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1953 Gibson ES-175D

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Serial #: A-15657, white oval label.

Finish: original natural blonde 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: Original hardware includes twin P-90 pickups and electronics, nickel single ring single line Kluson Deluxe tuners, compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge. Gibson nickel trapeze tailpiece with raised-parallelogram crossbar; vintage correct amber bonnet knobs and beveled 5 ply pickguard;

Notes: Introduced in 1949, 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 1957.

This wonderful example is the most sought-after of all P-90 versions, with a glowing amber blonde finish and twin original pickups. Natural finish examples are scarce and highly desirable, constituting less than one in five guitars in some years, and the body of this guitar is graced with traces of birdseye maple. 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 exceptionally clean condition, with only some light checking confirming its original blonde finish. Without pick, buckle, neck or thumbwear wear, the instrument still has original fretwork in excellent condition. The neck is gently rounded and plays effortlessly, and the tone is as rich and warm as the butterscotch amber finish. The area around the output jack has been soundly reinforced with a professional repair, and the finish in the area touched up. An outstanding example of the ultimate journeyman's jazz guitar.

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 plush hardshell case.

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