A killer early 1965 1964 spec, wide nut, Gibson ES-175DN, for all those perpetual changes… 

Introduced in 1949 as a mid level archtop, the ES-175's all laminate construction meant that costs could be kept down. It was also the first Kalamazoo design to feature a Florentine cutaway. Available initially with a single pickup, the double pickup ‘D’ incarnation was introduced officially in 1953. In 1957 it was fitted with a pair of Gibson's new humbucking pickups.

As you can see from the photos, the guitar itself is in fantastic shape. The top, back and sides show little if any signs of wear and the lacquer is gorgeously glossy. The sought after blonde finish hasn’t yellowed much and looks really nice.

The neck too is in stunning condition with some checking and a few minor marks.The fretboard is in good condition and has been refretted, although the inlays are suffering, particularly at the 15th fret. There is plenty of life left in the frets. The headstock shows a few marks as expected but no sign of any changes of tuners. There is no sign of any breaks or repairs. 

The pickguard is original and is in great shape, but the pickup mounting rings and bridge are replacements. The tailpiece has also been replaced, although the original is included in the sale. 

Electrically we have a much later set of Gibson 490/498 pickups which sound great, mated to the original wiring loom and pots.

The guitar comes with a later Gibson hard shell case.

Tonally, this guitar is quite lively. As you’d expect, it’s loud acoustically, exhibiting a pleasing woody tone which comes across when amplified. The 490/498 pickup set are hotter than we’re used to in these guitars, but they work well together and bring out the character of the guitar, taking you from a warm, rounded sound to something altogether more raucous. 

A classic Gibson archtop, at a decent price and with the more desirable wider nut width, whats not to like? Blink and you’ll miss it…