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I thought I might like to have a guitar that is as old as I am. So when looking around, I read of a 60-ish year old 175 described as having a "solid neck set". What do you suppose that means? I am familiar with old Martins requiring a labor intensive neck reset, but this 175 has a truss rod cover. Do older 175s not have an adjustable truss rod (or do they commonly break), or might this mean something else entirely? I've seen some pics of a neck joint where the finish shows signs of distress... like the neck was moved.
So is the "neck set" on 175 a "thing" to look out for?
Also, what about a "sunken top" on an old hollow body or archtop? Is that a common thing to beware of?
Thank you!
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04-02-2021 03:39 PM
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a solid neck set could mean 2 things, either it's fine as is or had a neck reset, best to ask specifically.
all 175's have adjustable truss rods. there's quite a few 175's w/sunken tops, each guitar should be inspected for that as well.
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Yes, they have adjustable truss rods.
Originally Posted by ChicagoT
No idea about what 'solid neck set' would mean, other than the neck being firmly affixed to the body. I've not experienced a 175 with a neck set issue, and I've seen more than you can shake a stick at.
That being said, when buying any guitar, the neck is always a point to evaluate, specifically for potential twisting, prior repairs, and proper relief, fret condition, and general setup. The truss rod should always be confirmed to be in proper working condition.
Regarding sunken tops, 175s are known to occasionally suffer from that as a result of poor brace gluing during manufacturing or breaking due to weakness of the kerfed design. It's always good to inspect the braces and top contour for abnormalities, typically around the bridge base.
I've owned one that I repaired a poorly glued cross brace and fractured kerfed brace discovered when the top caved slightly. It was repaired to solid condition.
Best to inspect before buying, or make sure there is a no question return policy.
Hope this helps. My experiences only. I'm sure you'll hear from others.
Steve
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It has been my experience that in general Gibson archtop guitars have rarely ever needed to have neck set. That is probably because they use traditional neck construction and in general Gibson neck joints hold up well. Yes tops have sunk I had an old Barney Kessel that has a sunken top but it actually played fine. You cannot compare a neck set of a Martin or a any flatop guitar to a neck set in an archtop. Flatops have neck resets all the time due to the way they are constructed and really no room for error. An archtop guitar leaves way more latitude for necks and how they are glued on the body.
In your case I would never touch or buy this guitar unless I could play the guitar in person. It could very well be fine and have not issues at all. A reset neck done by a pro would be fine assuming the guitar otherwise plays fine. In regards to the joint at the neck, it does require some careful work to get neck on and off without some trace of finish issues. Unless the person who did it refinished the whole area or over-sprayed. Most of the time you really don't want to do that and simply get the neck of clean and back on. That said it is a complicated job for sure even without finish work.
If you play the guitar and it is what you want and otherwise ok, plus......the price is right I would say buy the guitar. If it did not meet all those requirements then move on there are certainly other 60 year old 175's to be had.
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Thank you all for the thoughtful and very helpful comments. I've been making haste slowly, educating myself about hollow body guitars, and taking stock of what features are likely important to me before I invest in my first one. (And I do have a few other guitars to play while I make up my mind, so I may never do it all...)
Great resource, this place. Thank you again!
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I have a 60 year-old ES-175D and can confirm they're great guitars. Mine currently has a sunken top which has been re-inforced by an adjustable post until I can get it to my preferred luthier who is in another country to which I cannot travel in these Covid times. In the meantime, the post - placed just below the bass side of the bridge - seems to improve the acoustic tone so I'll certainly discuss with my luthier whether a permanent hardwood post might be a good idea as well as renewing the bracing. The guitar is a well-worn road-warrior so I have no qualms about this sort of corrective bur reversable work.
It's likely that a 1961 model will come with PAF pickups, so be prepared to dig very deep in your pocket because a pair of PAFs on their own can sell for 2k - unless someone has stripped the original PAFs and replaced them - happens far too often
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"Needs neck set" and "sunken top" would be opposites. One produces unplayability from too high action and the other from too low action.
Since a guitar can have both (thus a 'normal' action), I think everyone here would recommend having potential purchase of a 60 year old guitar checked out by someone who knows archtops.
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........And if you're looking for any guitars of that era, do yourself a favor and check out Epiphones and Guilds.....for ' 175 ' money, you may very well do better !!
........Of course, MHO.
Good luck !
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Great advice! Especially the pre and early post-Gibson takeover of Epiphone. Towards the end, They plowed through their reserved wood inventory during that period which produced some fantastic instruments. Originally Posted by Dennis D
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