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Hi All, I haven’t been on this board in a while, but am searching for a guitar as described in the title. I’m hoping to find one in the $5k range and am just not that well-versed in vintage guitars, or even new ones. Any advice? Much appreciated!!
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11-02-2024 12:08 PM
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Easy. Late 40s --> 1960s Gibson ES-150.
Originally Posted by Encinitastubes
> 17" x 25.5" laminated archtop
> 1x P90
> 9x hanging on Reverb <$5000
> This one @ Guitar Denter for $3500
The early-1940s ones have one P-13 pickup at the bridge. Not what you want.
In the late 1960s and 1970s Gibson made a different guitar with the ES-150 model-name, which was a thick-body humbucker-equipped ES-330. Not what you want.
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Hi! Steve Holst could build you a custom one!
Edit: And hey, one just popped up here! Slap a humbucker-sized P-90 in it and you're set!Last edited by marcwhy; 11-02-2024 at 12:38 PM. Reason: update
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Thanks. I should have added that I’m interested in two pickups; I spend a lot of time in middle position adjusting volumes so individual knobs is a must. I also like big necks.
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The "definitive" guitar that fits that description would be the 1949-1955 Gibson ES-350. But those are going to be more than $5k.
My best suggestion is to look at vintage 50's Guild guitars. Their "Franz" pickups are like a low wind P90. Examples from the early-mid 50s had a 25.5" scale. My '58 X-500 might very well be my favorite guitar of all time, but it has a 24.75" scale.
You could also consider a Heritage H-550 and change the pickups.
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Any idea how much north of $5k? I checked on Reverb, including the sold listings, but I’m never quite clear which instruments are priced way over their actual value. Thanks. Originally Posted by andrew
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It wasn't that long ago (maybe a year or two) where there were several clean examples in the $7-8K range (including some blondes) that seemed to sit on Reverb for quite a while. Once those eventually sold, many of the replacements were priced at $10K and above.
It looks like the cheapest one on Reverb is currently $8500 (or $8300 on Sweetwater's Gear Exchange. Maybe less if you contact the seller directly through his website).
Just a moment...
An ES-300 is the same guitar, but in a non-cutaway. Here's one for about $4000:
Just a moment...
No affiliation with either guitar.
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https://www.walkin.co.jp/230232291286-2/
Write to Masaki-san and ask for two P90s.
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My advice is that you buy this one, to which I would be happy to add a second P-90 pickup, additional volume and tone controls, and a three-way pickup selector switch. That would make it into EXACTLY what you want - a 25.5" scale, laminate-top guitar with a big neck, two P-90s and controls for both pickups.
1946 Gibson ES-150
The guitar is a 1946 Gibson ES-150 with no real restoration value because of the changes already made to it. The total cost to you, including the work required to bring it up to your spec, would be far less than $5,000.
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Another vote for getting ahold of Masaki, especially if one is chasing the BK vibe. I've seen their 2-P90 ES-350 style guitars come up from time to time. Wonderful guitars, especially if you're worried about dinging up your vintage 350.
Also, besides not having a cutaway, the ES-300 has a mahogany neck. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever. Just wanna keep the record straight.
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My first suggestion would have been an ES-300, but they're scarce and could wind up being more than $5k.
Otherwise, perhaps
- Epiphone Broadway If you can find a '50s one, those have single coils. '60s ones have mini-humbuckers, and maybe a dog ear p90 could fit in the routing? More recent ones have full-size humbuckers, but you could swap in humbucker-sized P-90s (e.g., Duncan Phat Cats or Gibson P-94's). Or ...
- This Tal Farlow witih a repaired headstock break, and swap in hum sized P90s
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