Gibson E-175- One or Two P-90s?

[Brian859]

I was checking out the gibson 400 at that jimmys guitar store someone had posted in for sale. I was checking out their inventory when I saw this, a 1955 es175. It has the one p90. I though it had two p90 by then. I then looked it up on wiki where it stated there were 2 p90s from 1953 to 1957. Being a novice, I may have missed something.

1955 Gibson ES 175 – Jimmy's Vintage Music

[bluenote61]

Acc. to Gruhn's Guide the version of the ES175 between 1953 and 1957 with two P90s was labeled as ES175D.
After 1957 the pickups were changed to humbuckers, still named ES175D.
I.e. in 1955 there was still a single P90 version available.
Hope this helps.

[Stringswinger]

You could still buy a single pickup ES-175 through 1971. The single pickup ES-175 was reintroduced in the mid 90's for some years as the ES-165 Herb Ellis model (though they eventually changed that to a single floating pickup).

[Brian859]

So the wiki page may be wrong. They sold 175D with two p90s along side the original 175 with just the one. Then the 175d was also used for the later humbucker version too.
Thanks.

[Stringswinger]

So the wiki page may be wrong. They sold 175D with two p90s along side the original 175 with just the one. Then the 175d was also used for the later humbucker version too.
Thanks.

And from 1957-1971, they made a one pickup version with a single humbucker.

[Cunamara]

My 2005 ES-175 with two pickups is just identified as an ES-175 on the sticker inside the F hole, rather than as an ES-175D. I suppose at some point the nomenclature changed, perhaps when they stopped offering the single pickup model after 1971. I do still think of it as an ES-175D, however, because that's just what I got used to earlier in life.

I can't remember- when they started offering the vintage reissue ones with the fake nicotine staining, did they have a one pick up version then?

And the ES-175CC only had one pickup.

[omphalopsychos]

they made plenty of single pickup ones after 53. don't trust everything you read on wikipedia.

[Stringswinger]

My 2005 ES-175 with two pickups is just identified as an ES-175 on the sticker inside the F hole, rather than as an ES-175D. I suppose at some point the nomenclature changed, perhaps when they stopped offering the single pickup model after 1971. I do still think of it as an ES-175D, however, because that's just what I got used to earlier in life.

I can't remember- when they started offering the vintage reissue ones with the fake nicotine staining, did they have a one pick up version then?

And the ES-175CC only had one pickup.

They did make some 59 VOS 175's with one pickup.

I am with you, I still think of a two pickup 175 as an ES-175D. And if it is blonde, it is an ES-175DN.

[Woody Sound]

Here's one of the last single P90's. (If they are correct about the date.)

1957 Gibson ES-175 | The Music Emporium

[andrew]

My theory (and it’s just that) on the birth of the ES-175D is that Gibson didn’t originally want to do it because it would take away from sales of higher end models like the ES-300 and 350, but they eventually caved to public pressure. And it was good that they did because the 175D was their best selling archtop for a very long time.