Gibson ES-275

**geese_com** · 09-30-2017, 09:42 AM

I just couldn't pass up the killer Gibson deals at CME so I ended up picking up a Gibson ES-275.

The size of the ES-275 is more to my liking than my Tal Farlow but sounds just as good and it plays fantastically.

There are some imperfections in the neck pocket area but that doesn't really bother me.

Here it is with the Tal Farlow:

Now I need to get to practicing so that my playing is worthy of these guitars.

**skittles** · 09-30-2017, 12:53 PM

Looked at that listing at CME this morning before I noticed the "sold out" banner. What's the wood composition?

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**vinnyv1k** · 09-30-2017, 01:11 PM

Congrats on another smoking deal from CME. All Memphis made Gibson's have minor imperfections. There QC has been spotty for many years now. The main thing you need to do immediately is make sure the trussrod works.
A very pretty guitar. Do enjoy.

Thank you for posting the size difference with the Tal.

**Max405** · 10-01-2017, 12:27 PM

I never realized how small the 275 was. It looks like a baby Tal..
its a perfectly symmetrical shape. I really like that guitar a lot.
Enjoy!
Joe D

**silverfoxx** · 10-01-2017, 02:06 PM

Yes the 275,s are very good , I bought two
the Montreaux burst & figured Dark Natural
had to sell one to fund something else ,
decided to keep the Dark Natural ,( Blondes
are good) I like the MHS pickups .,very easy
guitar to play, laminated top etc., Not ideal
for taller players I suspect.Sound good thru
a Vibrolux , or SS amps.

**vinlander** · 10-01-2017, 02:13 PM

Congratulations play it in good heath.
Nice looking instrument, I bet as you mentioned it sounds great but different than your Tal; after all it is smaller in size and has a different neck wood and scale. A nice complement to your Tal in any case

**Marty Grass** · 10-01-2017, 03:38 PM

I'm surprised at the neck pocket. It must be finish flaking, possibly due to stringing it up before it's fully dry. IDK. It's fairly common for that to happen over time anyway.

If it doesn't bother you, no big deal. If it does, it can be improved quite a bit by a magic marker. It can be touched up with black lacquer also.

The guitars were being sold for less than used ones, so it's still a great deal.

**cosmogs** · 10-02-2017, 10:09 PM

Love the 275, in my opinion Gibson did it absolute right with this one. Can´t wait to pick one up myself a bit further down the road. Super congrats!

**tonedeaf** · 10-04-2017, 10:34 PM

Man, you guys are going to ruin me. Free of GAS for a couple of years now, but I could just not get past the deals. Got an ES-275 on order. I am headed to the woodshed to atone for my transgressions.

**pingu** · 10-05-2017, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

Handsome guit. Lovin' the TF too!

Lovely both guitars
Might get a Tal one day , I would take off the pick guard tho
Don't dig pointy things ...

The 275 design looks like its a good modern take on
a jazz box , bit more upper fret access when you're
wailing on a blues in F
a bit thinner so less feedback
But still a proper hollowbody fairly warm
basic sound presumably ?

Must be quite a versatile guitar

**Woody Sound** · 10-05-2017, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

You got one with really nice figure, good for you. I am thrilled with mine so far, sounds fabulous. You might even end up selling the TF.

**Forensbro** · 10-24-2017, 07:24 PM

Purchased a dark natural figured ES-275 and I love it. This however is what Gibson calls a "pinned" ABR bridge with titanium saddles. It's not as bad as it looks; it stabilizes the bridge and to my ears does not affect the sound. These guitars are very resonant and have a pleasant acoustic sound unplugged.

**QAman** · 10-24-2017, 07:31 PM

Congrats ! I owned one of these and really enjoyed it. I sold it only because neck was a little too narrow for me. I loved the upper fret access. I could play all verses of Tuck Andress "Over the Rainbow" - "If I only had a brain" on that guitar.
Do enjoy !

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**2bornot2bop** · 10-24-2017, 08:01 PM

I've only owned 1 pinned bridge archtop. And it was pinned, as in tiny pin holes that could easily be filled. If I recall correctly the small pin holes weren't even through the top.

I can't imagine why Gibson would drill holes that size through the top of an archtop? I assume the "pinned" '175's also have these size holes? That's head scratching. And I was just about to pull the trigger on one. Thank you for posting that photo Forensbro!

**tonedeaf** · 10-24-2017, 08:29 PM

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?

**vinnyv1k** · 10-24-2017, 08:33 PM

I love the new pinned bridge. I was quite upset at first till I saw first hand spot on intonation on the 4 I just bought.
Gibson has some sort of system now for achieving intonation on a archtop.

