Gibson ES-165 with BJB

**Max405** · 03-09-2020, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by lammie200

Oops I did it again. After kicking myself when Joe offered his 165 BJB for a killer price and not jumping on it, I finally found one for only $1850 and bought it. Should be here this week and from the pics it looks like a mint condition example. I do have the opportunity to back out if I don’t like it which is a good thing. Unfortunately it isn’t the gorgeous ice tea burst - just the standard dark burst, but I am OK with that. I do have a ‘91 490 set HB HE which I love to death. It will be interesting to compare the neck on the one that I just purchased. Supposedly it is a 2005. Time to move out another guitar to make room for this one.

It seems like you got this one for even more of a killer price.
I think they are wonderful guitars. I hope you love it. Congratulations!

**lammie200** · 03-09-2020, 10:35 AM

Thanks. Barring anything unusual I think that I am good. Whoever had it didn't even install a strap button on the neck/heel. I take that as a good sign.

**lammie200** · 03-15-2020, 04:21 PM

Here it is among my electric family. Pretty much excellent condition except for plating wear on the tailpiece. I am totally good with that and I actually like a little less of the bling aesthetic. Not much scratching on the pickguard and I don't use a pick, so none of my guitars get much of that anyway. With tax and shipping all the Gibsons were around $2k each. The HE BJB plays really well. It's fairly light, the neck shape is really comfortable, the pickup is clear and balanced. As Joe says you almost can't say enough good things about these. The fact that Norm's Rare Guitars wants $3.7k+ for these was not lost on me.

Previous to the last 10 years or so it was just a Strat partscaster, a Martin acoustic and a classical guitar, but I also always had one or two others that were temporary impulses. I have since dabbled in lower budget archtops and assembled and finished the partscasters that you see here. My first electric was a Tele and the Fender designs feel like a home to me both with playability and aesthetics. In the previous 30 some odd years before that I had a couple of Gibsons - a beat up J-45 and CC-175. The J-45 was a canon and I regret trading that for something else. I never connected with the CC-175. Kinda heavy and unbalanced as I recall. Very hum happy, too. I am pretty sure I have reached everywhere I want to go with a guitar collection now because these all play and sound well for me. Gibson gets bashed, but when they do one right it's just right without question. I loved the journey of getting what I have, but I love playing, too. Really happy with what I have.

**neatomic** · 03-15-2020, 04:30 PM

hey congrats lammie...nice bunch of guitars...like seeing those jazzmasters in there too!!

enjoy

cheers

**lammie200** · 03-15-2020, 04:52 PM

Thanks. I will probably change the bridge to rosewood like I did on the 490R. I also might copy Joe and change the knob. The press-on knob that is there sticks up pretty high is kinda cheesy looking IMHO. I haven't decided if I want to change the tuners. I changed the ones on the 490R to locking Grovers with pearloid buttons. Direct fit. Kinda the 175 aesthetic and a bit lighter than the metal tulips.

**Max405** · 03-15-2020, 05:08 PM

Try this Lammie..
This one is my baby now. That knob and the smaller one got to me. Now the 165 is perfect. Just the way it should have been when it left the factory. But then again, we are talkin about a Gibson here. There’s always something.. the knob on the 165 floater, the awful pickguard on the Solid Formed, the reverb sounds inside the body of the Tal... But when you tie up those loose ends, it’s very gratifying..

**lammie200** · 03-15-2020, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

Try this Lammie..
This one is my baby now. That knob and the smaller one got to me. Now the 165 is perfect. Just the way it should have been when it left the factory. But then again, we are talkin about a Gibson here. There’s always something.. the knob on the 165 floater, the awful pickguard on the Solid Formed, the reverb sounds inside the body of the Tal... But when you tie up those loose ends, it’s very gratifying..

