The One and Only Herb Ellis 1953 Gibson ES-175

**ThatRhythmMan** · 11-27-2017, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

A piece of jazz history! I am convinced it’s in good hands now.

Interesting adjustment to the polepieces of that pickup. I just installed a patent number humbucker in my cheap Ibanez experimental project, they sound great! (Although mine is a ‘stamped patent number humbucker’ of somewhat later date.

Enjoy that beautiful instrument!

I thought that about the polepieces too. It’s one of the things I noticed in some old pictures of Herb with the guitar and is one of the many things I looked at when gauging its authenticity. Shortly after getting it, I was perusing more videos on YouTube and I came across a part in one of his lesson videos where he talks about how he thought a pickup should be adjusted. It basically involves setting the high e pole so that when fretted at the highest point, the string has enough room to vibrate freely without hitting the pole. The other poles are then adjusted to match the volume of the high e string.

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**ThatRhythmMan** · 11-27-2017, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

That is a special guitar. Wow. I would not be worthy, but glad it found a good home.

Re' the truss rod cover, it would have been removed to be able to install the Van Epps damper. Curious if you find it useful, or if it gets in the way?

I’m still evaluating the Van Eps. At this point, I’m not sure that I find it helpful, but I also wouldn’t say that it gets in the way. I can still easily use the first fret.

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**ThatRhythmMan** · 11-27-2017, 07:22 PM

Thank you, guys, for all of the encouraging words and congratulations. I’m so glad to be caring for this instrument. I’m sure I will never record anything of historical importance like Herb did, but I hope to maintain its legacy for the future and that it may continue long after I’m gone.

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**2bornot2bop** · 11-27-2017, 07:24 PM

The NGD of NGD's! Henceforth all NGD's will pale in comparison. Herb Ellis' and Billy Bean's guitar on the SAME day - just WOW!!!

**Brian B** · 11-27-2017, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

Re' the truss rod cover, it would have been removed to be able to install the Van Epps damper. Curious if you find it useful, or if it gets in the way?

The way I've read it is that damper is the reason why when Gibson made the ES-165 Herb Ellis they put his name in the center of the headstock rather than on the truss rod cover like is the norm.

They figured the first thing Herb would do is to put a damper on it, taking the cover with his name off...

B.

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**rabbit** · 11-28-2017, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

The NGD of NGD's! Henceforth all NGD's will pale in comparison. Herb Ellis' and Billy Bean's guitar on the SAME day - just WOW!!!

Yes!

Just don't tell my you're also dating Bo Derek! (My weak ticker, you know.)

Congratulations on snagging these wonderful, historic instruments.

**plasticpigeon** · 11-28-2017, 09:55 PM

That's remarkable!

**floatingpickup** · 11-28-2017, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by rabbit

Yes!

Just don't tell my you're also dating Bo Derek! (My weak ticker, you know.)

Congratulations on snagging these wonderful, historic instruments.

You realize, she's almost as old as that guitar?
Keith

**Epistrophy** · 07-30-2018, 01:23 PM

What a great instrument with a great tone! It is a museum piece indeed. Long live the legacy of 175! I wonder where Joe's or Jim's original 175s are right now, curious to know.

**MarkRhodes** · 07-30-2018, 03:40 PM

Lovely guitar.
Herb is probably my favorite jazz guitarist. I don't like to get into discussions of "the best" but I can see he's the only one I listen to every day.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 07-30-2018, 04:35 PM

Since this post has arisen, here are some more recent pics.

**Brian B** · 07-30-2018, 04:42 PM

Great pics!

The One and Only Herb Ellis 1953 Gibson ES-175

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**omphalopsychos** · 07-30-2018, 04:52 PM

Is this the 175 you wanted to sell me?? You never mentioned it was Herb Ellis'!

**ThatRhythmMan** · 07-30-2018, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by omphalopsychos

Is this the 175 you wanted to sell me?? You never mentioned it was Herb Ellis'!

LOL!!!! No!!!!!!

The one I told you about is the ‘52 that was my first ES-175. That one is in all original condition. Herb’s is definitively not all original.

