2006 Gibson 59 ES-175 CS RIs? What's up with thiose?

**JPMike** · 04-24-2016, 04:15 AM

Hey all,

I got offered one of those in blonde, single pu and I am kinda curious to know how they are. They are Custom Shop Reissues. As far as I know.
Can you give me more info?

I want to get my Pat Metheny vibe on!!

Thank you all,
Mike

*those

**roegtr** · 04-24-2016, 05:28 AM

Ibanez is making the Pat Metheny signature guitars. Those should be right up your alley.

The Gibson you're refering to has never been made.

**mr quick** · 04-24-2016, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by roegtr

Ibanez is making the Pat Metheny signature guitars. Those should be right up your alley.

The Gibson you're refering to has never been made.

Do you mean to imply that this guitar right here does not exist?

2013 Gibson Custom Shop Single Pickup 1959 ES 175 Natural Vos | eBay

**roegtr** · 04-24-2016, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by Marwin Moody

Do you mean to imply that this guitar right here does not exist?

2013 Gibson Custom Shop Single Pickup 1959 ES 175 Natural Vos | eBay

okay, that one obviously exists. So he is referring to that guitar? Not a 2006 Gibson 59 ES-175 CS RIs

**goldenwave77** · 04-24-2016, 06:31 AM

You two are "talking past each other", I believe.

Metheny for a long time played a blonde Gibson 175.

More recently, he has played an Ibanez model with his name on it. (Supposedly...though some think this is a special model made for him, and not much like the one sold to the public. I'm agnostic on this.)

The 175's were reissued (and maybe still are being reissued) with a thinner carved top. There are numerous posts discussing their pros/cons.

**Jabberwocky** · 04-24-2016, 07:00 AM

It is a standard ES-175 with plain maple, a single pickup and zigzag tailpiece. It does not have the specifications of the 1959 VOS RI issued in 2012.

A New Old Stock 2006 Natural sold for $2300 on ebay in about 2012. It threw me for a loop when I saw it on ebay as I never knew there was such a beast. Gibson made a small low-key run of it in 2006. I have only seen another two from this run on ebay.

These were made in 2006 together with the flamed maple ES-175 P90s. Nothing special except for the use of plain maple, a single neck pup and the zigzag tailpiece. I don't believe Gibson made any standard flamed maple twin humbucker ES-175 in 2006. It was a choice of the twin P90 in flamed maple with a 3-parallelogram tailpiece or a single neck humbucker in plain maple with zigzag tailpiece.

**mr quick** · 04-24-2016, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by goldenwave77

You two are "talking past each other", I believe.

Metheny for a long time played a blonde Gibson 175.

More recently, he has played an Ibanez model with his name on it. (Supposedly...though some think this is a special model made for him, and not much like the one sold to the public. I'm agnostic on this.)

The 175's were reissued (and maybe still are being reissued) with a thinner carved top. There are numerous posts discussing their pros/cons.

Metheny's Ibanez is the first prototype for the PM-200.
I wouldn't say "recent", as it has been his main guitar since 1989

**lawson-stone** · 04-24-2016, 09:01 AM

The 1959 VOS is different from the current 175s in ways I don't yet know. My 1959 VOS for example weighs just 5 pounds. That's with 2 pickups etc.

Something different going on there, and I'm liking it a lot.

-Lawson
"Behavior that's admired is the path to power among peoples everywhere."-Beowulf

**goldenwave77** · 04-24-2016, 09:06 AM

Well, Metheny came out of Berkelee in maybe late 70's. Pretty sure he became known and established his rep. playing a Blonde 175.

Later on, after he became a big star and sold lots of records, he became an Ibanez endorsee.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan. The fact that his name is on some guitar would have no bearing on whether I bought it or not.

**mr quick** · 04-24-2016, 09:32 AM

Absolutely, I wasn't contesting your claim. Just saying it's been 27 years since he started using the Ibanez exclusively

Personally, I'm a big Pat Metheny fan. You should check out the full Jazzbaltica concert from 2003, it's on youtube.

**goldenwave77** · 04-24-2016, 12:57 PM

To be fair, he came onto the scene (early-mid '80's) a few years after I'd stopped buying a lot of jazz records: I was busy working 70 hours/week, so my music listening got put on hold for a while--like years. His stuff didn't really grab me then, but honestly I didn't hear much of him (or anyone else) while I was busy with other things.

I heard him live last summer, and it wasn't that great, but maybe it was just a bad night.

I should probably listen more.

**Cunamara** · 04-24-2016, 01:37 PM

I remember reading an interview with PM years ago about this, IIRC it was a cover in Guitar Player maybe mid to late 80s. There was a transcript for "Phase Dance," I recall. He was still playing the 1958 blonde ES-175 that he bought in high school as his primary guitar and was still very committed to it.

