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1958 Gibson ES-225TN

FON #: T7888-28

Body size at lower bout: 16". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 11/16"

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

Hardware: Original hardware includes black cover P-90 pickup and beveled 5-ply pickguard, gold bell tone and volume knobs, nickel Kluson Deluxe tuners. Vintage Bigsby B6 vibrato and Bigsby compensated aluminum bridge.

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 blonde 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 rare blonde beauty is one of just 123 from its year of production. 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.

Maintained in outstanding condition, the guitar has been maintained without cracks, pick, buckle or thumb wear, and the original blonde finish has aged to an amber glow over the handsome slab-cut maple body. At just 5lb. 15oz. the guitar is wonderfully light and well balanced, on the lap or the strap. The neck is the coveted late 50's shape with a generous C profile, and the full 1 11/16" fingerboard width. The all-original blonde finish shows only light playwear, including a bit of arm wear on the lower bass bout, a few random lacquer nicks, and some light normal checking. A genuine vintage Bigsby B6 tailpiece and bridge were installed decades ago, and the tone is clear, detailed and responsive, with smooth, low action 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 plush lined tweed hardshell case.