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Hi,
Recently I've been on the look out for a Charlie Christian pick up equipped Gibson and I've noticed that there's a few models from the late 40s through to the 60s like the L-5, L-7, ES175 and L-4 (not the later 70's model) that have Charlie Christian pickups fitted. I was just wondering how common a practice this was? Whether a dealer or a buyer had to specifically order it from the factory? Also, it seems that the Gibson factory must have had quite a few of the original pickups from the 30's still available, or was it the case that they were actually making them as one offs, and were any left as unused stock at any time?
Thanks in advance for any help - and apologies for the long thread title!
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09-07-2018 08:23 AM
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Gibson had the pickup in inventory from the 30s production. If you special ordered the guitar, they would put it on. Two of my mentors had L5s this way.
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It's my understanding that Charlie Christian pickups remained available as a custom option through to the '60s, using available stock. The same stock pickups were used for the run of ES175CCs in the '70s.
The subject was discussed in this thread a couple of years ago: Gibson L7 with a Charlie Christian pickup
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I had a '70s era ES-175CC. Never bonded with it. And everyone probably knows this, but that old, original CC pick up is a beast in terms of weight and mounting, and it was a hummer, not a humbucker. Never seemed like it was doing the guitar justice if you get my drift.
Good luck with the hunt though. Hope you find what you are looking for.
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I have a 1979 ES175CC (as per my avatar), I find the guitar/pickup to be excellent. Love the tone and playability, Lammie is correct that the pick-up does hmmmm but it can be controlled - to an extent.
Enjoy the hunt.
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Good for you. In all honesty there may have been something wrong with the one that I had. I do recall that the bridge was pinned so someone may have messed with it even more so.
Originally Posted by ESCC
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It's absolutely my favorite pickup of all time. I used to play an ES-150 (1937). The pickup was in good shape (not much demagnitzation of the cobalt-bar magnets.) This guitar/pickup was THE best electric guitar I have ever enjoyed.
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I sincerely hope you find one. I just believe in the right combination, they're magic ! Two of our area's 'Founding Father' guitarists used them. Manty Ellis for years had his Super 400 fitted with one. And Bob DeBlaey, the Milwaukee Journal radio station house guitarist before tv, had a 150 style fitted with one. Originally Posted by Iced Tea
In the '60's, Bob told me once he didn't know what it was, but they had 'something' !
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I’ve got a 1939 L5P with a CC in the neck and a P90 in the bridge. I eventually sent the guitar to Pete Moreno in Kalamazoo to replace the faulty wiring harness and do a thorough setup and cleaning. Pete was Gibsons in Factory repair guy and he told me Gibson made a whole bunch of the CCs back then in 1938 or so but the P90 was more popular, up until the humbucker came along. I really like using both pickups mixed. I bet when Gibson moved to Nashville a whole lot of that kind of stuff went home with employees.
Back in the mid 70's I had a 10 string lap steel Gibsone with a very wide CC in it, an EH185, a coworker saw it in a Goodwill store in The Valley, I gave him the $37.00 they were asking for it and he brought it the next day. Tweed case and all, that was one crazy cool guitar. Looked just like the one in this ad, look at that wide CC type pickup !!!!
The 1940 Gibson EH-185 10-string lap guitar 1996 full page article | eBayLast edited by BigMikeinNJ; 09-07-2018 at 06:31 PM.
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I'd be very careful. Aftermarket CC pickups are all over the place and if you can't recognize one, I'd seek the assistance of an expert if a lot of $$$ is involved in the purchase.
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Wow! I'd love to see a photo of that one some time Mike! Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ
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Originally Posted by David B
One owner, bought it new in 1940, not long after sent it to the factory to have the electronics installed. Played it in smoky clubs until 1962 when he died of a blood disorder. Left it to his son who didn’t play. It sat in a closet until 2015 - every few year a cousin would visit and the son would have him play it. But it st in that closet. In 2015 he sold it to the cousin who in turn had Jay Wolfe list it. That’s when I got it. Never had a pickguard, had a layer of smoky grunge all over it. Pete Moreno really cleaned it up. It’s a real beast.
