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There is one for sale locally for a decent price that is in mint condition with zero fret wear apparently.
I will hopefully get to try it next week. The buyer is asking about $2,700USD.
Any owners of mahogany 175s out there? I know jack zucker loves his.
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11-19-2015 11:05 PM
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Dutchbopper owns one. As does rpguitar.
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I bought a 1985 ES-175DN a couple of months ago. It's beautiful, but it had those horrible flat, wide frets from the time period. It sat around for a while as I waited for my local repair person's queue to open up.
Luckily, I just got it back from him with a re-fret and a new nut! I put 12-52 rounds on it with a Nashville TOM saddle.
And WOW, it's like, the perfect electric guitar for me. I am not kidding... the Shaw pickups are low output PAF style, and they are bright, sweet, and full of character. It is like an ES-335 with a hollow body feel and character, it can be played for any music in the jazz-funk-soul-rock-pop continuum. At least, I think it can. It has great sustain and not much thunk to my ears, although that would change with flat wounds. Plus the neck is super comfortable, generous without being big, nice and round with minimal shoulders.
Here's my take on the mahogany: It lightens the guitar and gives it a crisper tone. It is not warmer - don't let the color fool you (think of a Martin xxx-18). Mahogany is not as heavy/dense as maple, so, for example, my '85 weighs only 6.5 lbs. What a treat that is! The mahogany back actually vibrates a lot, perhaps (it seems) even more than the top. I think these 175s have something special going on, and I'm very glad I took the chance.
BTW, I paid a small amount more for mine from a retailer, then invested in the work - so that price is good from my point of view.
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Be SURE to keep this thread updated if you get it? I'd LOVE to play (own) one, but they're so scarce.
If it's any indication my Ibanez AK95 with a spruce top and mahogany body (deviating from Roger's experience) is MUCH fuller and warmer sounding than any maple AF or AG bodied guitars I have. Like Roger's the body vibrates a lot, and I agree... there's something special going on with a mahogany body I'm surprised there are not more being made.
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It's got that curious "Gibson" stamped tailpiece that was discussed in another thread here too.
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That was my thread, with a photo of my '85 in it from the seller's listing. Thanks for pointing out the tailpiece on this one - I didn't notice! So how interesting is that... It appears to be from a very limited time period, maybe even one year or part of it, where these appeared. Cool.
Originally Posted by pubylakeg
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The mahogany 175s that I have played have been some of the best. I chalked it up to the low weight, vibrant aspect of the instruments. (I have played two.) I agree with Roger that any Gibson with Shaw pickups is going to be a winner. Those pickups are going to be embraced by the market, one day, as real winners--along with the Bill Lawrence tarbacks. I know that both pickups are associated with years that Gibson fans think to be the "low point," but listen with your ears folks, not your eyes. Forget about things like 70s neck volutes! The Lawrence and Shaw pickups may be THE best.
Although I prefer the vintage, thin frets, I never had a problem with the big fret wire that Gibson was using in the 80s.
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Gibson tarbacks? Were they designed by bill lawrence? I have one in a drawer that I have not used in litterally 25 years.. Originally Posted by Greentone
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all these good things I'm hearing about these are making me very eager to try it out. Will keep you all posted.
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Looking forward to it! And if you don't like the frets, don't let that stop you - assuming you have a source for refretting, that is. When I received mine, the frets were worn and a couple of open strings buzzed (low nut slots). But I have had several guitars refretted so I know how it can totally restore a guitar to glory. Worn frets make a guitar lose clarity, crispness, and feel like crap under the fingers. Replace them and... voila - new guitar.
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Yep. The tarbacks were designed by Bill Lawrence. It seems well known that he was responsible for those in the L6-S (the ones with the smooth chrome covers and the ceramic magnets). Less well known is that he also designed the tarback humbuckers that were original equipment in the SG, ES-335, ES-175, etc., in the mid-70s. The neck pickup measures at around 5K resistance while the bridge pickup measures at around 7.5K on these pickup sets. IMO, they sound quite nice for jazz.
My '75 ES-335 had an aftermarket set of Seymour Duncans in it that sounded excellent. However, with the original tarbacks back in, it sounds even better--warmer, for sure.
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I have an '85 blonde with mahogany back and side
I bought mine when it was new ... way back around Christmas/New Years between '85 and '86
I'm quite fond of it and really enjoy it ..... but I'm easily amused and am a Gibson fan boy anyways
It doesn't get the attention it deserves since I also have an L5 and a Le Grand .... but in the right amp the 175 can compete for tone with its bigger solid carved relatives
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11-20-2015, 04:04 PM #13Dutchbopper Guest
I remember buying my used mahogany 1982 ES 175 in a store. There were about five 175s for sale, among which two with magogany back and sides. These two mhogany ones sounded so much better than the maple ones ... I just had to pick the best mahogany one which was easily the 82. It sounded much woodier and warmer than the maple ones. And it was nicer than the 87 maho one too.
