1956 Gibson ES-175D, Sunburst

A lovely player-grade example from Gibson’s golden-era archtop line, this 1956 ES-175 has exactly the sort of character and honest wear commensurate of a well-used vintage jazz box. Finished in sunburst, the guitar shows plenty of natural ageing, with heavy lacquer checking, wear and fading throughout, giving it a very characterful look. The finish blacklights well, and importantly there are no breaks or repairs.

Introduced in 1949, the ES-175 quickly became one of Gibson’s most successful electric archtops, offering the full hollowbody character of a traditional jazz guitar in a more practical and accessible format. By the mid-1950s, the model had really come into its own, and this 1956 example has the classic twin P-90 configuration that gives these guitars so much of their appeal. The neck pickup is warm, rounded and full, while the bridge pickup has plenty of bite and presence. Together they deliver that unmistakable hollowbody depth, with enough clarity and attack to make it useful well beyond straight-up jazz.

The guitar retains its correct single-line Kluson tuners with changed tips, along with the correct nickel tailpiece, amber bonnet knobs and original P-90 pickups. The bridge pickup has a small missing section on the top beneath the cover but is currently sounding great! The pickguard and mount have been replaced, as has the nut, and the guitar has been refretted, making it a very comfortable and practical instrument to play. There are also small pearl stickers added to the headstock tip, bridge and neck heel; these appear to be surface-applied and should be easily removed if desired.

The neck has a very comfortable mid-’50s feel, with a nut width of 43.1mm and depths of 22.3mm at the 1st fret and 24.8mm at the 10th. It has plenty of substance in the hand without feeling cumbersome, and the refret makes it easy to get around. Currently strung with flatwound strings, it has a smooth, woody response and that lovely warm ES-175 character. At 3.02kg, it is nicely balanced and very comfortable on a strap or seated.

All in all a very appealing and inspiring vintage Gibson with bags of character.