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The pickups in the 70s ES175s are not the same as pre-war CC pickups. Wire gauge was different, and I believe the magnets weren't cobalt...but I'm not 100% about the magnets....I just know the magnets look different. Originally Posted by David B
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Somewhere out there is a Sunburst Johnny Smith with a factory-installed CC and a round-profile neck. I foolishly did not buy it several years back, after spending an afternoon playing it.
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If this was your favourite combination, then what happened to the guitar or to you? Originally Posted by Greentone
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Perhaps if it doesn't need to be a Gibson, I highly recommend to also look at the Archtop Tribute models ATC 150CC and ATC 350BK. My own experience is that these MIJ guitars are better value.
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1937 Gibson L-50/ES-150 Conversion
Asking $3495 cash, $3605 credit card.
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Thanks, I was actually looking at this but it's now on hold! Such is life... Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
This guitar came up for sale in the U.K. recently, it would have been my ideal guitar.
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Yeah my ideal too ... Originally Posted by Iced Tea
Thanks, I was actually looking at this but it's now on hold! Such is life...
This guitar came up for sale in the U.K. recently, it would have been my ideal guitar.
What kinda year was that ?
(Maybe it was an iced tea burst too)
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I'm curious how they sound in comparison? I've played examples of both, but never side-by-side. Calling Fred Archtop! Fred, I know you have both, and you've demoed both. How would you describe the sounds of the 175CC vs the original CC and vs the UK-based modern CC replicas? Originally Posted by customxke
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wow Originally Posted by Hammertone
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There was a blonde '69 Smith @ Umanov's a really long time ago w factory CC.
It also had a prewar script Gibson logo and fancy inlays in the headstock instead of the normal Super 400 split inlay.
I wanted to like it but it sounded kind of thin.
Sure looked cool though...
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It's a 1964 or 65 model. It was also on sale at archtop.com some time ago. Originally Posted by pingu
1964 Gibson ES-175D
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Did someone ring me up? Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
Indeed, I have the 3 types of mics'.
The CC UK model gives a sound very close, if not identical to the original prewar CC. I have them respectively mounted on an L50 converted into an ES-150 and an original '38 ES-150. I tend to have a little more "drive" on my CC UK PU because it is fully charged whereas the original '38 CC PU has degaussed for a part. But if you low down the position of the magnet respective to the strings, then you get an identical sound.
The late '70s CC PU that was mounted on the 175CC models was built completely differently and it gives a completely different sound. Strangely enough, I've always found it quite close to an humbucker sound.
Also, I recently tried a year 2k super 400 model equipped with a CC PU. The sound was in the same area than the 175CC, although with deeper bass. Probably the 18" format helps on that.
We'd better let the guitars talk for themselves...
Cheers.
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I have a 1954 L50 that I've thought would be fun to do something different with, and a CC pickup like yours could be really fun. Mine, though, is parallel braced. I assume the installation of the pickup is pretty "invasive" and not something one could do themselves? Originally Posted by Fred Archtop
Did someone ring me up?
Indeed, I have the 3 types of mics'.
The CC UK model gives a sound very close, if not identical to the original prewar CC. I have them respectively mounted on an L50 converted into an ES-150 and an original '38 ES-150. I tend to have a little more "drive" on my CC UK PU because it is fully charged whereas the original '38 CC PU has degaussed for a part. But if you low down the position of the magnet respective to the strings, then you get an identical sound.
The late '70s CC PU that was mounted on the 175CC models was built completely differently and it gives a completely different sound. Strangely enough, I've always found it quite close to an humbucker sound.
Also, I recently tried a year 2k super 400 model equipped with a CC PU. The sound was in the same area than the 175CC, although with deeper bass. Probably the 18" format helps on that.
We'd better let the guitars talk for themselves...
Cheers.
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