It's the best 175 I ever played, including some vintage ones. It's a magical one. It has the Shaw pups probably.
DB
Last edited by Dutchbopper; 11-20-2015 at 04:11 PM.
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I bought a L4CES a couple years ago. Spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It has one of the sweetest tones I have ever heard in a archtop. It was my first archtop with mahogany back and sides. I wish I had gotten one sooner. I will say if you want a super thunker don't go mahogany. But if want a super mellow sweet tone you can't beat mahogany. Mine has this angelic harp like tone to it. I do not know how big of a difference the maple ply top of the 175 compares to the spruce top of the L4 but I do know my all maple 175 is a thunk master and my L4 mahogany just has a really creamy sweetness about it that none of my other archtops have. I will say if you play in a band with horns go maple.
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Dutchbopper,
Sounds great, to me.
Bop on!
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Si, si. The L-4CES, the shy sweet sister of the Gibson family. I'm surprised that it is not too popular. Seems to me to be the perfect package in terms of size, tone, playability, bling, and cost (used). My ideal twofer to take to a gig: an L-4CES in one hand and an ES-175 in the other. The L-4CES for quieter sets, and the ES-175 for the louder ones. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
Hoping to own a Mahogany ES-175 one day though.
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The conventional wisdom from the world of acoustic flat-tops--and I happen to buy into this theory--is that if you compare, say, a mahogany Martin and a rosewood Martin, the rosewood is likely to create a beautiful and magnificent cascade of overtones, while the mahogany may create fewer overtones, less shimmer, but with a bit more emphasis on the fundamental component of the overtone series.
Which is why a lot of acoustic players like recording with mahogany.
How that translates into an electric archtop mahogany vs. maple back with humbuckers through an amp is anybody's guess. Maybe the individual voices in complex jazz chords might be slightly less bright than the maple, but maybe just a bit more articulate.
I'm just talking through my hat, of course, but I ain't got anything better to do.
Love to hear you thoughts if you go for it, Steves3872. Good luck.
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I have an '89 blonde mahogany 175. I LOVE it. You can play really nice guitars like sadowsky etc etc and they have their sound, but there is just something about this Gibson that sounds . . . . .so Gibson and so great.
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first question is, what years did the trapeze have the Gibson the logo embossed on it.? Originally Posted by Greentone
Next, I checked the tarback and it is 7.4k so I'm guessing that is a bridge pick up or possibly a middle since the guy who sold it to me at 25 years ago said it was out of the three pick up mid 70s SG custom. I thought it was the middle pick up but I guess it could be the bridge. It was goldplated at one point and it's pretty badly but still works. I have a 72 t top with the embossed Gibson logos on them that I absolutely love, the t top rates 7.8 K so in the same range. I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. Thanks for the edumacation
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just been in contact with the seller. he will accept $2,700USD as his lowest. He says it's in perfect condition so when I try it and I like it I will buy it. That price is pretty darn good for one in mint condition.
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Here's the 1985 blonde I now own:
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That is a beauty Roger !
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RP, you got me going a little weak in the knees. That is a sure thing.
I would really like to know what made Norlin-Gibson in its last-gasp days go from the all-maple (including the neck plus volute) ES-175 to the mahogany-maple ES-175 beginning in 1985 (although Dutchbopper has a 1982 ES-175 Mahogany but I thought that it started in 1985) and ending it in 1990. Who was the decision maker behind it? That man deserves plaudits.
They were about $800 each way back when. These are real sleepers. The closest equivalents today in terms of form factor are the carved spruce topped L-4CES Mahogany.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 11-22-2015 at 01:23 AM.
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Mine looks a lot like rpguitars ....
the finish checking on the back and sides of mine is rather extensive .. and mine's a second .. but none of that's a big deal since I hope to never sell it
My tailpiece doesn't have the Gibson engraving on it
serial number says it was made on 2 October, 1985 in Nashville
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11-22-2015, 05:19 AM #25Dutchbopper GuestOn the internet it is always stated that the mahogany ES 175s were made from 1983 until 1990. Mine however is from november 1982 and therefore it must have been one of the very first they made. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
I was playing it last night through the Mambo 12 (I usually play a 10) and it really kicks ass. I think mine has the Tim Shaw pups, maybe that accounts for the sound too. Must make some good recordings through the mambo 12 with it.
On my Blog you can see some pics of it: Dutchbopper's Jazz Guitar Blog: Joe's birthday
Regards,
DB
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