❌SOLD❌ Gibson ES-175 Archtop Electric Natural, 1957

Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Joe Diorio, Toots Thielemans, Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino, Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, Jimmy Raney, Pat Metheny — all at one time in their careers played and recorded with the Gibson ES-175. Hey, it’s almost quicker to name jazz players who haven’t performed with an ES-175!

This rare Gibson ES-175 in Natural finish is in very good, clean and original condition. At one time a Bigsby was installed, so there are extra mounting screw holes underneath the wide plate on the stock, original trapeze tailpiece. And as a 1957 model, it has its original, and then brand new, ‘Patent Applied For’ humbucking pickups replacing the previously used P-90s. Fret wear is moderate, but it plays cleanly with a clear, crisp and well defined acoustic tone – it is presently strung with round-wounds. The original, natural nitrocellulose lacquer finish is in very good condition with some natural checking and a few small dings from normal use.

The original hard shell case is included.

The cutaway Gibson ES-175 came onto the scene in 1949 as a single pickup archtop with a sharp Florentine cutaway, Maple laminate body construction, Mahogany neck and Rosewood bridge and bound fingerboard. At the time, pretty much everyone who used ‘Rosewood’ sourced it from Central South America.

The most popular electric archtop at the time was the ES-150, with carved spruce top and carved Maple back. The laminate construction of the new ES-175 was not only more affordable at a not-coincidental price of $175, but also offered better feedback resistance. For its 1957 version, it was one of the first guitars to be outfitted with the new Patent Applied For humbucking pickups!

Gibson wasn’t the only company introducing hum-cancelling pickups in 1957. Gretsch introduced the Filter ‘Tron and Fender the two-piece, hum-cancelling Precision Bass pickup.

The ES-175 design was very influential and remained as a standard, workhorse guitar for musicians of many genres. The final version, the ES-175D (for Double pickup) was finally discontinued in 2019.