Gibson ES-275

[Forensbro]

I purchased on of the ES -275s. I received in well packed and in great condition. The neck set is very clean and the rest of the guitar is in great shape. Only problem is the tone, it is awful, very tinny and very different string-to-string. I have tried all the normal stuff (PU adjustments, new set of Thomastiks, etc.) without any improvement. I was real close to putting in a Seth Lover but got cold feet since that would make the guitar non-returnable. I have played it through three very different amps and the tone is lousy through all of them.

Any suggestions before I return it?

I would suggest a proper set-up. I've never purchased a brand new guitar (especially a Gibson) that wasn't in dire need of a proper set-up. Usually the worst part of the guitar are the nut slots being all over the place and literally killing the tone of the strings. There is the possibility though that you got a proverbial "lemon." Tonedeaf have you had the opportunity to play any other ES-275s that were to your liking aurally?

[Forensbro]

Don't let the "pinned bridge" be the factor that keeps you from trying and possibly buying an ES-275; they are great sounding and playing guitars. My dark natural figured came with a wound G string and I put a set of 10s on it and it sounds wonderful. I liked it so much that I purchased a faded cherry model (I like the parallelogram fretboard inlays and the trapezoid tailpiece) but had to return it because of factory truss rod issues and am awaiting another new one from Gibson.

I waited 2 weeks for another "brand new" 2016 faded cherry ES-275 from Gibson and after bringing to my guitar tech for inspection and set-up found out quickly it too has the same problem. There is too much relief in the neck and when trying to adjust find out that the truss rod is maxed-out and cannot be further adjusted. It also has a "hump" in the fret board at the 13th fret. I'm 0 and 2 with the faded cherry ES-275 and will NOT be trying for another. What the heck is going on with Gibson and quality control issues? The guitar should never have made it past the final inspection and shipped out.

That being said I still really like the ES-275 figured dark natural that I purchased and consider it to be a keeper.

IF you purchase an ES-275, I recommend checking the adjustability of the truss rod before all else because it precludes a proper set-up and renders the guitar virtually useless.

[Cunamara]

FWIW Tal Farlow put a couple of wood screws into the top of his guitar to locate the base of the bridge. You can see it in photos.

[Marty Grass]

This little beauty weighs 6.1 lbs. There are no flaws, although I haven't plugged it in. There was a little buffing cream left in one spot.

The neck feels medium to me. The finish does not show figuring like the old 335 cherry, but there is some figuring visible. The back is kinda interesting.

So far, so good.

[neatomic]

cherry red gibbys are nice!!

congrats & enjoy

cheers

[Max405]

MG,
That's really nice.
When you get a Guitar delivered to your office, do a bunch of your co-workers beg you to play something for them?

I like it MG. Have fun!

Joe D.

[pilotony]

What a nice guitar. I like red Gibsons also. Use it well.

Tony D.

[Marty Grass]

I set it up partially. The bridge on the bass side is resting on the base. It's a about a millimeter off the base on the treble side.

The truss rod works fine. The neck now has a touch of relief. The nut needs filing, but that can wait.

I looked inside the body. There's not much to see. It's parallel braced with the usual kerfing.

The general feel reminds me of an old 225 I had with two P-90s. It's light, comfortable and acoustically fairly loud.

The pickups sound excellent. The electronics are also excellent. The toggle switch probably needs a few hundred toggles to loosen it up.

I recommend this model. The only other Gibson product designed since the 1960s that I thought was important is the Johnny A. So I'm a pretty difficult guy to impress.

I thought about whether I'd rather have a 330 instead, another fine instrument. I wouldn't for my own personal reasons. The 275 seems louder acoustically, and I practice without an amp quite a bit due to laziness. It also has a bigger bottom, so to speak. Lastly, the neck joins on the 16th fret on the 275, giving more easy upper fret access.

The advantages of the 330 are the P-90s and the feel of the body if you are used to a slightly thinner and wider body.

I'm retiring from buying, at least for a while.

[neatomic]

sorry to say, but the fact that the bridge is just about as low as it goes is not a great sign...shows neck angle isn't quite right..you should be able to adjust the bridge up and down freely for best action...a new guitar shouldnt require a bottomed out bridge

consider

cheers

ps- and of course there are workarounds..you could shave the base..but you shouldnt have to on a new guitar..imo

[guido5]

ps- and of course there are workarounds..you could shave the base..but you shouldnt have to on a new guitar..imo

When shaving a bridge do you recommend removing wood at the base of the bridge where it is curved to match the top? Or is there another approach you prefer?