**Jabberwocky** · 10-24-2017, 08:58 PM

That means that the floating base is for show since 1) it is no longer floating; 2) the ABR-1 saddle is directly coupled to the top via the two screw-posts like a Johnny A. You really don't require the wooden base; it is window dressing.

I wonder how it sounds with the screw-posts backed up all the way out of the holes with the floating bridge acting as it should. I'd have filled those holes out in a hurry with maple dowels, if it were my guitar.

**lawson-stone** · 10-24-2017, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

That means that the floating base is for show since 1) it is no longer floating; 2) the ABR-1 saddle is directly coupled to the top via the two screw-posts like a Johnny A. You really don't require the wooden base; it is window dressing.

I wonder how it sounds with the screw-posts backed up all the way out of the holes with the floating bridge acting as it should. I'd have filled those holes out in a hurry with maple dowels, if it were my guitar.

I'm not sure that's true. If the wood base is still in full contact with the top, it will still transfer lots of vibration to the top. My ES175 Figured, I assume, has a pinned bridge, but it sounds delicious, and even acoustically sounds way better than I would have expected for a laminated archtop with two routed-in pickups.

**vinlander** · 10-25-2017, 06:07 AM

I also don't like the idea of having holes in my guitar top for a bridge that is supposed to float freely.
With that said, like Lawson mentions, the bridge is still making fully contact.
The downward pressure is not on the top wood threads like on an ES 150dc where the bridge is directly screwed to the top, but really applied by the bridge flat surface; the holes are just guides to prevent moving.
Gibson probably target bluesmen and other light gauge benders more than jazz players with those laminated instruments...just a guess

**Forensbro** · 10-25-2017, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by vinlander

I also don't like the idea of having holes in my guitar top for a bridge that is supposed to float freely.
With that said, like Lawson mentions, the bridge is still making fully contact.
The downward pressure is not on the top wood threads like on an ES 150dc where the bridge is directly screwed to the top, but really applied by the bridge flat surface; the holes are just guides to prevent moving.
Gibson probably target bluesmen and other light gauge benders more than jazz players with those laminated instruments...just a guess

The guitar was originally designed and built for the Japanese market. They wanted a more stable bridge that didn't move and I guess they "beat and shred" on their guitars pretty fiercely.

**Forensbro** · 10-25-2017, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

I've only owned 1 pinned bridge archtop. And it was pinned, as in tiny pin holes that could easily be filled. If I recall correctly the small pin holes weren't even through the top.

I can't imagine why Gibson would drill holes that size through the top of an archtop? I assume the "pinned" '175's also have these size holes? That's head scratching. And I was just about to pull the trigger on one. Thank you for posting that photo 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.

**sgosnell** · 10-25-2017, 10:16 PM

My suspicion is that Gibson is pinning the bridges for warranty problems. Lots of these instruments get sold to people who don't have the mechanical ability to set the intonation, and when the remove the strings and the bridge falls off, they have no idea how to get it back in the right place, and then squawk for warranty repairs. The holes aren't drilled, they're just punched out when the bridge post is screwed down into the top. At least that's how my Epi 175 was done. It doesn't affect the tone at all AFAICT, and the only purpose is to make it easy to replace the bridge in the same place without having to fiddle with intonation. However, that only works with a TOM, and when I replaced mine with an ebony bridge I had to back the posts out so the bridge could be moved slightly to set the intonation. With a TOM you can move the saddles, but with a wooden saddle you have to move the whole thing, obviously. While I expect that everyone here can adjust a bridge for intonation, the members of this forum are far from the total Gibson customer base. I'd prefer not to have a pinned bridge, but I don't believe it hurts the instrument other than having ugly holes in the top. But the holes are covered by the bridge base, whichever saddle is installed. I just don't see this as a big issue.

**Lobomov** · 10-27-2017, 04:47 AM

I've been gassing for an ES-275 since they came out, but unfortunately they still cost a bundle over here. They have finally started dropping slightly in price, but it's still 3500$ for the red version and 4000$ for the montreux burst.

A big congrats from me!!

**Hammertone** · 10-27-2017, 11:35 PM

Are the holes for the bridge simply for securing the position the bridge, or do the threaded rods of the bridge screw into them?

**tonedeaf** · 10-28-2017, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Are the holes for the bridge simply for securing the position the bridge, or do the threaded rods of the bridge screw into them?

The threading on the rods is solely for the thumb wheels that adjust the bridge height. The part of the threaded rod that goes into the guitar body does not "attach" to anything. It is solely to position the bridge to make it easy to intonate the guitar if the bridge has fallen out. If you turned the guitar upside down without the strings attached, the bridge would fall out.