Gibson ES-175 Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1956), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # A-22699, sunburst finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown hard shell case.
This is a lovely original 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 all 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 the original shipment to around the middle of April 1956. This particular 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 1/8 in. (101.9 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). Overall this guitar is all original and well preserved; the finish shows some very small dings and chips, nost notably on the headstock edges and some light checking here and there. There is an old typical jack repair, solid but visible as it was not finished over but on the whole this guitar is quite clean for a 1950's instrument! An excellent player, all original, complete with a moderately worn original brown case. Excellent - Condition.
