1958 GIBSON ES-125 - Picked up yesterday

[garybaldy]

125

[garybaldy]

Couple more pics

[JazzyCatLoar]

That's a beauty there. Love the condition and colour

[AllanAllen]

I dig it.

[wintermoon]

As nice an example as you're likely to find.
Doesn’t look like it left the case much, inside is clean as a whistle, look how white the tuner buttons and end pin are.
Nice score, you've had a good couple weeks.

[DawgBone]

Man, sweet axe! Let's hear those jazz chops on that baby, lol.

Congratulations, you must be over the moon with an axe like that.

[garybaldy]

As nice an example as you're likely to find.
Doesn’t look like it left the case much, inside is clean as a whistle, look how white the tuner buttons and end pin are.
Nice score, you've had a good couple weeks.

Thank you. Yes I have! I must admit I had a lot of uncertainty about this one and the L7 - mostly owing to ignorance! In the back of my mind I wasvthinking that everything must've been changed on the 125. Perhaps some of it has. I don't think they ever came with black pgs but may be they did in later years.

[garybaldy]

Man, sweet axe! Let's hear those jazz chops on that baby, lol.

Congratulations, you must be over the moon with an axe like that.

Thanks. I've waited a while! One major draw back though - it's got strings on it with a plain 3rd!!

[garybaldy]

One more pic!!

[Zack]

Looks awesome, congrats!
I think I'd get a padded case, with a plush lined Interior for that beauty.

[garybaldy]

Looks awesome, congrats!
I think I'd get a padded case, with a plush lined Interior for that beauty.

You are right.
It's held up well in it's original case for 67 years though.

[GuyBoden]

Congratulations, your new guitar is in fantastic condition for a 1958 Gibson.

Enjoy.

[garybaldy]

Congratulations, your new guitar is in fantastic condition for a 1958 Gibson.

Enjoy.

Thanks Guy

[Little Jay]

Wow! Great score! How does she sound?

The guitar looks all original to me. I think the black pickguard is also original for late 50ies models. See here: Did the Gibson ES-125 come stock with a black pickguard in 1955? | The Gear Page

Enjoy!

[garybaldy]

Wow! Great score! How does she sound?

The guitar looks all original to me. I think the black pickguard is also original for late 50ies models. See here: Did the Gibson ES-125 come stock with a black pickguard in 1955? | The Gear Page Enjoy!

Thanks LJ. It's loud acoustically, much more lively than my '63 175. But the 175 has LaBella Flats 12s and the 125 currently has what seems to be a roundwound 10s set. They are a bit rattley. You will think this odd but I've yet to give it a good workout plugged in - I really need to get some fatter strings on and with a wound G! - either flats or rounds, I don't know which yet. The neck is moderately chunky but I love it. Neck is very straight. No buzzing unless you dig in with the incredibly light strings.
Thanks for the confirmation of the black pg and the interesting link. I thought I'd trawled through every last bit of info about the 125 on the www in the last couple of days but clearly I hadn't!!
I like the look of the tortoise shell guards and I could get one for £100 - £150 but if the black is original I shall leave it on.
Cheers

[wintermoon]

I'm pretty sure that would have come w a tortoise guard.

[Sigmund451]

Very nice! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine.
The metal work on mine is a bit weathered. It does have a tortise PG.
Mine is from mid 60's I think

[Stringswinger]

Congrats. May she inspire your playing for many years to come.

It is not like you could simply waltz into Guitar Center and find one of those.

[Sigmund451]

Id just leave the guard and play the heck out of it.

None of those at GC. I got lucky 30 years ago and found mine for complete chump change in a run down Texas pawn shop when I was visiting someone. All original with the hard Gibson case. It was probably one of the most dirty guitars Ive seen but beautiful underneath. Maybe the dirt preserved it

[garybaldy]

I'm pretty sure that would have come w a tortoise guard.

I have seen 50s 125s with tortoise.
Do you think at some tort guards may have rotted on the 125 ? or are they a different plastic?

[garybaldy]

Congrats. May she inspire your playing for many years to come.

It is not like you could simply waltz into Guitar Center and find one of those.

Thanks. I saw it on Facebook Marketplace, contacted the guy and paid a deposit there and then. It was also on Ebay and Reverb so I was probably lucky. I realised I hadn't asked the seller any questions so it was a bit of a crap shoot. After the 300 mile round trip I'm a happy man.

[Jabberwocky]

Lovely! Lovely! To find one that looks like it came out of a time capsule. What's the story with the missing lower kerfed rim lining? Tentellones?

[garybaldy]

Lovely! Lovely! To find one that looks like it came out of a time capsule. What's the story with the missing lower kerfed rim lining? Tentellones?

That's interesting!!!

[garybaldy]

That's interesting!!!

Looking through the bass side f hole you can definitely see the lower kerfing. These photos are of what you can see. I've tried to show the glue runs to clarify it's in that location. The trick of the light in previously posted pic makes it look as though it's not there.

[sbeishline]

Congrats! Looks fantastic. Enjoy!!