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1957 Gibson ES-175DN
Gibson’s First Model with PAFs
This vintage 1957 Gibson ES-175 is a Museum-grade instrument and is truly exceptional.
As written by Adrian Ingram in his book on the 175, The Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster are generally associated with the commercial world of rock. However, the 175 is the image of the “Player”. The Gibson ES-175 was the instrument of choice for the Jazz Greats from Joe Pass, to Jim Hall, Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, Kenny Burrell, Pat Metheny and even Yes’s Steve Howe.
The Gibson ES-175, originally released in 1949, featured a single embryonic form of Florentine (sharp) cutaway body that provided full access to the upper frets and a laminated top and back construction. Originally a single pickup P90 guitar, the first double pickup 175s appeared in 1953. 1956 to 1957 was a period of transition as the 175 received the nicer “T” Zigzag shaped tailpiece, and of course the famous patent applied for (PAF) humbucking pickup designed by Seth Lover. The 175 was the first model in the Gibson lineup to be fitted with PAFs and the initial PAFs had no black sticker until mid 1957.
Joe Pass, my favorite player, played his 1962 ES-175D exclusively for almost 20 years. His 1970’s Virtuoso series of recordings on Pablo Records were inspiration for countless guitarists. Of all the players who have used the 175 with PAF pickups, Joe Pass was probably the best known. Until…Pat Metheny surfaced with his 1960 ES-175N in the summer of 1968. Pat has stated that “My 175 is the one thing in my life, other than my family, that has been completely consistent”.
When I was about 18 and working and teaching at Taylor’s Music House, they had an early 70’s Norlin-era 175 that Mark Grimm and I used to play around with when store activity was slow. It had a very thin neck but was very fun to play. It always left an impression and I hoped one day to own one.
I have always kept an eye on 175s over the years, and started looking seriously again about 2-3 years ago. With the advent of Covid, buyers started to eat up the PAF-equipped ES 335/345/355 guitars and that has now trickled down to the 175s. Blonde (natural) 175s with PAFs are almost unobtainable, and those in the market have generally been in less than Museum grade condition.
This 1957 Gibson ES-175 was an uncirculated (less than 5 days on the market) 175 acquired from the original owner, and purchased from Firehouse Guitars in Michigan. It is a fabulous instrument in all original condition, and rated at least in 9.5 / 10 condition. All original means original stickerless PAF’s, wiring harness, single line Kluson tuners and tuner buttons, original pickguard, amber knob tip without rubber grommet, single ply truss rod cover, even down to the almost unplayed original frets. No finish checking, cracks, no holes or touch-ups, no repairs - just about PERFECT! The color of this 175 has remained bright. The figuring of the laminated maple top and back is unbelievable in it’s texture and shadings. The Brazilian Rosewood bridge base, saddle and fingerboard are all very dark with good grain and clarity, indicative of select Brazilian. What has impressed me the most after a high quality setup from Bronson’s Guitar Works in Scottsdale is the pure acoustical resonance. The natural reverb is amazing.
The A25149 serial number with 1956 Factory Order Number (FON V 8702 2) clearly places this guitar as a transition ES-175 produced in the first quarter of 1957. It is thus one of the earliest 175s made with PAFs, most likely one of the first 100.
The metrics are very good as well. The neck profile is the thicker neck with a 1.713” nut. Seth Lover’s PAF pickup is the Heart of these vintage guitars - a pickup that is wide in range with distinctive clarity while being mellow. While the bobbin color has not been checked at this time, the measured impedance (resistance) of this guitar’s pickups is very strong - neck 8.19k ohms, and the bridge 7.29k ohms. This is typical of one white and one black PAF but this note will be updated once the pickups taken out and backside screws removed to check the bobbin color.
One of My very favorite Guitars that I always cherish time with…A definite Keeper