1950s catalogue image of the ES-175. This image was used in all early 1950s catalogues.

Jazz strings suitable for this guitar D'Addario EHR350 (D'Addario S/Steel Half Round Electric Guitar Strings Jazz Light) D'Addario EHR360 (D'Addario S/Steel Half Round Electric Guitar Strings Jazz Medium) Dean Markley 2506B (Dean Markley Nickelsteel Electric - Jazz) D'Addario EXL115W (D'Addario Electric Guitar Strings Blues/Jazz Rock Wound 3rd) D'Addario EJ22 (D'Addario Electric Guitar Strings Jazz Medium) D'Addario ECG24 (D'Addario Chrome Flat Wound Electric Guitar Strings Jazz Light) Thomastik-Infeld JS111 (light flatwound jazz swing electric guitar strings) D'Addario XLS600 (D'Addario Stainless Steel Electric Guitar Strings Jazz Medium) D'Addario EJ21 (D'Addario Electric Jazz Light) D'Addario EJ20 (D'Addario Electric Guitar Strings Jazz Extra-Light)

1954 Gibson ES-175

The ES-175 is one of the best known jazz guitars of all time. People are most familiar with the twin-humbucker equipped ES-175D - which came about in 1957. But before they had humbuckers, the 175 was fitted with single coil P-90s; just one from 1949 (ES-175) and optionally two from 1953 (ES-175D).

The guitar pictured is in superb condition for its age, but this is often the case with high end guitars; they tend to get looked after. It is all original except (probably) the tailpiece; the trapeze tailpiece.

The shipping figures for the ES-175 in 1954 were as follows: Sunburst - 599, Natural - 141. These totals dropped continuously after 1953 when the two-pickup model was launched, and at no point afterwards did it regain it's popularity with regard sales.

Typical early fifties features: one-piece mahogany neck, maple top, back and sides. P90 single coil pickups, rosewood compensated bridge, fifties barrel knobs. Single-ring Kluson tuning keys. Crown inlay positioned above center on the headstock.

Other features unchanged in later ES-175 versions: bound front and back, with a bound neck and split parallelogram inlays.