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1957 Gibson ES-175
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Serial #: A-25665, orange oval label. FON# U9062-19
Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 11/16" Neck Depth: .90/1.01, 1st/10th frets
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 pre-decal PAF humbucking pickup with original electronics, single ring Kluson Deluxe tuners, amber bell knobs, beveled 5-ply pickguard, compensated adjustable rosewood bridge, nickel Gibson T-bar tailpiece with replacement retainer plate.
Notes: This is the guitar that changed it all.
After several years of tinkering, Gibson formally announced a revolutionary new electric pickup, the Model PU-490, in July of 1957. Designed to reduce amplifier hum, the pickup also delivered a distinctly fuller, more saturated tone, which appealed instantly to a new generation of jazz, blues and rock players. This innovative 'humbucking' pickup was quickly adopted as an industry standard, and remains the most widely imitated magnetic pickup in the world to this day. The very first 'electric Spanish' (i.e. 6 string) guitars to be fitted with this groundbreaking component were a small batch of ES-175 models that had shipped from the factory earlier that year, on February 18th, 1957.
Introduced in 1949, the ES-175 was already the most popular jazz guitar ever made, as it remains to this day. Fast, clean and road-ready, the 175 became the workhorse of the touring player and studio pro, from Herb Ellis and Joe Pass to Pat Metheny and Steve Howe. Lightweight and resonant, the 16" body sits easily in the lap, and the 24 3/4" scale makes stretch chords and fast runs a breeze.
With a factory order number from 1957, this guitar would have been shipped by mid-year, and is fitted with the very earliest version of the humbucker, one that predates the application of the PAF decal. The nickel silver pickup cover has never been removed, and the pots and cap remain sealed in their original shielding cans. At barely 6lb. even, the guitar is notably light in weight, and nimbly balanced in the lap or the strap. Maintained in fine shape, the guitar is remarkably free of pick, buckle, or thumb wear. The Kluson Deluxe tuners, amber bell knobs, and wide-bevel pickguard are all original; only the retainer plate for the T-bar tailpiece has been replaced. Even the typical stress cracks around the jack, so common in this vintage, are happily absent.
The deep Cremona sunburst finish is all original, and shows the normal checking of finely aged nitro lacquer, principally on the back. The neck is full and gently rounded, with a gentle C profile, and smooth low action over a fresh high-precision setup, on fine original fretwork. Measuring 7.57K, the pickup is warm, rich and responsive: the quintessence of classic jazz tone. Sadly, so many of these PAF 175s have been stripped for parts over the years, it is truly a wonder to find such an early example with its original hardware so fully intact.
A pioneering instrument from the dawn of the modern jazz guitar. One only: call now.
Setup: Trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation strobe tuned; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished, pickup polepieces balanced and tested.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel flat wound strings (.013-.056). 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 light relief. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Deluxe black arched plush lined hardshell case.
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