Impossible time deciding on a "box"... I like old Gibson's, but which?

[Hogtown Fatty]

Hey all,

I've messed around with some boxes over the years... had a nice '49 ES-300, an ES-150 from around that same time, and also a '53 Epi Century with the New Yorker pickup... but aside from those, have played dozens of other "boxes" and owned dozens of other guitars.
For whatever reason, I really, really, struggled with the particular ES-300 I had... I first thought it was maybe a scale length thing, it was especially fatiguing to play, hands would cramp a lot on it... but then I think to both the ES-150 from the same era that I had and it was a joy, as well as the '53 Epi Century with New Yorker pickup, which was especially great- maybe my fav neck to date.
But now I'm looking to "get serious", get a guitar specifically for jazz as I plan to really begin studying it seriously now, round wound strings, etc.
I'm really unsure of which route to go...
I'm looking at it all, from the 125, 150, 225, 175, 350...
How do you ultimately decide? Is the primary difference between some models merely the trim? i.e. one of the 'deep' body 125's is a less deluxe version of a 150 is a less deluxe version of a 300? Is it all down to trim?
I do think I will pursue something with a cutaway though... I really like Lage's tone on his recent 225, but Lage is Lage on whatever he plays...
Maybe a 175 is the final answer after all... it really is perfect, isn't it? Why look at anything else...
An L5 and S400 are a dream, but I don't know I'd prefer them to a 175 honestly.
Is a 225 basically a slimmed down 175? Because that could really appeal to me.
I know it's not a gibson, but I was even considering getting the Scofield Ibanez...
I do have a single pickup 1960 ES-330 I love, and am even considering getting a twin pickup one... be like Grant.
I'm just so torn.

[John A.]

Hey all,

I've messed around with some boxes over the years... had a nice '49 ES-300, an ES-150 from around that same time, and also a '53 Epi Century with the New Yorker pickup... but aside from those, have played dozens of other "boxes" and owned dozens of other guitars.
For whatever reason, I really, really, struggled with the particular ES-300 I had... I first thought it was maybe a scale length thing, it was especially fatiguing to play, hands would cramp a lot on it... but then I think to both the ES-150 from the same era that I had and it was a joy, as well as the '53 Epi Century with New Yorker pickup, which was especially great- maybe my fav neck to date.
But now I'm looking to "get serious", get a guitar specifically for jazz as I plan to really begin studying it seriously now, round wound strings, etc.
I'm really unsure of which route to go...
I'm looking at it all, from the 125, 150, 225, 175, 350...

How do you ultimately decide? Is the primary difference between some models merely the trim? i.e. one of the 'deep' body 125's is a less deluxe version of a 150 is a less deluxe version of a 300? Is it all down to trim?

No, it's not just trim (other than 175 vs 125, arguably). There are differences in construction that yield differences in sound and feel. For instance:

175 and 125 are very similar -- same basic construction, woods, scale length, and pre-1957 same pickup(s). 175 has a cutaway, neck binding, and fancier inlays, but they sound and play very similarly. 175 has no cutaway (175C, though, does have a cutaway)

350 is bigger and has a longer scale length than a 175 or 125, so it feels different to play, but the sound is in the same ballpark (except that post-57 175's have humbuckers). Tal Farlow is a 350 with humbuckers.

225 is actually semi-hollow construction (with a smaller block than a 335), so a different beast, plus the single pickup versions have the pickup in the center rather than neck position which yields a very different sound, and the early ones have the weird Les Paul trapeze tailpiece.

150, depends on which version of it you're talking about, but they all have some differences vis a vis the others that affect sound and feel.

I do think I will pursue something with a cutaway though... I really like Lage's tone on his recent 225, but Lage is Lage on whatever he plays...
Maybe a 175 is the final answer after all... it really is perfect, isn't it? Why look at anything else...

There's no perfection, only preference.

An L5 and S400 are a dream, but I don't know I'd prefer them to a 175 honestly.
Is a 225 basically a slimmed down 175? Because that could really appeal to me.

The closest Gibson to a slimmed down 175 is a 125T or TC. 225 is a very different guitar

I know it's not a gibson, but I was even considering getting the Scofield Ibanez...
I do have a single pickup 1960 ES-330 I love, and am even considering getting a twin pickup one... be like Grant.
I'm just so torn.

That Ibanez is a semi-hollow with a full center block. It's like a 335, not a 330 (which is fully hollow).

The standard answer to all of this is to play as many of them as you can to try to figure out what you like.

[andrew]

I agree that there is no right or wrong answer here, but I will say that it's pretty hard to go wrong with a 175 (personally, I'm partial to the '50s one with P90s). I've been coming to the realization that the classics are classics for a reason.

[joe2758]

If you are getting a Gibson guitar specifically for amplified jazz tone, and you don't have strong specifications for certain shapes/sizes etc...175 is it