Vintage Gibson ES-175 Guitars

[jzucker]

My recollection is that Kreisberg's 175 is from the early '80s.

depending on how early it could indeed be maple. In '83 or '84 they switched back to mahogany but switched the body plywood to mahogany also

[jzucker]

here's an '84 with the mahogany neck/body

[jzucker]

here's an '81 with the maple neck stained dark like Franz had mentioned...

[David B]

I had Kreisberg's guitar in my hands briefly last year. Most of back of the neck has worn to bare wood.

[callouscallus]

Cool info guys, I'm learning more about these 175's as we speak and thru this discussion.

Jack, here's a video where Kreisberg shows off the guitar a bit better. He thinks it's an early 70's (he says so in this video), I think you can see the back of the headstock clearly, so maybe that would help.


go to 12:45

[fritz jones]

Don't mean to derail the thread but I saw some tunes in a fakebook by someone name Jack Zucker. Is it you?

image.pdf

[jzucker]

where can you see the headstock? I missed it, lol

[jzucker]

Don't mean to derail the thread but I saw some tunes in a fakebook by someone name Jack Zucker. Is it you?

image.pdf

yes , that's me. also author of sheets of sound for guitar www.sheetsofsound.net

[jzucker]

I had Kreisberg's guitar in my hands briefly last year. Most of back of the neck has worn to bare wood.

looks like maple to me. You saw it. Was it maple?

[David B]

Wish I could remember Jack!

[StevieB]

Every maple neck 175 I've seen has at least a small section in natural near the middle of the neck. There are a bunch of them on gbase and they are all like this unless it's a blonde 175 in which case the neck is unstained.


Attachment 10263

Well the neck on my 2001 ES-175 looks nothing like this.

Starting at the 12th fret, the color on the back on my guitar neck is the same 'medium brown' consistent color all the way up to the top of the back of the headstock. Maybe mine is in fact 'mahogany'.

I still have the GC sales tag that was on the guitar when I bought it and it says 'Gibson ES75ANNH WC ES175 Reissue'.

Mine is probably just a run of the mill ES-175, but I do love the tone.

[Philco]

I think I basically agree on that.

I'll add Collings Eastside LC to the list of very resonant laminate jazz guitars.
I have both (2010) Es 175 and Collings Eastside LC, they sound completely different.
The 175's top is thick and the guitar is quite heavy, not much resonant acoustically.
However it plays beautifully when amplified (to my ears, of course).

I think Philco, another forum member here, has both guitars as well, although, I think, an old resonant 175 and slightly different specifications on the Eastside.

Strangely I have all 3 of the guitars mentioned. A 1952 175, a 16" T Painter and a Collings Eastside Deluxe.
1 The 175 is like a full acoustic guitar. Loud as hell and light as a feather. It's a feedback machine but a beautiful instrument.

2 The Painter is the quietest of the 3 acoustically but has an extremely stiff top and is quite feedback resistant. Also has one of the most comfortable necks and fretboards I've even played.

3 The Collings is almost as loud as the 175 but has way more mid projection than the 175. I will say quite feedback resistant but Soco will attest to that in a real world way as I don't gig.
It does not sound like a 175 but has a voice of it's own.....which I happen to love. It's not a 50's sound though.
Ridiculously comfortable to play.

I went to a Dr Lonnie gig last year and Kreisberg was playing through a JC120 and a Twin Rev. He was on the opposite side of the stage to the drummer and well away from Lonnie's Leslie.....which was quite loud (not rock'n roll loud though). Kreisberg had no feedback issues at all but I wouldn't say he was playing loud. It was just a clean sound with that silly synth noise he uses sometimes to add some more exciting colours.
It was a small room and my ears weren't ringing after the gig. No PA just instruments off the stage. Great player and a very good workable sound to my ears. It did have a unique arch top character.
But that gig is not about subtle tones and hand carved spruce tops!

[jorgemg1984]

http://www.jonathankreisberg.com/jk_discuss_02.html

I have read the expression "a bitch to play" comes from the constant feedback fight he has to do with loud bands.

[jzucker]

didn't hear back from kreisberg but a buddy of mine who discussed it with him said it's a mid '70s 175 with the maple neck.

[jzucker]

that doesn't jibe with what Tom told me about your guitar. Yours has the standard top which is thinner and more resonant than a gibson 175 top. The feedback resistance is probably due to the thinner body size as compared to a 175. You can hear in my clip how much more resonant his top is than a 60s or later 175

2 The Painter is the quietest of the 3 acoustically but has an extremely stiff top and is quite feedback resistant.

[jorgemg1984]

This a good way of hearing Kreisberg's sound without delay, just reverb.

[jzucker]

thanks Jorge. I think you can hear the attack of the maple neck on that. It sounds a little like an ibanez but still has the characteristic thunk of the 175. Probably a good compromise for the way he plays since the extra bit of brightness and better sustain helps with his articulation.

[jorgemg1984]

I agree with you Jack, I am far from an expert on the subject but 175s seem to have their own thing.. different from the rest, no doubt. Kreisberg's sound comes a lot from that guitar... I wish he used a brighter tone sometimes so that would be even more noticeable but I don't think his right hand playing allows him to have much more treble. Or maybe it's just his taste

[Philco]

that doesn't jibe with what Tom told me about your guitar. Yours has the standard top which is thinner and more resonant than a gibson 175 top. The feedback resistance is probably due to the thinner body size as compared to a 175. You can hear in my clip how much more resonant his top is than a 60s or later 175

It is what it is. Acoustically it has very mid range and small narrow sound. I remember at the time wishing I had ordered the wider body. It sounds very different to the one in your clip. Does not have that depth in the bass.....even though yours is amplified so the comparison is hard.

I think it "might" be louder than a heavier 175 but I'm guessing. But if it was it would only be louder in the mid range.

Old Dane (another list member) described the acoustic sound of his Painter (playfully) as a fart in a tin can.
Pretty close I reckon.
Through the amp it comes to life but without the low end as heard in your clip.
It's an electric guitar. At that it excels.

My 175 is freakishly loud acoustically.
In fact I'm laying a track right now and using it as an acoustic.
Stick an AKG C414 on that baby and you're done.

[jzucker]

the thinner body makes a huge diff but I know for a fact they are all way thinner than anything gibson made in the 70s going forward. I would buy yours if not for the $275 shipping issue, lol

[Philco]

the thinner body makes a huge diff but I know for a fact they are all way thinner than anything gibson made in the 70s going forward. I would buy yours if not for the $275 shipping issue, lol

Yeah international shipping is a killer. Guitar cost me around $4000 landed ($3500 for the guit and rest in shipping and import duty)
I'm not saying that's what it's worth. But perhaps you will understand my retisence to give it away.

[teok]

I wish I could find some clips of the collings eastside lc.

I recall that Jostein Gulbrandsen, a member of this forum (I forget his username), has an Eastside LC with several clips on his Youtube and Soundcloud pages. Google should get you there.

[Encinitastubes]

For some reason, I really like the look of the '80s hog back and sided 175s. Can that thin layer of laminate sound that much different? Would sure love to play one.

[edh]

If I may, why is the mahogany neck considered better than the maple? What's the difference in sound?

thanks

[Little Jay]

I do see a volute on Kreisberg's 175. Can that help identify the year?