Gibson ES-175D

1961

A wonderful instrument fitted with its two original PAF pickups. Sent back to Gibson in 1973 for a neck repair, it returned with a replacement neck, hence the volute behind the headstock, typical of that period. This is a structurally sound instrument in very good condition, retaining its original pickups, knobs, tailpiece, bridge, potentiometers and pickguard. The tuners are quality reproductions; the originals, whose buttons had crumbled, are included in the case. It offers an excellent opportunity to acquire a fantastic instrument for a fraction of the price of a collector-grade example. The neck is straight and very comfortable to play, with plenty of life left in the frets. The guitar plays beautifully. There is also a repair around the output jack, a common issue on archtops, which is stable.

Both pickups sound fabulous, with excellent definition and clarity. These legendary pickups need little introduction. Their covers have been removed and subsequently reinstalled. The plastic pickup rings are also original. Unfortunately, many ES-175s have been stripped of their PAFs due to strong demand on the vintage parts market. A pair of PAFs can now fetch between €5,000 and €12,000, making examples retaining their original pickups increasingly difficult to find—especially at this price, closer to that of a Custom Shop instrument or a P-90-equipped model.

This ES-175D comes with its period correct case.

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