not a flashy guitar but simply a solidly classy instrument, with typical Gibson features for the era. The post-war ES-150 is built on a full-depth 17" non-cutaway all-maple body with a dark sunburst top. Besides the inch-wider body, the long 25 1/2" scale bound fingerboard with pearloid block markers and beveled-edge black pickguard also set it above the generally similar but "amateur" grade ES-125. The mahogany neck has the lovely round-backed profile typical of '50's Gibsons, with the older style 1 3/4" wide nut.
The single P-90 pickup is controlled with gold-knob tone and volume controls and offers that classic 1950's warm Gibson sound that made (and still makes) for a very fine electric archtop at a relatively moderate price. Full-body, non cutaway instruments lost favor in the increasingly loud 1960's but many modern players have rediscovered their charms in today's lower-volume playing environments. This is not an exceptionally rare guitar with 486 shipped in 1952, but examples as clean as this are far from common. This is a truly lovely instrument, looking little used and very well cared for over the last nearly 70 years.
Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 17 in. (43.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This is an extremely well preserved guitar, just about as nice as they come from the early 1950's unless they were put away immediately. The finish and plating still shine like they did under Eisenhower, showing only some very light wear. There are a couple of small dings to the top above the tailpiece, a few on the headstock edges and some minor dings and dents to the back of the neck. Other than this the instrument shows only small dinks, scuffs and handling marks.
There are no repairs or alterations and the guitar remains all original except for replaced plastic buttons on the original Kluson tuners and a newer endpin; both victims of shrinking/crumbling plastic. The instrument plays and sounds lovely as it did in 1952 and the original brown case is included, still quite clean but with the pocket inside missing the lid. A stunning period piece and a great instrument of its type. Excellent + Condition.