Ibanez had been pursuing him to be an endorsee, they'd bring guitars and he'd decline, preferring the 175. Then they brought him a protoype he liked but it was stolen- the photo looked like the first Ibanez PMs with the thumb cutaway above the neck. Sometime after that interview as the ES-175 aged, got more fragile and he didn't want to be touring with it, he took Ibanez up on the offer.

I think in later interviews PM has commented that he is playing the prototypes, not the production guitars. He also says he can't hear that his tone is different with the Ibanezes than with his ES-175, but I certainly think he sounds different. But that may not be the guitar as much as the many other changes in his rig since then and possibly even a change in the sound he wants to get.

**Eric Rowland** · 04-24-2016, 01:52 PM

Mike I'm sure you've seen this one. I have one but without the TOM. It's a fantastic instrument. Definitely PatM with the proper effects. I removed the pickguard from mine.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/2006-gibson-es-175sp-antique-natural-59-reissue.1675587/#post-21767200

(no affiliation with the seller)

**rio** · 04-24-2016, 02:35 PM

I heard the reason he doesn't gig with the Gibson is because it is too having to be completely restored if something were to happen to it or it had heavy play time or something.

**Eric Rowland** · 04-24-2016, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

I remember reading an interview with PM years ago about this, IIRC it was a cover in Guitar Player maybe mid to late 80s. There was a transcript for "Phase Dance," I recall. He was still playing the 1958 blonde ES-175 that he bought in high school as his primary guitar and was still very committed to it.

Ibanez had been pursuing him to be an endorsee, they'd bring guitars and he'd decline, preferring the 175. Then they brought him a protoype he liked but it was stolen- the photo looked like the first Ibanez PMs with the thumb cutaway above the neck. Sometime after that interview as the ES-175 aged, got more fragile and he didn't want to be touring with it, he took Ibanez up on the offer.

I think in later interviews PM has commented that he is playing the prototypes, not the production guitars. He also says he can't hear that his tone is different with the Ibanezes than with his ES-175, but I certainly think he sounds different. But that may not be the guitar as much as the many other changes in his rig since then and possibly even a change in the sound he wants to get.

Pat has used the Ibanez exclusively since the Question & Answer recording with Dave and Roy....he says it's built like a tank.

**Cunamara** · 04-24-2016, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by Eric Rowland

Pat has used the Ibanez exclusively since the Question & Answer recording with Dave and Roy....he says it's built like a tank.

I had just read about that today in an interview (got inspired by the discussion to search for PM interviews). PM had apparently just gotten back from a tour of Europe and his ES-175 and other instruments hadn't cleared customs yet; he had been using the ES-175 in the studio if not as much in stage, but what he had with him was the Ibanez so he recorded with that. Clearly it worked, eh? That's a highly regarded recording.

**jzucker** · 04-24-2016, 07:16 PM

i can tell you the scoop. I have played the '59 reissue. Nice guitar. Nicer than the standard (modern) one if you are looking for a vintage vibe. Blows away the ibanez in every way. I had both of the original ibanez guitars which were (also) supposed to nail his tone. They not only didn't but the thinner of the two (PM-120) was more prone to feedback than my '88 175. The new ibanez is ridiculously expensive and his sound was forged (IMO) from the '60s instrument.

The reissue will definitely get you closer to Pat's tone but you may find it extremely feedback prone because the top is is so thin.

One other thing, the reissue doesn't have the tone of an original. I've owned a couple original 175s from that period and they are in a different league from the reissue.

**whiskey02** · 04-24-2016, 08:10 PM

Seller does not accept returns, so if the guitar is in perfect condition, but it's a dog, you're screwed. Move on and don't even look back.

**whiskey02** · 04-24-2016, 09:48 PM

Let's not forget, if you want to replicate Metheny's sound, you'll fail with any piece of gear you choose.

**Bebop Tom** · 04-25-2016, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by whiskey02

Let's not forget, if you want to replicate Metheny's sound, you'll fail with any piece of gear you choose.

Unless the "gear" is a delay pedal and a guitar with the tone knob rolled down.

**John A.** · 04-25-2016, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Eric Rowland

Pat has used the Ibanez exclusively since the Question & Answer recording with Dave and Roy....he says it's built like a tank.

I wouldn't say exclusively -- I saw him several times in the 90s and he trotted out the 175 for a couple of tunes every show, but he did mainly play the Ibanez (and the Synclavier guitar, and the Roland Guitar, and various Manzers, and ...). I don't know what he's doing more recently (I haven't seen him in ages). But if he truly has completely stopped performing with the 175 I suspect it's because he can't get the right spare tooth brushes anymore.

John