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I'm looking to buy an ES-175. It has pretty similar specs to my previous main archtop, an Epiphone Joe Pass, which I really like. And I've played a P90 ES-something for 2 years 20 years ago and loved it. So I'm pretty set on an ES-175.
I've been doing research on Norlin era vs. 90's good wood vs. mahogany era vs. newer reissue ... hard to figure out what would be best.
I've zero'd in on a few that are currently available. My price range is $3000-6000. (Yes, I know that for that money, I could get a builder like Steve Holst to build one to my specs. I need this guitar now: I've got a lot of playing and a few low key gigs planned for summer so I want this now ... also I had a recent bad experience with a well-known builder who promise 1 year and we are at 2 years and counting and not close yet).
This one looks like a nice example of mid-90's good wood?
Just a moment...
Not sure if this is Norlin era, but it looks like it is in great shape and a nice price
Just a moment...
80's post Norlin I believe
Just a moment...
Reissue, 2016
Just a moment...
Any of these catch anyone's eyes as a good bet?
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05-17-2025 02:30 PM
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I've had four ES-175s but don't claim expertise. My current 2014 175D 1959 VOS (natural) is the best, but not everybody would be happy with the very thick neck. What strikes me with the 2016 reissue (your last candidate) is the tailpiece, which I believe should be the zigzag model. There's confusion even between those: mine has the zigzags quite far from the center strip, while many other photos show them almost touching it. Some such tailpieces currently for sale are like mine and claimed authentic. I know this is a Pandora's box, and I open it on purpose.
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@Gitterbug Oh, are you saying the reissues have thick necks? That is good to know. I prefer not super thick necks ... so that might steer me away from the reissues.
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ES-175s can vary quite a bit in terms of necks and other things. My first electric guitar- and the one with my very favorite neck is my Ibanez GB10 from 1981. I bought a 2005 Gibson ES-175 last year and the neck is almost identical; the frets are a little smaller and the neck is a tiny tiny bit thicker on the Gibson, but it is a really ergonomically nice neck. I get no hand fatigue over a couple of hours of playing. I would describe it as a medium C neck. It's 1 11/16" wide at the nut, which I appreciate (I wouldn't mind it being 1 3/4" inches). Mahogany neck, no volute.
And the tone is an ES-175, whatever that means. It is not immune to feedback but that has rarely been troublesome. The sound is very even up and down the neck. This one has Classic 57 pickups and I have been using John Pearse Jazz .011s.
Some of the Norlin era guitars aren't particularly good, some of them are excellent, most of them are probably average. Jonathan Kreisberg and Joe Diorio had Norlins and get great sounds from them. In the later 90s and early 2000s, quality control seemed to be pretty good. I've never played a more recent ES-175. I think the 1950s VOS reissues tended to have baseball bat necks.
My instrument has very nice looking wood, good sunburst finish, a great neck, and is ergonomically just as comfortable sitting and standing- which is not true for a lot of guitars I have played. It wants to hang at an angle not unlike what you see with Joe Pass, basically the classical position, which suits me very well. Is it "the one?" I don't think that actually exists for me, but I really like it a lot and find myself using it more often than my other instruments because it always sounds good in every situation. I sometimes use a pick but mostly play finger style and it sounds equally good either way, which is also not always true for every guitar. A lot of my other guitars only sound good in certain situations or with certain genres of music or with certain amps. The ES-175 seems to work with pretty much everything happily.
I have always thought that the GB10 would be the guitar I would keep if I could only have one, but almost a year and a half into owning the ES-175 I'm not so sure. It is sort of a journeyman guitar that seems to be able to find a home in any situation I play in.
That 1984 you linked to has mahogany back and sides; those tend to have a particularly nice, warm sound to them. The price is decent IMHO. It is a 41 year-old instrument and in particular I would verify whether the neck is straight all the way to the end of the fingerboard. Often there is some ramp up or down there which can be troublesome to correct. The 1987, has a crack in the top and also has the mahogany back and sides. I'm not sure why it's that much more expensive than the '84, But it's been listed on reverb for two years so they might be willing to make a deal to move it. I'll be honest, $4500 for a Gibson ES-175 seems excessive to me, but maybe I'm just cheap and out of touch with modern-day reality.Last edited by Cunamara; 05-17-2025 at 03:46 PM.
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There are all kinds of theories about good and less good eras of Gibson, but it alway comes down to the individual instrument. The only “era” issues that concern me are the narrow nuts of some mid to late 60s models and condition issues in the period 2017-19-ish of the bankruptcy and immediately after. I played a bunch of really bad guitars in that stretch and wouldn’t buy one online without an option to return it no questions asked. Other than that, I look at spec, condition, price, aesthetics, etc., and disregard year.
