One or Two Pickups on a Gibson ES-175?

**Herbie** · 06-16-2021, 12:40 PM

I did vote ’1 pu’ but it was the time that I had an ES175 with only one pu.

Now I have two ES175s with two pu’s and I am more than twice as happy with them than I was with the 1 pu guitar. Now I might vote differently.

I can’t say if it is the weight or the dampening effect of the bridge pu because all these three ES175s are so different guitars anyway.

I never use the bridge pu though. Nor the middle position.

**kawa** · 06-16-2021, 04:09 PM

Bridge pu : Rock, Dixi with mute picking

Center mix : Easey Listening, Latin

**Filmosound 621** · 12-27-2021, 02:25 AM

my 1951 ES-175 is a conversion, it has two pick-ups, a vol. knob for each and master tone.

neck pick-up stays at 7.5, while the bridge pick-up sits at 2.5

tone is fully open, I play with fingers only and Thomastiks, #12 BeBop at this time, intonation is bad with the unwound third.

sound is miles ahead from a single pick-up ES-175, it has an air-ness to it now, without losing

any warmth ect.

pictured with the 1960 Gibson GA-200 Amp, this set-up calls for rock and roll.

**Moonray** · 12-27-2021, 04:07 AM

A GA200 Rhythm King !

Wow,the 175 through that amp must stun.

I had the use of a GA200 back in the middle 60's and it was so great a sound the memory has lived on.
Unfortunately I had to give the one I used for a short time back to its owner.

Do you find the compressor of any assistance?
Apparently [according to Dave Hunter in Vintage Guitar mag] the compressor was included to prevent unwanted clipping
and/or to minimize feedback.

Gibson GA-200 Rhythm King | Vintage Guitar(R) magazine

**Filmosound 621** · 12-27-2021, 07:07 AM

I am happy to follow Hogy's adventures in the gearpage forum, he has one of these GA-200 as well, he said it
sounds better than the dear HPTT from Fender.

Following his path, I upgraded the Amp with two Celestion Ruby Speakers.

that is quite the Amp now ... perfect living room amp ... I am too afraid to touch the compression knob.

It is due to a big service now, I have not played it for ~3 months.
Got an appointment with the local technician already.

It has been listed for quite a while, before I bought it, no-one wanted it.

It is great that you remember the amp from the 60's ... I have a friend who gigs as a rock guitarist with his Telecaster.

I just told him that I am going to give the amp to him for his next gig and that his audience will remember him and that sound for decades.

and you just confirmed that.

rock and roll

**Filmosound 621** · 12-27-2021, 07:11 AM

there is this great Chuck Berry Video from his '65 TV appearence in Belgium.

not much else out there about the Rhythm King.

**73Fender** · 12-28-2021, 10:36 AM

I voted 2 pickups. I like to blend the two.

**Jazz_175** · 12-30-2021, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Herbie

I did vote ’1 pu’ but it was the time that I had an ES175 with only one pu.

Now I have two ES175s with two pu’s and I am more than twice as happy with them than I was with the 1 pu guitar. Now I might vote differently.

I can’t say if it is the weight or the dampening effect of the bridge pu because all these three ES175s are so different guitars anyway.

I never use the bridge pu though. Nor the middle position.

Ah Ah

, you've almost defected to the "two pickup side", but you say "I might vote differently" so who knows.....
Anyway you really are very fond of 175s given that you own three of them.

**Herbie** · 12-30-2021, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Jazz_175

Ah Ah

, you've almost defected to the "two pickup side", but you say "I might vote differently" so who knows.....
Anyway you really are very fond of 175s given that you own three of them.

I have to confess that nowadays I am a total two-pickups guy. I sold my 59 VOS 1PU and so I have only two two-pickup ES-175s.

Yes, I like this model!

Every ES-175 I have had or played have felt and sounded different. They have something common but a lot of differences. And when I have one with P90s and one with Shaw hb’s, they really are different.

**guitarcarver** · 03-04-2024, 12:12 AM

I really dig 1 and 2 pickup versions. My 51 has the single P90 and I wouldn't change a thing about that instrument. Well, maybe the tone capacitor to a lower value but thats it. It's light and lively.
My 87 (mahogany back and sides) has two original pickups that encourage me to select all positions. They all sound great. This guitar allows me play all the styles I love all with one guitar. What a great design.

**Cunamara** · 04-20-2024, 03:57 PM

Since my ES-175 has two pickups and I've never played a one pickup ES-175, I guess I'll have to vote for two pickups.

Although most of my favorite ES-175 sounds have involved one pickup guitars: Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Herb Ellis. But I really, really like Jonathan Kreisberg's tone and he's got a two pickup Norlin era instrument, and Peter Bernstein sounded great on his two pickup guitar prior to the Zeidler.

