1957 Gibson ES-225TD, Sunburst
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
At a Glance:
Model: ES-225TD
Finish: Sunburst
Body: Fully hollow thinline body with single Florentine cutaway
Fingerboard: Bound rosewood with dot inlays
Pickups: Two P-90s; bridge pickup rewound
Tailpiece: Original nickel trapeze tailpiece
Tuners: Repro Klusons fitted; original single-line tuners retained in case without buttons
Frets: Professionally refretted; original frets retained
Condition: Excellent overall condition, with no breaks or repairs. Small split by jack socket; no added strap button hole at heel
Nut Width: 42.7mm
Neck Depth: 22.9mm at 1st fret / 25mm at 10th fret
Pickup Readings: Bridge 8.1k / Neck 8.75k
Case: ’50s pink-lined Lifton hard case
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
1957 Gibson ES-225TD, Sunburst
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
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1957 Gibson ES-225TD, Sunburst
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Description
A superb 1957 Gibson ES-225TD, finished in a vibrant Sunburst and complete with a ’50s pink-lined Lifton hard case.
The ES-225 is one of those slightly under-the-radar golden-era Gibsons that offers a huge amount of vintage appeal. Produced for a short period between the mid and late 1950s, it sits as a predecessor to the ES-330, combining fully hollow thinline construction, a comfortable single Florentine cutaway body and, in TD form, a pair of P-90 pickups. Despite their rarity, they still represent excellent value compared with many other ’50s Gibsons.
This example presents beautifully, with a strong, vibrant Sunburst finish and excellent overall condition. There are no breaks or repairs, there is no added strap button hole at the heel, which is always nice to see on a guitar of this age. The only real condition point to note is a small superficial split by the jack socket. Otherwise, it's a clean and well-cared-for example with plenty of vintage character.
The neck is a real highlight. It has a gorgeous chunky profile, measuring 42.7mm at the nut, with a depth of 22.9mm at the 1st fret and 25mm at the 10th. It feels substantial in the hand but not cumbersome, and overall this guitar plays effortlessly in part thanks to a pro refret, with the original frets retained in the case.
Hardware includes the original nickel trapeze tailpiece the tuners are repro Klusons, with the original single line tuners retained in the case, albeit without buttons.
The guitar retains its two P-90 pickups, with the bridge pickup having been rewound. Output is very well balanced, with the bridge reading 8.1k and the neck 8.75k. Tonally, it does exactly what a good ’50s hollowbody Gibson should: full, rich and open, with a lovely attack, good sustain and plenty of P-90 bite when pushed. There is warmth and air from the hollow body, but still enough focus and punch to make it a very usable electric guitar; particularly with the heavier bracing under the trapeze making it less susceptible to feedback than it's 330 successor.
All in all, this is a lovely example of a short-lived and very cool golden-era Gibson model. Clean, resonant, great playing and full of character, it offers a great way into ’50s Gibson hollowbody ownership. Complete with a ’50s pink-lined Lifton hard case.
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At a Glance:
Model: ES-225TD
Finish: Sunburst
Body: Fully hollow thinline body with single Florentine cutaway
Fingerboard: Bound rosewood with dot inlays
Pickups: Two P-90s; bridge pickup rewound
Tailpiece: Original nickel trapeze tailpiece
Tuners: Repro Klusons fitted; original single-line tuners retained in case without buttons
Frets: Professionally refretted; original frets retained
Condition: Excellent overall condition, with no breaks or repairs. Small split by jack socket; no added strap button hole at heel
Nut Width: 42.7mm
Neck Depth: 22.9mm at 1st fret / 25mm at 10th fret
Pickup Readings: Bridge 8.1k / Neck 8.75k
Case: ’50s pink-lined Lifton hard case
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.