1989 Gibson ES-175 - Any issues jump out?

**Helliger** · 10-18-2025, 12:56 PM

Just traded for this guitar. Plays great and sounds great but wondering if there's any issues I should address? Inside looks fine to me from what I can tell. I see there's some excess glue on the heel block but think that's just sloppiness. There's some checking on the top in the laquer that seems to be in an odd pattern. You actually have to hold the guitar a certain way to see the checking so pretty faint. I don't think there's an issue there, not sure though since it's an odd pattern.

Biggest concern. The bridge wheels seem like they may be a bit high for the action the way I like it (high side of medium). I have the treble side a bit higher since I often dig into those notes a bit. On the treble side it's a little under an inch to the top of the bridge. I can see the bridge is slightly slanted. It was actually worse at first and I took the base off and noticed the threads weren't tightly screwed into the base. I screwed them in and set up like I like it now. Just not sure if it's too high. I'll probably get a new base so it sits perfectly straight. Any issue with the bridge being raised to that height?

Not sure what these pickups are exactly except they look like the same pickups in other 175's from that year. From searching I think it's either Shaw pickups or very early 490 iterations. Anyone know what these are? I won't change them because they sound great but just curious.

Thanks!

**-Milos-** · 10-18-2025, 04:35 PM

Looks like very common specs for a "mahagony" ES175 from those years. Mine is from 1988, I juste adore it. Pick ups are really great.

**deacon Mark** · 10-18-2025, 07:21 PM

It seems like quite a normal 175 that is 36 years old so not new. The glue inside is nothing some overrun that maybe they did not care in happened or needed any attention purely cosmetic. The bridge I would certainly straighten out so that is sits perpendicular to the top. Personally, I would carve and new rosewood saddle not a fan of the sound of tunomatics. Easy enough buy one already made, my guess is it will sit up better too with a rosewood one and thicker. Otherwise, I would swap it out for a better saddle leave the base alone. However, another option which I personally would do is completely get a new all rosewood bridge and saddle that is a full contact to the top of the guitar. I would sand it down to the contour of the top. To me it looks better, most importantly spreads the load against the top more even and less chance of dips happening. I don't why Gibson does not do this all the time but who knows.

**Helliger** · 10-19-2025, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

It seems like quite a normal 175 that is 36 years old so not new. The glue inside is nothing some overrun that maybe they did not care in happened or needed any attention purely cosmetic. The bridge I would certainly straighten out so that is sits perpendicular to the top. Personally, I would carve and new rosewood saddle not a fan of the sound of tunomatics. Easy enough buy one already made, my guess is it will sit up better too with a rosewood one and thicker. Otherwise, I would swap it out for a better saddle leave the base alone. However, another option which I personally would do is completely get a new all rosewood bridge and saddle that is a full contact to the top of the guitar. I would sand it down to the contour of the top. To me it looks better, most importantly spreads the load against the top more even and less chance of dips happening. I don't why Gibson does not do this all the time but who knows.

Yeah, I'm thinking of getting a rosewood one to compare. Easy enough to go between the two. I thinks it's tilting a bit because the screws into the base were a little loose so had some play and over the years probably tilted a bit. Screwing them in fixed it a bit but still a little tilt. I'm figuring if I get a rosewood base and saddle I could swap out between the tune-o-matic and rosewood saddle to compare.

Maybe I'll look for one with a full contact base like you mention. thanks

**Helliger** · 10-19-2025, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by -Milos-

Looks like very common specs for a "mahagony" ES175 from those years. Mine is from 1988, I juste adore it. Pick ups are really great.

Agreed, not sure exactly what they are (shaw's, 490's ??) but sound really good in this guitar.

**Doctor Jeff** · 10-21-2025, 05:43 PM

I have an ‘88 175, and my pickups are Shaws.

A perfect jazz guitar. Love mine.

Don’t look inside the guitar LOL. Mine is a little rough too, in a ‘70’s porn star kind of way.

Also I would note that yours has a lot more surface checking than mine, in fact, I don’t have much on mine at all, though the finish seems thin and worn.

Doesn’t matter, cause that’s what happens to guitars when they get old, and they all age a little differently, just like people. The important thing is how they SOUND.