Gibson ES-125 Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1951)
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Item #6589
Gibson ES-125 Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1951), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, dark stained back and sides finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
A nice player's example of Gibson's post-WWII ES-125, the company's "bread and butter" electric during the late 1940's and '50's. This guitar has a 16" wide body of laminated maple and the pickup is Gibson's classic P-90 with adjustable poles but the earlier narrow cover. The tailpiece is an off-the-rack part not specific to Gibson and the tuners are Kluson Deluxes, 3 to a plate which had just come into use in 1949. The knobs are the gold-backed "barrel" style with no numbers-replaced with numbered knobs the next year- and the post-war "Gibson" logo decal is still the earliest "joined dot" version. This is a very good playing and sounding guitar; although marketed as a student model the ES-125 were fully functional as a professional quality instrument and are often seen in period photographs with players of many styles.
Overall length is 40 5/8 in. (103.2 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). This is a well played guitar but still fairly clean and original overall. The only notable issue is an old and well-repaired headstock crack in the typical Gibson spot; solidly sealed with some tasteful clear touch-up. There is a lot of wear to the back of the neck around the 10th fret area, likely from an ill-fit case neck block, and to the bottom edge of the body on the treble side. There is an old jack repair in that area as well, solid but not super neat. All the hardware and finish (other than the small touched-up spots) are original, including the old-style tailpiece, fully intact tortoise celluloid pickguard and early clear non-numbered knobs. The tuners are correct original Klusons but there were others on at some point, and there is an old ID number etched down the length of the back of the headstock . This is a lovely and very comfortable player-much nicer than this litany of flaws suggests- with an excellent sound; it is even fairly lively when not plugged in. Very Good + Condition.
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A nice player's example of Gibson's post-WWII ES-125, the company's "bread and butter" electric during the late 1940's and '50's. This guitar has a 16" wide body of laminated maple and the pickup is Gibson's classic P-90 with adjustable poles but the earlier narrow cover. The tailpiece is an off-the-rack part not specific to Gibson and the tuners are Kluson Deluxes, 3 to a plate which had just come into use in 1949. The knobs are the gold-backed "barrel" style with no numbers-replaced with numbered knobs the next year- and the post-war "Gibson" logo decal is still the earliest "joined dot" version. This is a very good playing and sounding guitar; although marketed as a student model the ES-125 were fully functional as a professional quality instrument and are often seen in period photographs with players of many styles.
Overall length is 40 5/8 in. (103.2 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). This is a well played guitar but still fairly clean and original overall. The only notable issue is an old and well-repaired headstock crack in the typical Gibson spot; solidly sealed with some tasteful clear touch-up. There is a lot of wear to the back of the neck around the 10th fret area, likely from an ill-fit case neck block, and to the bottom edge of the body on the treble side. There is an old jack repair in that area as well, solid but not super neat. All the hardware and finish (other than the small touched-up spots) are original, including the old-style tailpiece, fully intact tortoise celluloid pickguard and early clear non-numbered knobs. The tuners are correct original Klusons but there were others on at some point, and there is an old ID number etched down the length of the back of the headstock . This is a lovely and very comfortable player-much nicer than this litany of flaws suggests- with an excellent sound; it is even fairly lively when not plugged in. Very Good + Condition.