Electric Guitar Review

Talk about a classic guitar — I dreamed of owning a Gibson ES-175 for years, but unfortunately the hefty price tag always kept it out of reach. Still, if you can afford the luxury, the ES-175 is an unmistakable pleasure to play.

First unveiled to the world back in 1949, these lovely archtops became a standard of the jazz and rock-a-billy worlds, and it’s no wonder why — that warm tone and high playability are a deadly combination, and I mean that in the nicest way…

My personal favorite model is the classic sunburst; the gorgeous laminated maple top, with liberal amounts of binding (on the top, back, and fingerboard) just scream vintage cool. Throw in a pair of ‘57 Classic humbuckers and a 3 1/2“ deep profile, and you’ve got a hollowbody that just won’t stop when it comes to tone.

The Gibson ES-175 Features—

• Plain Maple Top, With Curly Maple Back & Sides
• Mahogany Neck
• Rosewood Fretboard With 20 Frets
• Pearl Inlays
• ‘57 Classic Humbuckers
• Two Volume & Two Tone Controls
• 3-Way Pickup Switching
• Vintage Tulip Tuners

Downsides? A body this deep can lead to feedback at high volume, but that’s just the nature of the beast, and can’t even begin to negate all of the ES175’s charms––this guitar is just a monster of warm, fat, jazzy tone and style. Highly recommended.