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1951 Gibson ES-175

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Serial #: A-7528, white oval label.

Finish: original sunburst finish, nitrocellulose type

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 crown peghead inlay; triple bound top, bound back.

Hardware: 100% original hardware includes original nickel Kluson Deluxe tuners, original nickel trapeze tailpiece with raised-parallelogram crossbar; original P-90 single coil pickup, electronics and gold barrel knobs; original beveled 5 ply pickguard; original compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge.

Notes: Introduced in 1948, 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 from Joe Pass to Pat Metheny. The legendary P-90 pickup provides a bright, rich tone unduplicated before or since, but was available on this model only until mid-1957, and this stunning example is from the last full year for this version. Lightweight and resonant, the 16" body sits easily in the lap, and the 24 3/4" scale makes stretch chords and fast runs a pleasure.

The instrument is in superb condition, with all original hardware and finish, and is without pick, thumb or fingerboard wear. The neck is gently rounded and plays effortlessly, and the action is low and smooth over excellent original frets. The tone is smooth and deep, and apart from a few scattered lacquer dings on the sides, the guitar looks much as it did when it left Michigan in the middle of the last century. Finally, the instrument is complete with its original brown Gibson Lifton hardshell case, including the original factory hang tag, inscribed with the serial number, an astoundingly rare find. A magnificently preserved example of Gibson's ultimate working jazz box.

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: Original brown Gibson Lifton hardshell case.

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