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

Strings suitable for this guitar Gibson Vintage Re-issue Strings 11-50 (SEG-VR11) Gibson Les Paul Strings Set 9-42 (SEG-LP9) Gibson Les Paul Strings Set 10-46 (SEG-LP10) Gibson Vintage Re-issue Strings 09-42 (SEG-VR9) Gibson Vintage Re-issue Strings 10-46 (SEG-VR10)

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.