View Poll Results: 1 pickup or 2 on a Gibson ES 175
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- 214. You may not vote on this poll
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1 pickup
119 55.61% -
2 pickup
95 44.39%
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If you went shopping for a new Gibson ES-175, would you buy it with two pickups or with just one pickup, assuming the latter model were available and the guitars played equally well.
I am curious to see what the majority of people think.
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01-04-2016 12:25 PM
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2 pickup. I'm rediscovering bridge pickups, and liking them lot lately.
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One pu looks cooler. And in jazz guitar I need just one. I don't have anything against the bridge pu's, though.
Have I ever before wondered aloud why the Gibson does not make P90-powered ES-175s as a standard option anymore? One P90 would be very much enough for many.
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2 PUs maintain resale value.....
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BTW, the One pu is called an ES165.
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01-04-2016, 12:39 PM #6Dutchbopper Guest
Some argue that the two pupped versions sound better and give a more archetypal Joe Pass type 175 sound. Dunno. Mine has two and sounds great.
DB
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I have seen around a few 59 VOS models with one pickup over the last years.
Someone at the gibson forum said:
"the 59 VOS 175 is differently constructed from modern standard 175's, and therefore is not constructed the same as an 165 herb ellis, if that helps clarify OP?".
I am actually not quite interested in the difference between 175 and 165.
The question could be : Would you prefer the 59 VOS model with 1 or 2 PUS?
Since the 1 PU 175 (VOS or not) seems to have been discontinued or does not seem to be as common as the 2 PU version, the reason could be because most people prefer the two pickups version.
That is what I want to verify.
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My experience is that the two pickup version sounds a tad darker (perhaps the bridge pickup dampens the top?). In addition, there is versatility (these are great blues guitars on the bridge pickup if you like that kind of thing) and resale value. My vote goes with the two pickup version.
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Great subject!
Two pup 175's compared to one pup models are represented 4 or 5 to 1 in re-sales (non scientific counting of Ebay for sale items over a couple of years) outside of this community I'd say the popularity of 2 pup models in general is greater by a lot.
But... given that there are many who select two pup models who would generally NOT buy a single pup model (like myself) this makes for a better selection for those who could live with a second pup even though they don't or won't use it.
Positive attributes of two pup models are to me resale desirability, perhaps value, and tonal flexibility
Negative attributes are more stuff to fail.
As far as the elusive tone advantage of 175's with one pup and controls over two pup ES-175 models with added controls go, I would say... someone has to prove it, and not anecdotally.
Considering (IMO) that the variability on ALL 175's is so wide in 2 pup models I doubt anyone without a substantial number of 1 and 2 pup models tested at the same time could actually back up any claim to a tone advantage of a 1 pup over a 2 pup model. I'd be willing to bet that for every 1 pup model found with superior tone you'd find a substantial number of two pup models with equally satisfying tone.
Anyway... thankfully we have the luxury of being able to pick the best we can get for our individual taste and prejudices :-)
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My choice would be:
1 pickup in VOS or lightweight, vintage models with acoustic character
2 pickups in any other heavier, modern models with little acoustic character
(There are always nuances to these things )
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The first ES-165 model is slightly different from single pickup ES-175 in that it is a slightly cheaper built guitar than ES-175. For example the headstock logo is painted and no crown inlay. I wanted an ES-165, but the used market is so crazy now that I was able to get ES-175 for not much more money.
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I had a 2004 ES-165 (w/ a floater) and sold it to buy a 1959 RI VOS ES-175 1PU.
ES-165 was more like most of the ES-175s I have played from sixties and eighties: heavier and more like an electric guitar.
The '59 VOS ES-175 is lighter, more resonant and more acoustic than ES165. It has perfect neck for my hands. And its sunburst finish is perfect. The craftmanship too is superior to ES-165.
It took some time from me to discover the guitars greatness – plus fret levelling and new heavier tuners to adjust the sound – but now I just love it.
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So You would vote an ES-175 with a Floyd Rose too for the versatility?
I love blues but I thought that we discuss here about guitars (et al) in the jazz point of view.
Of course 2pu guitars have better resale value, there is the rich & famous blues and rockabilly players in the market too. With 1pu there is only poor jazzers.
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@Herbie, many of us jazz guys play the blues too, just sayin'. And many of our wives will be selling our guitars one day when we go to that big jazz gig in the sky, so resale value is worth considering. ..
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Back to 2 pickup 175's for jazz, I always really liked the tone Philip Catherine got when he used the middle pickup selection (both pups) on his trusty old 175.
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after years of subscribing to the 'I only use the neck pickup anyway' I started blending both on my L-5.
this is very handy when comping on funk/r & b tunes as just the neck pickup can be boomy/overwhelming sounding in a band situation when playing rhythm. sometimes I'll blend when playing rhythm and switch to the neck pickup for solos.
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I've been doing swing-style comping on my 575 with the bridge pickup and volume rolled down to where it's just audible...then flip to the neck for a "lead guitar" sound. I like it.
I've always kind of liked bridge pickup sounds, being a tele guy and all...I'm just now figuring out how they play into to this "jazz" music that I love.
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Neck pickup only in any guitar that makes that available.
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Oh my, i can't imagine myself shopping for a 175 right now, am deep in a L5LR romance at the moment .......
(but i would go for two pups)Last edited by JazzNote; 01-04-2016 at 06:38 PM.
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Herbie, my 175's do have two bridge pickups (they are wired together and called a humbucker! )
While some guys might even like a Bigsby (adds too much weight for me, and that is something that I would never use), I am thinking that the Floyd Rose setup that you mentioned might not work too well on a hollowbody. My friend Robin Nolan did have one put one on a Gypsy guitar though...(ouch...not on my guitars....ever!)
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The only guitar that should have a bridge pickup is a Tele.
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Someone suggested that the one-pickup model is the ES-165. From 1949-1971 (or so) Gibson sold the ES-175 as a single-pickup guitar. Beginning around '54-'55, Gibson sold a two-pickup model as the ES-175D. Later on, certainly by the early '90s, Gibson resurrected a single-pickup model as the Herb Ellis model (ES-165). Recently, the Gibson Custom Shop has been offering a single-pickup model of the ES-175 in the VOS series.
For about 33 years or so, I owned a single-pickup '68 ES-175. The single-pickup models built from the late-40s until the late-60s exhibit a certain lightness of construction (most weigh six pounds or less) that contributes to a surprisingly nice acoustic sound. I played my 175 around the house unamplified all the time. Amplified, the guitar got the _classic_ Gibson archtop electric jazz tone--instant Jim Hall/Herb Ellis tone when played through a Polytone Mini Brute amp.
If I were to purchase a new ES-175 I would probably buy a 175D. (or, perhaps, a late-70s ES-175/CC) I really like the looks and tone of the 175D on the neck pickup--much as I prefer the tone of the two-pickup L-5CES over the Wes model. 25 years ago there is NO way that I would have made this decision--one pickup of keep looking. Tastes do change over time.
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