Gibson ES-175 Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1956), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown hard shell case.
This is a spectacularly beautiful 1950's ES-175, Gibson's classic "Working Man's" Jazz guitar. This guitar was built when the 175 was already a very successful design, having found immediate acceptance with players for its combination of great sound and playability at a moderate price. The sunburst laminated body is triple bound on the front and single bound on the back, the neck is single bound with split parallelogram fingerboard inlays. The headstock carries the pearl Gibson logo and crown inlay.
The original hardware includes a single P-90 pickup with black plastic cover, rosewood bridge, 5-ply beveled-edge pickguard and tone and volume controls with amber "bonnet" knobs. The orange Gibson label bears an "Artist" serial number dating to around the beginning of February 1956. This particuler style of ES-175 used by far too many Jazz guitar greats to count; Herb Ellis especially is often pictured with a guitar virtually identical to this one.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 in. (7.6 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). Almost unbelievably well preserved, this one owner guitar has been carefully cared for since it's original purchase early in 1957. There are a few tiny tiny dings and some light scuffing here and there and the pickguard is slightly curled up but overall this guitar is as clean as we generally expect to see for a 1950's instrument that has been played at all! All original, with the original brown case and hangtag. Simply a superb example, as nice as we have ever seen! Excellent + Condition.