The 84 (which is Norlin) and the 95 look to be in the best condition of the bunch there. The 87 has a repaired crack, which I’d stay away from online (might be killer in person, but I’d rather not risk buying a project). The 2016 has a swapped neck pickup (I’d look for another with the original Classic 57). So I’d probably lean toward either the 84 or 95.
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Of those three current options, I pick the 1995 @ Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar in Seattle. Of the three, it's in the best physical condition. The 1990s Gibson builds were great. I have two ES-165s and an ES-335 from the '90s and all are free of any Gibson foibles, as have other '90s Gibsons I've encountered over the years. The 2016 is from a good build era too, but if you look at the neck dimensions as listed, the 1995 has enough less depth to be noticeable, without being a pencil. My experience has been that Gibson had more thoroughly re-established consistency post-Norlin by '89 than in '87. Last, Mike & Mike's will ship the guitar with a good setup, and it will arrive being exactly as described. I bought two guitars from M&M's in the last several months, both flawless transactions.
<Edit>: I missed the '84. Condition looks good, as is the price. I'd still get the '95 if I were deciding on a non-local option.
Phil
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Get the 1995. The older ones clearly have had (and may yet have ) "issues". The "reissue" is not a 59 reissue and has had a pickup replaced. It also has issues (If the seller cannot accurately tell you the model (It is a Gibson ES-175 Figured), what else is he not going to be accurate about?).
90's Gibson archtops are among the best (I own three, a 1997 ES-175DN a 1997 Super 400 CES and a 1996 Wes Montgomery L-5), If you get the 1995, I think you will be well pleased. The early Gibson Classic 57 pickups sound great. The reissue Kluson tuners work well and the real pearl inlays and flamed maple are an upgrade from earlier eras. I would consider replacing the TOM with a wood saddle if you want to get the classic Joe Pass/Herb Ellis tone. The C neck profile on those is medium slim with a touch of taper, one of the most comfortable neck profiles ever, IMO.
HTH
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Norlin changes didnt affect 175s till the neck change '75ish. I have a '74 bought in '76 3pc mahogany neck no volute. Has early 57 classics in it now. med profile neck probably best neck 24/3/4 on a Gibson Ive tried. Ive seen and heard a lot of 175s in the years since, none I would trade for and theres a few good deals on some nice ones right now on Rev (just sayin)
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I second all of this. Of the four listed the ‘95 is the one to go with and the 2016 should probably be avoided.
Originally Posted by Stringswinger
(Herb changed to a TOM at some point. I think probably in the late 1980s, but I’ve never tried to pin it down).
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I'll go in a slightly different direction here. For under $6,000 you can find a genuine '50s one with P90 pickup(s). ES-175s don't get any better than that.
Looking on Reverb, asking prices for two pickup ones are north of $6k at the moment, but there have been several in the recent past in the $5-6k range. If you're okay with a single pickup version, there are more to choose from, including some in the $4000s.
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Do this and be done. Otherwise, it will drive you crazy. Unless you could play all of them side by side you, and you can't, go with the best and of course and SS knows the details. If you find the right 175 it is much like getting the perfect wife. They are beautiful, play well, and if you give them attention they respond. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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Thanks everyone ... I just bought that 1995. Glad to see there was a near-consensus around these options. The '95 looks like it is in great shape, was glad to hear the dealer is very reputable, and that this time period is considered very good.
I'm psyched to play it!
Thanks again for the help-
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Congrats for ending up to a solid conclusion! Hard to go wrong with a ES175!
Although I went at first. My first 175 was an ES165 with a floater. It sounded thin and I always missed the full size hb sound.
Then came 1959 Reissue with only neck PU. Perfect neck, gorgeous sunburst – but maybe lack of the second pickup made it sound ”not enough warm” so I found myself swapping pickups all the time.
Then I learned here in this forum about ’80s mahogany guitars and started to search one. After year or two of hunting
I found one from 1984 and about same time finally a P90 version too, a 1954 Reissue from 2015, which I had searched several years.
After years I still love them, haven’t swapped anything but bridges and some speed knob to the neck vol pot. The ’84 has quite thin neck but I don’t mind. It has Shaw pickups which are very low output but perfect sound.
Good luck in Your quest!
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Congratulations on your new guitar. Obviously a huge jump from the Joe Pass! Originally Posted by gavinashun
Please could you post a pic of the 1995 175 as the link in your post now shows a different 175. Thanks
ps. my '63 is the best thing I've ever bought.
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I’m a big fan of the ‘59 VOS model. To me, they have the feel and sound I’m looking for in a 175. I gigged with one for a few years and eventually ended up selling it and regretted it ever since, until I recently bought another one used for about the same price as my original one was new. I also had a 2006 that was a nice guitar, but much heavier than the VOS models. It sounded great also, but was a thicker, “thunkier” sound. So, it’s a matter of preference.
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