Not to hijack the thread or anything...

[neatomic]

When shaving a bridge do you recommend removing wood at the base of the bridge where it is curved to match the top? Or is there another approach you prefer?

yes you want to shave from the bottom...but with attention to re-matching the curved top

just be careful with the shave/sanding as you dont want the bridge posts to come thru


cheers

[Marty Grass]

The action is very low. It couldn't be lower. All's well.



QUOTE=neatomic;823494]sorry to say, but the fact that the bridge is just about as low as it goes is not a great sign...shows neck angle isn't quite right..you should be able to adjust the bridge up and down freely for best action...a new guitar shouldnt require a bottomed out bridge

consider

cheers

ps- and of course there are workarounds..you could shave the base..but you shouldnt have to on a new guitar..imo[/QUOTE]

[citizenk74]

What a sweet axe! I await your conclusions on its plugged-in capabilities. Congratulations, and play it in good health!

As for not buying guitars... one day at a time. One day at a time.

[73Fender]

Very nice. I was wondering about the size compared to a 335 or 330 but you answered that in one post. There was one on reverb for $1,995 last I looked in Cherry. Proud to say I resisted. I have too many guitars already and no time to really play. Congrats, I like it.

[Marty Grass]

I got mine during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale for $1695. I couldn't resist.

The neck angle looks to be in line with my 1964 VOS semis. I can't bring the action down any further without buzzing, and the action is very low.

Many of us are comfortable working with floating bridges, sanding the base to lower it and changing the saddle to raise or lower it. This one is fine as it is.

In general, it is optimal to have the saddle resting on the base for better transmission of vibrations to the sound board. That happened to be the case on the bass side of mine. I don't think the nuances matter that much on a laminated guitar with all of the hardware on the top.

The amplified sound seems excellent. I need a few months before a full report.

[ESCC]

Great deal congratulations!

I have to admit I'm gassing for a 275, the neck is a slight concern to me.

Looking forward to your in depth review and comparison to your other archtops.

[Little Jay]

I think the 275 is a very interesting model. I think I saw a version with P90s?

Edit: yes I did!

[ES125er]

Congrats on your new guitar!

I received mine (also a Cherry version) a few weeks ago from CME (another floor model). I could not find anything wrong with it, not even minor cosmetic flaws. I adjusted pickup/pole height for a better balance, filed/lubricated the nut and it was ready to go. CME were even kind enough to install a 2nd strap button for free!

I have now taken it to a few (big) band practice sessions and a couple of gigs, and I am loving it so far. Great playability and tone(s), light, comfortable body size, good upper fret access, can handle anything from jazz to rock... and it looks great! What's not to like?

I hope you enjoy playing yours as much as I am enjoying mine!

[vinnyv1k]

I would love to see that P90 model with a 17 inch body.

[silverfoxx]

I would love to see that P90 model with a 17 inch body.

I doubt that will occur, Vinny, it was originally designed for the Asian market
who prefer the smaller body dimensions. That aside the 275 is a nice guitar
( especially the newer models which have rosewood fingerboards, not richlite)
having had two of them. The only reason I moved them on is that I needed to
px for 1), a splendid ES335 VOS '63. which you have seen and 2) for a
new Fender Vibrolux. There was nothing wrong with either.

[Marty Grass]

Here is the bridge and the string clearance. It seems fine.

[Woody Sound]

Congrats on your new guitar!

I received mine (also a Cherry version) a few weeks ago from CME (another floor model).CME were even kind enough to install a 2nd strap button for free!

Where did they put it?

[vinnyv1k]

Mark at least the action is cool. You would not believe the VOS 175 I just received. Bottomed bridge with 1/2 action.
1 L5 and my Byrdland have a bottomed bridge but super low action and glorious tone. The basses are very thick though. Plenty of height could be removed. A bottomed bridge will sound much better than a jacked up one.

[ES125er]

Where did they put it?

Same location as yours. My internet research suggested that the ES-275 does not have a strap button on the neck side, so I asked to have one added... which CME agreed to, even though they warned me that it would delay the shipment by a few days.

Is your strap button stock, or also added? If it is stock, I am confused...

[Marty Grass]

Mine came with one. I didn't request it. I'm happy. It saves me a few minutes.