Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis 1992 Ebony Black

The serial number on the back of the headstock indicates this is a 1992 model but the paper label is missing from inside the guitar. I have modified it to sound and look like an early humbucker ES175. I have replaced the 490R humbucker with a 2013 Gibson “classic ’57” for a brighter tone. It has a new gold tone cover and screws. The original pick up will be included in the OHSC pocket. It has the original gold toned tune-o-matic bridge piece which sits on the original rosewood bridge base. 
The guitar finish is in excellent shape and you have to scrutinize it very closely to see any evidence of checking except for some faint lines on the face of the headstock. It has a rosewood fretboard and a 24 3/4” scale. The nut is 1 11/16” wide. The neck has Gibson’s “rounded Jazz profile” that feels the same as my 1950’s Gibsons. The Grover tuners are gold toned with gold toned butter bean knobs in great shape. The guitar weighs 7.2 lbs. The body is free of any cracks and the neck is straight and very playable. The input jack area is not damaged, The zigzag tailpiece looks great and has no evidence of failure or deformity. The frets do not show any wear. The OHSC is in excellent condition with an attached satin overlay pad that protects the guitar. The locking clasp still has the factory plastic strip installed and has not had a combination put in. This guitar seems to have spent many of its years in the case and not hauled around and gigged with.
In the following photos I will try to illustrate the only flaws I have noted on the guitar:
- the aforementioned faint lines on the face of the headstock that look to me to not be scratches, but slight checking type changes in the finish without “alligatoring”.
- there is an approximately 1/8” x 1/8” black painted wood putty plug filling a ding on the back of the neck around the 10th fret
- there is a 1/16” x 1/16” scuff on the fretboard behind the 2nd fret at the B string level. It is level without depression.
- there is a small crack on the treble side of the nut, parallel to the fretboard, that does not affect playability or sound
- there is slight scuffing of the finish in the immediate bridge foot area, about 1/8” on each side of the bridge feet