How is the Steve Howe 175?

[jzucker]

A friend of mine has a 2006 that he's selling. I was curious whether it's a heavier build, seeing as it was made for a rock guy... Or is it just a generic 175 ?

[Cunamara]

Well, the original was a 1964 standard old Gibson ES 175, so the original one is probably consistent with the guitars of the day. It's an interesting question as to whether or not Gibson did anything different with body construction when they made the issues, like they reportedly did with the 1959 VOS ones. Steve Howe is notoriously finicky and he does use one of the signature models when he tours rather than his original 1964, so it's possible that it's pretty close to the one he bought back in the day.

He has said in interviews that the only person who has ever played his ES 175 besides himself is Chuck Berry.

[Herbie]

They usually have nice 3-color sunburst. I considered that model years ago but then I read something about the neck of early ’60s ES-175s and gave up the idea.

But was it something about them being thinner or narrower than my favourite, I don’t remember!

Check it and make a review!

[Woody Sound]

A friend of mine has a 2006 that he's selling. I was curious whether it's a heavier build, seeing as it was made for a rock guy... Or is it just a generic 175 ?

Thread from several years ago:

Gibson ES-175 Steve Howe Model Opinions?

[vinnyv1k]

I had a 2010 Steve Howe. Just a 175 with a L-5 bridge base.
No difference except for the finish. Triburst with black rims.

[Stringswinger]

I am a big fan of the early 60's 175. I had one and the reason it is gone is that like most guitars of that vintage, it needed a lot of restoration. I had a lot of work done and was not happy with the how the work came out, so I sold it. I do not have a guitar tech here (SF Bay area) that I trust to do a great job and all of the local techs charge a small fortune to do anything (it is damn expensive to live here). These days, early 60's 175's sell for more than I want to pay, so unless the price of the vintage examples falls considerable (not very likely IMO), I am not very likely to own another one.

Some years back, I checked out a Steve Howe 175. It was not like my 63 175. The build was heavier and the neck was thicker (though still quite comfortable and on the slim side, which I like). That said, if I was looking for a 175, I would certainly consider this model. I also think that for the rock guys who want a Steve Howe sound, the heavier build is a benefit as they are probably more feedback resistant than Howe's vintage example.

[Doctor Jeff]

If I understand correctly the Steve Howes came with the L5-style bridge, the zigzag tailpiece, yellowed binding, butter bean tuners and a fat switch knob.

Like many people, there were 3 reasons I got a 175 as my first archtop: Steve Howe, Pat Metheny and Joe Pass. I figured—correctly—that if this guitar could do all that, it was probably a REALLY good guitar. (Although my interest in prog rock was fading by the time I got my 175 in ‘82, though my focus on Pat and Joe was unrelenting.)

Here’s a short interview with Howe—he says he restrung his 175 EVERY DAY.

“I Was a Bit of a Lunatic!” Steve Howe Speaks About His Number One Ax | GuitarPlayer