**John A.** · 03-21-2025, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Since my ES-175 has two pickups and I've never played a one pickup ES-175, I guess I'll have to vote for two pickups.

Although most of my favorite ES-175 sounds have involved one pickup guitars: Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Herb Ellis. But I really, really like Jonathan Kreisberg's tone and he's got a two pickup Norlin era instrument, and Peter Bernstein sounded great on his two pickup guitar prior to the Zeidler.

2nd pickup hole + toothbrush = 2 pickup

**Bluematter** · 03-22-2025, 12:08 AM

Interesting old and compelling thread. I remember buying my first jazz guitar some 40 years ago. It was an Ibanez 175 copy and the bridge pu had been removed.

However, although being somewhat of a jazz greenhorn, within a month I knew I had to get the real deal - so I bought an ES 175 original at twice the amount.

My teacher at the time tried it out - after at first view being sceptical of the 1 pu set-up. He was impressed by the sound and the playability. He himself at the time was about to sell his 175D, but I guess he perhaps had never before tried out a single pu model.

I understand why many (in the minority!) here prefer the D model. I agree that, e.g., my 175 will feed more often and won’t be very funky at all, but the sound (and I like it dark) conveys something more profound to me. Combined with an old tube amp it will always remain my (and thus original) gateway into the mysteries of jazz guitar. That being said, I’ve moved on to 17 and 18 inches-wide bodies as well as floating pu’s.

**chris32895** · 03-22-2025, 07:47 PM

Don't own a real deal 175 but I have owned both types of jazz boxes, laminate or carved, and every time the single pickup gets me a better unamplified tone which is important to me as I practice and work out ideas all the time unplugged. The bridge pickup always seemed redundant to me and I like my guitars to have exactly what I want, no more and no less. To be fair, I don't go out and play very much like some.

**Gilpy** · 05-12-2026, 10:01 PM

I have owned 3 of the best 175s:

1959 with 2 PAFs
1979(?) 175 CC
1954 with 1 P-90

They all sounded great. As you might suspect, the '59 with 2 pickups was the most versatile. The CC did one thing, but did it well. The '54 had the classic jazz sounds.

I sold them all. It took me 3 tries to find out that I'm not a 175 guy!

**213Cobra** · 05-12-2026, 10:09 PM

Many have strong opinions about 1 p/u vs. two on an ES hollowbody. I can only tell you what's true for me.

In January 1992 I bought a new 1991 ES-165. Much later, for a variety of reasons I acquired a 2nd one, a used 1992. Later I added a 2nd gen ES-165 with the floater. They are transparent cherry. About 30 years ago I bought 175, figuring I should live with a 2 p/u counterpart to my 165s to see whether it would grow on me. It didn't and I sold it after a few years.

In 2011, I thought to try another 2 p/u ES-175, a new 2010 production guitar, wondering whether my perspective had changed along with my playing. I kept reverting to my 165s. More to the point, I have a 2 p/u L-4CES, a Hutch-era from 2003., which I like much better than a 175. I sold the 2010 175 in 2023 after little use. But two years ago I came across a single-p/u L4-CES from late 2010. Guess what? I play the single-p/u L-4CES 10X as often as I grab the two-p/u one.

I'd have sold the 2003 2 p/u L-4CES by now except that it's cherry red and I am always dragging feet on selling beautiful red archtops.

So there you have it, and that's just me.

Phil

**trailmixer** · 05-12-2026, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by Gilpy

I have owned 3 of the best 175s:

1959 with 2 PAFs
1979(?) 175 CC
1954 with 1 P-90

They all sounded great. As you might suspect, the '59 with 2 pickups was the most versatile. The CC did one thing, but did it well. The '54 had the classic jazz sounds.

I sold them all. It took me 3 tries to find out that I'm not a 175 guy!

Curious to hear more about how you found out you’re not a 175 guy and what you moved on to instead.

I’m fortunate to own a ‘54 as well and still trying to figure out if I'm a 175 guy!

**Gilpy** · 05-13-2026, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by trailmixer

Curious to hear more about how you found out you’re not a 175 guy and what you moved on to instead.

I’m fortunate to own a ‘54 as well and still trying to figure out if I'm a 175 guy!

Well, the 175 is really best as an electric guitar and when I play at home it’s mostly acoustic. And for the type of gigs I do, a semi-hollow is more compact and less feedback prone. So I play carved archtops at home and usually a 335 for gigs.
I guess my problem with the 175 is that it’s a big guitar with not much acoustic sound.
Of course, people will say that it’s size and construction all contribute to a wonderful electric tone, and I can’t disagree.