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1956 Gibson ES-225T

FON #: V7401-19 Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 11/16" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .91/1.00

Materials: Solid Honduras mahogany neck; slab-cut maple top back, and sides; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard.

Hardware: Original nickel hardware includes Kluson Deluxe single-line tuners, long trapeze tailpiece/bridge assembly, P-90 single coil pickup, gold bell tone and volume knobs. Vintage correct aged 5-ply black pickguard.

Notes: Before the ES-335, 345, 355. Before the ES-330, and the humble 125T. Before any of the legendary series of Gibson thinlines that changed guitar design forever, there was this slim sunburst beauty, where it all began.

Inspired by a guitar Elmer Stromberg had built for Nashville session ace Hank Garland, in 1955 Gibson introduced three new models, hollow body electric archtops with a slimmed depth profile unprecedented in the marketplace. The Byrdland and its laminate counterpart the ES-350T were both protoyped with a single example each. But a new popularly priced model was rushed into a production run of over 600 units. With its simple, elegant design the ES-225 was targeted at a mass audience, and was massively popular. Over 2200 of the new Florentine cutaway thinlines shipped in the first two years of production alone.

This gleaming beauty is from the second year for this short lived model, which remained in production only until 1959. The slim depth body offers superior feedback resistance, P-90 pickup is clear and detailed, and the fast 24 3/4" scale makes for a highly versatile and playable combination. Similar to a thinline version of an early '50s ES-175, the model is ideal for jazz, blues, rockabilly and traditional guitar styles of all types.

Preserved in showroom condition, the guitar has been maintained without pick, buckle or thumb wear, and the original sunburst finish has ambered to a warm glow over the attractive slab-cut maple body. A featherweight wonder, this example weighs in at a bare 5lb. 8oz. and is an absolute delight to hold and play. The neck is the coveted late 50's shape with a generous C profile, and the full 1 11/16" fingerboard width. The tone is clear, detailed and responsive, and the action is smooth and low over fine original fretwork and a fresh high precision setup.

A handsome and versatile player, the ES-225 occupies a pioneering position at the dawn of the modern electric guitar. One only: call now.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as required; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished. The guitar is strung with nickel roundwound strings (.011-.049), with action set at 4/32" to 5/32" at the 12th fret.

Case: Deluxe arched black plush lined hardshell case.