My new 1980 Gibson ES-175D

**Skadiddle12** · 11-19-2018, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Congrats on the 175. IMO, all years have yielded great guitars in the 175 history (1949-2017) and sadly, all years have also yielded lemons. A factory second might be labeled as such due to a flaw or simply because Gibson sold it at a deep discount.

The bridge PUP does look crooked, but digital cameras can cause optical illusions. If you are not familiar with basic setup skills, take the guitar to someone who is. A good tech can get your guitar into top playing shape.

I would get a wood bridge saddle and compare it to the TOM and see which you like better. The guitar will sound different. two other options for the saddle with be a traditional TOM or a TOM with nylon saddles. All change the tone. None are better, it is all about what sounds best to you, that said the TOM's do intonate better.

The PUPs in your guitar, if original, may be first year Shaw PUPs which are highly regarded. The neck is probably maple, which contributes to the guitars "heavy" weight (compared to an average 335, even the heaviest 175's feel just fine). The chrome hardware will make your guitar look somewhat new forever. Lots of vintage purists prefer the nickel, but IMO, going to chrome was a Norlin improvement that made sense.

With a proper setup, finding the bridge saddle and strings that you like (lots of mixing and matching to experiment with here), you should be well pleased. IMO, a good 175 is all the jazz guitar that a jazz guitarist needs. Don't take my word for it. Look at the greats. Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Herb Ellis, Pat Metheny....I rest my case.

How do I check if the guitar has shaw pickups, what do I look for?