**Epistrophy** · 07-31-2018, 03:32 AM

The most legendary 175 there probably is, along with Jim Hall's original one that Metheny owns nowadays. There was a thread about Jim's 175 somewhere here in this forum. The one owned by Herb and the one Jim had are probably the most famous pieces of this iconic guitar. It's interesting to know where these guitars owned by legends end up. It's great that some of these guitars are in good hands owned by musicians rather than collecting dust in a museum or owned by a collector, some who even can't really play at all.

As in thought, thomastik flatwounds. 12s I suppose. Herb used to use those. He had a bit brighter sound in earlier of his records but changed darker, because of the pickup chance to humbucker. I still can see the original holes of the p90 pickup in the picture of that guitar, next to the current pickup.

**lawson-stone** · 07-31-2018, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by Epistrophy

The most legendary 175 there probably is, along with Jim Hall's original one that Metheny owns nowadays. There was a thread about Jim's 175 somewhere here in this forum. The one owned by Herb and the one Jim had are probably the most famous pieces of this iconic guitar. It's interesting to know where these guitars owned by legends end up. It's great that some of these guitars are in good hands owned by musicians rather than collecting dust in a museum or owned by a collector, some who even can't really play at all.

As in thought, thomastik flatwounds. 12s I suppose. Herb used to use those. He had a bit brighter sound in earlier of his records but changed darker, because of the pickup chance to humbucker. I still can see the original holes of the p90 pickup in the picture of that guitar, next to the current pickup.

I think Joe Pass' ES175 which he received as a birthday present in the early 1960's would also be among the most iconic instances of this model as well. Ellis and Hall were fabulous players, but Joe Pass was the player who brought both the full-on bop idiom and solo guitar as a normal mode of performance both to the ES175.

**Epistrophy** · 07-31-2018, 06:42 AM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

I think Joe Pass' ES175 which he received as a birthday present in the early 1960's would also be among the most iconic instances of this model as well. Ellis and Hall were fabulous players, but Joe Pass was the player who brought both the full-on bop idiom and solo guitar as a normal mode of performance both to the ES175.

Yes that's true. Pass made it all famous to a solo guitar concept. Anyway, I have enjoyed much watching your videos of playing both 175 VOS and 165 signature model, those remind me of Pass and Ellis. I always get inspired to play with my 165 after hearing it on a good video like yours. I have always dreamed to get the VOS model, but then again, 165 sounds so consistent when amplified, I noticed that in your comparison video 175 vs 165. Anyway, one can always have a totally acoustic archtop for more acoustic character than a 175 with vintage specs.

**whiskey02** · 07-31-2018, 07:11 AM

So Metheny has Jim Hall's 175 now? I did not know that, but it makes complete sense. It'd be great if he did a tribute record with it.

**Epistrophy** · 07-31-2018, 07:31 AM

Yes, as far as I remember, Metheny owns the guitar nowadays. Makes a lot of sense. That guitar had a top crack since the picture fell on it, so DAguisto repaired it when it still was owned by Hall himself. Jim said something like his old 175 never sounded as good as before the top repair and the picture accident. Anyway would be nice to see how it sounds nowadays.

**Woody Sound** · 07-31-2018, 10:01 AM

Is that Herb's finger gunk on the fingerboard? Cool

**ThatRhythmMan** · 07-31-2018, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Is that Herb's finger gunk on the fingerboard? Cool

It is!!!! I’m not going to clean any of the mojo off!

The strings are actually still Herb’s strings too. I’m not going to change them until I absolutely have to do so.

**Mike Anderson** · 08-01-2018, 12:10 PM

One of the coolest ever versions of "Billie's Bounce" was played by that man, on that guitar, on "Texas Swings." As a Western Swing fanatic I love this album, has face-melting jazz steel by Herb Remington, and Willie Nelson plays rhythm!

**vinnyv1k** · 08-01-2018, 01:47 PM

Out of all the famous 175 players IMO Herb’s 175 sounded the best. His 175 was a tone monster. That is the only axe he mostly played from 1953 to 1991 when Gibson gave him his signature model which sounded like crap compared to his 53.
Well he did play his signature Aria model for a little while but went right back to his trusty 53.

That 175 is a huge piece of jazz history.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 08-01-2018, 02:10 PM

These are great comments. I haven’t heard that version of Billie’s Bounce. I will definitely look it up.

One thing that wows most people I know more than anything else is that Herb played this guitar on an episode of Sanford and Son.