Offering a very fine ES-125 copy from The Loar!

An amazingly great version of this vintage classic! It plays so much better than the 1968 original I owned in 1974! The axe has been adjusted for maximum playability and tonal responses from its really great p90s. This is partially done with shims - which we stock for the purpose. P90s are more sensitive to string height than humbuckers. So getting this distance right is essential to getting the full ‘p90 sound’... The guitar has been really well cared for - and just re-strung with a set of D’Addario 10-46 ‘Half Round‘s‘. These strings seem to cover the palette it excels at. From r&b through rock-a-billy-retro, and alt-country to jazz... But if you want something different? We also send extra strings with your purchase.

Build and condition:

=> Important note: this really nice ES tribute was only produced by Loar for about 3 years - and released in limited numbers… Judging from owner comments, some were afflicted by quality control issues… Not this one! It is easily better in nearly every way than the Kalamazoo built Gibson that I owned. That one apparently started life with a weak ‘neck set‘ - right out of the Michigan factory! Fyi - The Loar team did have one Gibson alum on staff during the design and production of their ‘302s’. At the time, their stateside r&d office was right across the Bay from Maringuitars and San Francisco! Not sure if that’s why our thin-line seems so much better built than some in the user reviews, but we do see a lot of NAMM samples and prototypes around here!

So a gently used tribute (like this one) might be the best option, if you‘re in the hunt for something like this… By the time I found it, my 1968 Gibson was already living with a “bad neck reset”! So this one is holding up just beautifully by contrast! It actually plays better than that original ever did! The frets are still clear of divots and major wear; tuners are working well - and no structural defects are present! It‘s a real player - and projects lots of vintage mojo from the tone-full ‘dogears’!

As with many companies - ‘quality control issues’ (aka sloppy construction) seem to have afflicted some ’302’s. So we imagine that this first year build may have been designated as a product sample for the sales office - given how nice it plays! Will genuinely miss the nice wide neck and rosewood fretboard on this girl - so perfect for those tricky jazz chords!

A copy that does the original proud!

Gibson’s ‘thin-lines’ were a turning point in the evolution of their Electric Spanish catalog (way back in the 1960s!). The new models of then were designed to deliver ’vintage archtop‘ tonality in some more slender bodies. The ‘ES-125TDC‘ aka ‘LH-302t‘ (offered here) sits immediately ahead of the ‘335s’ in sound and style potentials… Boasting a sharper and more ‘upper mid‘ focused attack than the full depth ‘125’ - it could still deliver plenty of ‘acoustic’ resonance… Single notes pop and bloom from the front dogear! But full up - they come out very rich and almost saturated... Classic jazz lives there. Typically a slight roll-off of volume or tone produces mellow chord vamps and velvety arpeggios... But move to the middle position (neck plus bridge) - and some natural compression begins to drive the sound... Adjusting your pots - Motown; sixties/ seventies rock; Americana - and yet more sounds - can all be dialed in.

More on the 302‘s style and tonality:

Its larger cousin (historically speaking) was the ‘full depth’ ES-295 - heard on Elvis’ early recordings. Scotty Moore created the bright or muted fills that became musical frames for the king’s velvety vocals back then. This ‘thin-line’ version of the ‘295’ brings that rock-a-billy tonality in a skinnier body. The Loar’s electronics package and numbered knobs offer easy mixing and matching of settings to get to your tonal sweet spot… Fyi - no pick-guard came on this cherryburst guitar - unless one was added later.

=> After a few bars of playing, you’ll forget it was made in a place that Scotty Moore and Elvis never visited! Or Wes - for that matter! Add a pedal (or amp gain?) for country, blues, or sixties pop and rock stylings... From the back pickup - roll off some trebles - turn up your gain slightly - and you’re in Tele territory!

Detailed Model Specs:

Body style: full hollow, single bound, w set neck,

Neck wood: Mahogany,

Fretboard: rosewood,

Scale: 24.75” (‘Gibson’ scale),

Neck carve: medium ‘C’ (not ‘thin C’, as stated elsewhere!),

Frets: 19 medium gauge.

Nut width: 1 and 11/16” or 1.6875” (jazz chord spacing),

Top wood: Maple laminates,

Body wood: maple and maple laminates,

Finish: gloss,

Lower bout: 16”,

Body depth: 1 and 7/8” (not “1.5”, as stated elsewhere!)

Truss rod: 2 way adjustable,

Bridge: floating tune-a-matic,

Tuning machines: Tonepros Kluson oem,

Nut material: bone,

Controls: 2 x volume and tone,

Pickups: ‘The Loar p’90s’ (vintage dogear repros),

* * *

Case and extras:

There is a premium, form fitting after market hardcase - definitely showing some signs of use on the outside. However - the inside is pristine - and we’ll add a set of strings per your preference of gauges.

The takeaway:

A slimmer ‘full hollow’ guitar that can go jazz to rock-a-billy; alt-country to blues; or roots to rock ‘n roll. A perfect ‘late night songwriter’ - since it can be heard acoustically. Looks the biz, and plays great! Ready to gig right now.

Shipping from and to the west coast (with possible discounts):

None of our ship hubs accept a direct drop anymore, and UPS rates have been way up since they got their new contract. That said - our ‘flat rate’ includes both ‘Reverb full value insurance with signature’ and a ‘bulk rate discount’! The actual charges to ship a full sized guitar across the country (insured) are higher than what we’re asking. Thus Maringuitars is absorbing part of this cost for buyers east of the rockies!
However - if you are south of Portland or west of Las Vegas - we may be able to discount the shipping charges yet further. Please let us know when bidding.

‘As described’:

Maringuitars stands behind our products. In the unlikely event that your guitar doesn’t match up with our disclosure, we will work with you to offset the issue!

Thanks for stopping by!

🤠

David @ Maringuitars