Gibson ES175DN Natural 1959

This ES175 is one of the most beautiful Gibsons we have welcomed to The Fellowship of Acoustics this year. Thanks to its two original PAF humbuckers and Natural finish, the guitar is also a guitar that is very interesting for both the collector and the active guitarist!

The Gibson ES175, known as the workhorse of jazz guitars, is an iconic hollow-body electric guitar beloved by many legendary guitarists in the worlds of jazz, blues, rock and fusion. While the ES175 is associated with jazz greats such as Jim Hall, Pat Metheny and Joe Pass, its versatile tone and ability to handle distortion have made it a favorite of fusion and rock guitarists such as Steve Howe (Yes) and Buck Dharma who played an ES175 on the Blue Oyster Cult classic Don't Fear the Reaper.

The ES175 was introduced by Gibson in 1949 as a more affordable alternative to the more expensive guitars in the lineup, such as the L4. The guitar was equipped with a laminated maple back and sides that featured a 'florentine cutaway'. This construction made the guitar lighter and more resistant to feedback, which could easily occur with guitars with a solid body. The official name of this model is ES175DN, where the D stands for Double Pickup and N for Natural finish.

The most important detail on this guitar can of course be found right in the face of the guitar: two original PAF humbuckers! The other electronics are also completely original, from the wiring to the Centralab potentiometers. Other original parts are the pickguard, control knobs and bridge. According to the Gibson timeline, an ES175 should have a zigzag tailpiece, but from the discolouration of the lacquer under UV light we can see that this ES175 probably went through life with this model trapeze tailpiece that was used earlier in the 50s.

We can also see that the tuning machines have been replaced, and on the front of the headstock a few dots in the lacquer have been touched up. Near

the output jack, a few small cracks have been repaired with cleats on the inside of the body. A refret has also been performed, and the radius of the fretboard has been adjusted so that it now goes from 10 inches to 16 inches. To top it all off, this beautiful ES175 comes in its original Lifton case!

Consignment.

photos of: Actual Instrument