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1955 Gibson ES-175DN

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Serial #: A-21325, orange oval label. FON#: W1531-14

Body size at lower bout: 16" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16" Neck depth: .89/.97, 1st/10th frets

Materials: Solid mahogany neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; arched slab-cut maple laminate body; dual-parallelogram mother of pearl fingerboard inlays and crown peghead inlay; triple bound top, bound back.

Hardware: Original hardware includes nickel trapeze tailpiece with raised-parallelogram crossbar; twin P-90 pickups and electronics; amber bonnet knobs; beveled 5 ply pickguard; compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge, 5-ply wide beveled pickguard. Vintage correct aged nickel Kluson Deluxe single ring tuners, additional bridge pickup cover included.

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 pickups provide a faithful, detailed tone unduplicated before or since, but was available on this model only until mid-1957.

Scarce and highly desirable, natural finish models constitute less than one in five guitars in many years. One of just 143 examples from its model year, this handsome guitar is the most sought-after of all P-90 versions, with a lustrous original amber blonde finish, and twin original pickups and electronics. At just 6lb 2oz, the guitar is substantially lighter than later versions, and the 16" body sits easily in the lap, with the 24 3/4" scale making stretch chords and fast runs a breeze.

A local Northwest guitar, the instrument has been carefully maintained by its owner for over half a century. Free of cracks or pick wear, the body shows handsome slab-cut figure, with light play wear mostly confined to a few traces of buckle worming on the back, and some scattered finish nicks on the neck. The golden lacquer finish shows normal checking consistent with its age, and the original multi-ply binding remains tight to the body as well.

The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard shows no divots, and retains its original fretwork, with binding nibs intact at their ends. Hardware is original, with the addition of a vintage correct set of antique nickel Kluson Deluxe tuners, and an aged bridge pickup cover, with the original included in the case. Even the typical stress cracks around the output jack, common in Gibsons from this era, are happily absent.

The neck profile is a classic gentle C, with smooth low action over a fresh high precision setup. The tone is as rich and warm as the butterscotch finish, with the clarity and detail for which the P-90 single coil pickups have been renowned since the end of WWII. An outstanding example of the all-time classic jazz box, and you'd be hard pressed to find a prettier one altogether. One only: call now.

Case: Period black plush lined hardshell case.

Setup: 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 roundwound strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" 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.

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