Finally Gibson ES-175 1954 in da house - how to brush it up and make it fit (for me)

[Stringswinger]

Well, I don’t know about Joe Pass, but Herb Ellis didn’t even care if they were bent. They work great by the way.

Perhaps I was thinking of Jim Hall. Like Joe Pass, he put higher quality tuners on his ES-175

[TedBPhx]

I thought the early 175s had a rubber grommet around the pickup selector switch. May have rotted away decades ago.

[wintermoon]

I thought the early 175s had a rubber grommet around the pickup selector switch. May have rotted away decades ago.

Early no, later yes

[bleakanddivine]

That's a sister to my 1954. The frets may not be worn, just originally very low compared to modern jumbo frets. The models with these were called 'fretless wonders'. If you can get used to them keep them as they are, but if they feel strange compared to other newer guitars you may have, you might want to change them.

[Crm114]

My 1953
older sisters need love too

Big

[Mark M.]

I respectfully submit that you should do only what you need to make it "playable" for you; Refret and get tuners smoother. The the finish alone, that is, don't try to make it to shine and leave the perfectly functioning hardware alone too. It's old and so it looks old (me too) if you try to put a shine all over it, some places will some will not. Doing that will really bring focus to the discrepancy between scars and shine. Have you never seen Antiques Roadshow, one doesn't buff away natural patina. Beautiful guitar; you can't do anything to make it more beautiful than it already is.

This.

[Marinero]

A simple, recurring question, recently, that could be helpful to the OP . . . If a guitar was purchased to play, why is it an issue to replace worn/bent tuners, replace worn frets, cleaning/waxing surface, disassemble /clean components and even refinish the neck if it an issue when playing? I know of no other musical instruments where this is a problem. What's with Jazz guitars? Why is this so important?
Marinero

[Jx30510]

Well I think that vintage Gibson 's are so sought after, and expensive, that it' s kind of a dilemma for the purchaser to touch or modify it, even if he just wants to play the hell out of it. I understand that it's a hard decision to make, and not an easy one. If I found out that it was the "one", I wouldn't hesitate.
On the long term, an old instrument needs to be kept in good shape, for functionality's sake.
So a refret, replacing faulty tuners, and so on, if necessary, is a good thing.
Otherwise, if it's a museum piece, let it be in a museum, not in a musician's hand.

[skykomishone]

This is a vintage es175d lovefest! It's good to see these threads on such an iconic jazz guitar. And it's especially cool when someone gets a guitar that really rings their bell like Heinrich. There is such a positive energy that gets generated and a shared joy. It feels really good, especially the respect he shows for the instrument. Once again Heinrich, congratulations. Enjoy your new old Gibson, from the golden age of 175's.

[Crm114]

About 20 months ago I bought a 1956 L5 with staple P 90s I love that guitar, but the hardware was worn it was perfectly functional and it was intact but it was worn looking. Lucky me I found a really pristine gold Gibson L5 tailpece and new old stock replacement Grover stairstep toners a perfect match for the originals. I bought those parts intending on installing them on the guitar but I have been playing the guitar and I realize what made the guitar so classy was that it looked old and the parts were not all shiny they had a vintage vibe to them that no one could alter. So I left it just the way it was and am so happy I did

food for thought.

Big

[RobbieAG]

Congrats on the new guitar - it looks like a fantastic instrument! I used to own a 1956 that looked just like yours. Yours is in better condition than mine was. I currently own a 1969/70. Play it in good health and enjoy it for many years. I would keep the modifications to a minimum and make sure whatever it is, is reversible (new frets excepted of course). The guy who bought mine put humbuckers on it I believe. I'm sure he regrets that now!

[Marinero]

About 20 months ago I bought a 1956 L5 with staple P 90s I love that guitar, but the hardware was worn it was perfectly functional and it was intact but it was worn looking. Lucky me I found a really pristine gold Gibson L5 tailpece and new old stock replacement Grover stairstep toners a perfect match for the originals. I bought those parts intending on installing them on the guitar but I have been playing the guitar and I realize what made the guitar so classy was that it looked old and the parts were not all shiny they had a vintage vibe to them that no one could alter. So I left it just the way it was and am so happy I did

food for thought.

Big

Hi, C,
I'd love to see your suits and shoes!
Marinero

[Stringswinger]

A simple, recurring question, recently, that could be helpful to the OP . . . If a guitar was purchased to play, why is it an issue to replace worn/bent tuners, replace worn frets, cleaning/waxing surface, disassemble /clean components and even refinish the neck if it an issue when playing? I know of no other musical instruments where this is a problem. What's with Jazz guitars? Why is this so important?
Marinero

This is only important because guys with too much money (and mostly not enough talent) collect guitars and want unmolested examples. If it were about playability and function to talented guitarists, the restored examples would have more value than those with worn out tuners and finishes. But the collectors push market value, so if one gets an unmolested example and restores it, one has reduced the value of the guitar (not a smart thing to do). If you buy a player's grade guitar, you get a guitar that often will function better and cost less.

Back in the day, John D'Angelico and Jimmy D'Aquisto refinished guitars and replaced worn tuners for the professional guitarists that mostly made up their trade.

Today, people pay extra to have their guitars artificially worn out. People can do whatever they want with their money. Me? I buy guitars to play them and I fix things that are worn out. I only own three vintage guitars (All non-cut D'Angelicos). All three came to me with a fair amount of restoration along the way. As far as I am concerned, I paid less and got more. I buy real estate for investment, I buy guitars to make music.