Really nice. I will be thinking about it. You are right. There are loose ends. That knob is certainly one of them. It is also totally evident that the tailpieces are import budget products. I am OK with them though. On this one it was probably why the guitar was valued so low. Gibson Memphis gator skin TKL hard case was included. New condition except for the tarnish. My pocketbook likes tarnish.

Originally Posted by Lobomov

Makes me kinda regret selling my ES-390. It was light weight, comfortable and good ... But at that point in time I wanted a more full sound that the mini-humbuckers couldn't deliver ... so it was replaced with an Ibanez PM100 ... should have kept both .. oh well

Great collection you've got there!

I have really gotten into fine adjustments to the heights and pole pieces. Seems to help, but I don’t dig the bridge pickup much at all. I have contemplated changing the pickups for someone else’s mini hb’s, but with the adjustments I can deal with the neck pickup.

**citizenk74** · 03-15-2020, 07:11 PM

"when they do one right, it's just right..."

Amen, Brother!

**neatomic** · 03-15-2020, 07:30 PM

l-what don't you like about the gibby mini hums???..too much upper mids??

if so, there are workarounds

cheers

**vinnyv1k** · 03-15-2020, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by citizenk74

"when they do one right, it's just right..."

Amen, Brother!

Yes indeed.....the key word is ( when )

**lammie200** · 03-15-2020, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

l-what don't you like about the gibby mini hums???..too much upper mids??

if so, there are workarounds

cheers

I am not sure I could do any better with the neck pickup. Word usage aside, I think the bridge pickup lacks depth. There is no blending of tones between the strings if that makes any sense.

**jumpnblues** · 03-19-2020, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by Max405

HI Guys,
Since I didnt sell it, its kinda like a new guitar to me now.
So here are a couple of Videos of the 165. No Amp. Straight through a Boss GT-001. Into my laptops' USB. Using YouCam6 for video and Audio capture.
I hope you like..
Joe D

BTW.. The arrangement on Hark.. Is from my friend, the great Chris Whiteman. The arrangement on Close to You is by Tommy Emmanuel. I wish he was my friend too.. But I am glad I got Chris..

Great playing, Joe! That's the most beautiful ES165 I've ever seen. Sounds superb too. Man, I like that guitar. I'll be taking delivery today of an Eastman AR580CE. I hope it looks and sounds even half as good as your ES165. I want to own another American made jazz archtop someday. I owned a Gibson L5CES several years ago. Would like to have another one.

**Max405** · 03-19-2020, 10:47 AM

Thank you jumpinblues!
I love my 165. I plan on keeping this one mint for another 30 years.
I recently changed the pickguard with a schatten volume/tone set on the underside edge so no more annoying volume knob in the middle of the pickguard. That was the only knock against the guitar. Now I have adjustability in the tone, that’s great.
I had a 580 for a little while. It’s a really nice guitar. You will like it. Very light and lively. Congratulations on your new guitar. Please do a NGD. We love them here!
Joe D

**DMgolf66** · 03-19-2020, 11:14 AM

Joe, what is the cloth underneath the guitar for?

**Max405** · 03-19-2020, 12:14 PM

Just to lift it up a little.
I have a oasis cushion that I use too. But the red microfiber was handy at the time.
JD

**skykomishone** · 03-19-2020, 01:04 PM

Joe,

The L5P that I bought from Vinny has a BJB pickup. I like it. Your 165 is one of the nicest I've seen. Sure does sound good, especially in your very capable hands. I've always thought that the 165 is more practical, sense I never use the bridge p/u on my 175's. At least not for the last 40 yrs.

Cheers brother!

**Max405** · 03-19-2020, 04:13 PM

Oh man.. I thought you were asking to trade.. I would have been all over that like white in rice! (Just kidding, thanks bro!)
I am totally with you on the practicality thing. Like Joe Pass said, “to much iron”
If you are interested, the Schatten volume tone works well with the BJB. It works better on the BJB than it does on the “J.Smith” pickup on my Solid Formed. It drops the treble without reducing the volume on the BJB.
JD