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1957 Gibson ES-175D
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Serial #: A-26484, orange oval label. FON#: U916-6 Body size at lower bout: 16" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16" Neck depth: .92/.98, 1st/10th frets
Materials: Solid mahogany neck; solid ebony fingerboard; arched maple top and back; dual-parallelogram mother of pearl fingerboard inlay and crown peghead inlay; triple bound top, bound back.
Hardware: All gold hardware includes Byrdland style loop trapeze tailpiece, Gibson Pat # Tuneomatic bridge with ebony base, Bill Lawrence humbucking pickups, Grover Rotomatic tuners. Bound tortoise pickguard, gold reflector cap volume and tone knobs; 3 way pickup selector switch.
Notes: Introduced in 1949, the Gibson ES-175 quickly became the most popular jazz guitar of all time. Fast, clean, and road-ready, the 175 has been the workhorse of the touring player and studio from Joe Pass to Pat Metheny ever since. Offered with twin pickups from 1953, the ES-175 was the first Gibson guitar to be fitted with humbucking pickups, and this extravagantly customized example from that debut year would have been one of the earliest to be so equipped.
This striking instrument has been adorned in a fascinating array of Gibson's most upmarket features. The original body and neck are fitted with a solid ebony fingerboard, with ornate floral mother-of-pearl inlays. The pattern is from Gibson's prewar Mastertone banjos, with a 20's style small script logo in the peghead. With a loop style trapeze tailpiece like the Byrdland, a single bound tortoise pickguard like the L-12 Premiere, and a tobacco sunburst finish like the 60's Tal Farlow, this unique instrument is a veritable medley of Gibson's greatest hits.
Carefully maintained, this instrument is in great shape, with a light birdseye maple body free of cracks, pick, buckle, thumb, or fingerboard wear. Apart from a few incidental finish nicks, the guitar shows few signs of play altogether. With pot codes dating to the late 70's, it's probable that the custom work was undertaken over four decades ago, including the two-tone finish, which shows only a few scattered nicks here and there. All binding is tight to the body, and both neck angle and bridge height are excellent, with plenty of room for adjustment up or down. Even the typical stress cracks around the jackplate, so common in this era, are happily absent in this smoke-free instrument.
If any neck profile could be described as ideal, this one could certainly come close. Gone is the bulky C contour of the postwar era, and the skinny necks of the late 60's were still to come, with smooth low action over a fresh high precision setup. At just 6lb 12oz, the guitar is dramatically 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 pleasure.
A special plus, the guitar is fitted with a rare matched pair of original Bill Lawrence humbucking pickups. Hand wound by the legendary maestro himself, the pickups are thoroughly epoxy potted for maximum fidelity and freedom from feedback. (Interestingly, the neck pickup is placed a bit closer to the fingerboard than on a typical ES-175. Like an L-5 or L-4CES, this pickup location should tend to lend the instrunent a somewhat warmer tone than usual on the model.) Completing the all gold hardware is the Gibson Pat # Tuneomatic bridge, reflector cap knobs, and the Grover Rotomatic tuners.
Certainly the most intriguing example of this perennial model we've ever seen, and we don't expect to find another one like it anytime soon. Truly one of a kind: one only, call now.
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 wound strings (.012-.052). 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.
Case: Deluxe plush lined hardshell case.
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