Description
Exc(-) Condition / 1-Owner
SN: 4730 / FON: 2141
1-11/16″ Nut / 24-3/4″ Scale
Single P-90 / Single Cutaway
Sunburst Finish
This 1950 Gibson ES-175 is a great “find”. It is a one-owner guitar from 1950! It is as clean as a guitar can be after years of serious stage performances. There is about 1-1/8″ of binding replaced on the bass side of F.B. between 14th and 16th frets.
There are wear marks here and there around the guitar, but mostly concentrated here: The bottom side between the p/u jack and the endpin shows lacquer scratching from holding the live guitar cable in your right hand and hunting by feel for the jack, while you are approaching the mic to speak; Back of the headstock shows wear into the Mahogany from leaning against walls; Back of the neck shows normal one-player wear thru the lacquer; The Frets have been replaced and show low-to-moderate wear at this time; The output jack has some slight little cracks from the cable being pulled while jacked in (with ply construction, this isn’t a problem like it would be with a guitar with solid sides.
This 1950 Gibson ES-175 lived its long life as a professional singer’s main guitar. The owner, a very talented professional singer and player, was of such a rare talent that she was sought out for her stage abilities by bandleaders, radio stations, orchestras, etc., while in her teens and early 20’s. This guitar was awarded to her by her father for her musical accomplishments while she was still in high school. According to her family, this was not just her “go to” guitar, it was the only guitar she wanted or needed.
As mentioned earlier, the peghead is in great shape but with some dings along the sides and with some wear into the wood on back of peghead. Pearl Gibson logo at top of peghead and Gibson “crown” below, inlaid with antique lacquer over them to look like yellow M.O.P. Truss-rod cover just above the nut.
The Rosewood fingerboard has the usual pearloid parallelogram inlays. Antiqued binding around F.B. with small side dots in bass side for position markers.
The tuners appear to be copies of the original 3-on-a-plate Kluson DeLuxe with plastic tulip buttons.
The body is in great shape – no repairs. The binding is very intact and hardy. The original P-90 is intact and trouble-free. The original Rosewood bridge and the original trapeze tailpiece are working fine. The pickguard is sway-backed, but it is installed and working.
The body has 3-ply cream bindings around the top edge and single cream binding around the back edge.
This is a fine guitar that has already proven that it can play big production stages. The playability is high, the set-up is good and the tone is wonderful.
Comes with a newer hard case.
