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I thought folks wanted a comparison of post-war 150s with 125s. The early 150s, of course, had solid-wood bodies and the CC pickup. They were marvelous guitars...in fact, the BEST electric guitars I have ever played.
I am comparing the post-war 150 guitar with the 125. They both have P90 pickups and differ principally in the scale length and the fact that the 150 is a 17" guitar, while the 125 is a 16" guitar.
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10-05-2016 03:15 PM
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Yes, I deleted my post when I thought I might not have all the info, went and did some research... and in doing so, not only found the differences in the pre-war and post-war ES-150s, but also YOUR POST declaring the pre-war ES-150 "Charlie Christian Guitar" the greatest jazz box ever built LOL
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Tim Lerch Loves his... and plays the hell out of it.
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I love my ES-125. Once you play a 125 I don't think you'll feel the need of spending more on a 150 :-)
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I currently own a ES-125 from 1954 that is in great shape and, although I'm very much a beginner, I find it to be wonderful on so many levels.
While perusing a local "sale site" I ran across a 1953 ES-150 that looked to be in decent shape. Kinda made me curious about the 1" size difference, block inlays and what else this model may have to offer in comparison to the ES-125.
Anyone have some first hand experience with both? Much sound difference? PReference between the 2 and why?
I look forward to reading responses and further avoiding work at the office!
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Cool topic. One source of sound difference would be the pickups. ES 125's from that era have single P90's right? ES 150's have CC pickups I think.
Body dimensions and scale lengths are different also I believe.
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I think you have to go older than the 50's for the CC, but I will definitely defer to the experts.
The one I'm looking at appears to be a 1954 according to the serial number and it has the P-90 in it.
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I like the bigger body 150, a bit of a fuller sound in general, but 125's are excellent too.
And yes, CC pickups were done after 1940 except by special order.
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OK makes sense. The reason I thought they may have CC is because I recently played a 50's model that had CC. That must have been a special order then.
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Just strike a compromise and have them both. Choosing the right axe is an important pre-gig ritual, at least for me.
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How is the ES-150 different from the ES-300?
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AFAIK it's cosmetic. Both are laminated, P90 equipped, 17 inches wide, no cutaway and rosewood fingerboard. The ES-300 was the top of the line for electrics immediately post war whereas the ES-150 (post war, not CC unit) was a more economical model (no binding on the neck until 1950 then binding until 1956)). They went through several variants over the years and they were discontinued at the same time around 1956.
Originally Posted by DMgolf66
Both are damned good guitars and bebop war machines.
Highly recommended!
Cheers.
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Apart from what has already been mentioned, the 125 has 24.75" scale while the postwar 150 has 25.5" scale.
Sendt fra min SM-T810 med Tapatalk
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Agreed. I own a 1947 blonde ES 300 and it is a much more luxurious guitar than my 125. Very pretty woods (flames galore) and bindings on the 300. Sounds bigger too than the 125 but both are definitely from the same vein and the 150 is too. The 300 was Gibson's top of the line after the war whereas the 125 and 150 were economy models. Originally Posted by Fred Archtop
Yesterday I posted a new video in the showcase section on the 300. That's pretty much what it sounds like.
DB
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I have never played a 300 or a 350, but own a very well conditioned ES-125 from 1957. Apples-to-Apples (condition wise)Its a big jump in price from a 125 to a 300/350, it seems. I also get the feeling I could rationalize judging from the beautiful ones that you own, Dick. Also, Fred Archtop's examples are in the same league.
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I have a special occasion coming up six months from now for which I want to buy a special guitar. I want to keep a reasonable budget at 2-3k $. I love the sound of ES-125s and ES-150s I've heard in many demos. I'm not familiar with the market for those instruments. How consistent was the production of those guitars ? How hard is it to find a good specimen ? What would be the potential pitfalls? How superior or different is the solid wood 150 compared to the 125?
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Regarding tone, not superior at all. Just different. Flatwound strings on a plywood box with a P90 is an inspiring sound.
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FWIW I haven’t played a 125 I haven’t liked
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The post war ES 150 is laminated, just like the ES 125. Same guitar, only bigger body and neck scale.
Potential pitfall for both are worn frets, tail rise and cracks (of course). I don't think sunken tops are much of an issue on these.
I used to own a 1951 ES 125 and now own a 1964 one. Not much difference though I like the 64 a bit more than I remember liking the 125.
My most recent clip (Like Someone in Love) in the showcase section was played on my 125.
DB
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Thought about an ES-300? This one needs some nut work that I haven’t gotten to yet, but looks great otherwise.
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Would that be in the 2-3K budget? It's a stunner!
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Great replies
That's all very encouraging, looking forward to the hunt a few months from now. That guitar just speaks to me, it's really beautiful in its simplicity and sounds first-rate. Judging by the number of quality clips, it seems to have quite a following. Big thanks to DB for that clip and the many other awesome clips you share online.
@ThatRythmMan sure, depending on what comes up. I'm unfamiliar with many of the less common Gibson models, but any of those is worth exploring. It does look gorgeous.
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I have a 1952 ES-150, pictured below, in excellent condition listed for $3,100 on Reverb here:
Gibson ES-150 (1952) Sunburst with HSC | Orrin's Boutique | Reverb
Here is a video of the instrument:
As there are numerous offerings of this model, with its variations, at lower and higher prices, I would encourage you to study all descriptions and attendant photos and, of course, ask questions, gathering as much information as possible to inform your decision.
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Pushing that budget hard. I’m not sure I could go quite as low as $3000, but not a whole lot more. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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I own a 1947 ES 300. At the time the 300 was the top of the line laminate Gibson. They are NOT in 2-3k realm. Not by far unless it has serious issues. I have seen the rare blonde ES 300s go for over 7k on reverb. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
DB
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