Gibson Thin line Guitar Models

[Doctor Jeff]

That's a 125TDC in my photo up in the corner. Long gone, I'm afraid, and stupidly so. It belonged to my brother, and he moved it on after a needed neck reset, which was expertly done, back in the day. What did we know? He bought a Gibson Marauder with the $$$$. I do remember us trying to play loud rock with it, and it would howl like an SOB, LOL! We knew little to nothing. This was in the early 70's. That guitar was beautiful and I remember going shopping with my Dad to buy it new, as a birthday gift for younger brother. We both now miss it dearly. Larger photo attached here:
Attachment 111174

I was just looking at one on Reverb. Looks like a wonderful guitar. Too bad they don't still make them. (I guess the Epi Sorrento RI was kind of similar, right?)

[Doug B]

Gibson ES-195. Came in black or in Gertsch Orange.
It's a thinline ES-175 with a Trini headstock and a Bigsby (easy replaced with a standard tailpiece if desired). Has single coil pickups that fit in humbucker housings for dead-easy pickup swapping.
Still pretty cheap used and very much worth it.

Thanks but I'm allergic to Bigsby trems.

[pan60]

i grabed thsi some years backs

[Hammertone]

Gibson ES-195. Came in black or in Gertsch Orange. It's a thinline ES-175 with a Trini headstock and a Bigsby (easy replaced with a standard tailpiece if desired). Has single coil pickups that fit in humbucker housings for dead-easy pickup swapping. Still pretty cheap used and very much worth it.

Thanks but I'm allergic to Bigsby trems.

Yeah, it's a really tough decision. Especially the part where you sell the Bigsby B-6 for way more than the cost of the replacement trapeze tailpiece.

[medblues]

Here's some blasphemy.

If you like the feel of a thinline, is there enough tonal difference to justify the cost of using carved woods? The laminates sound good amplified in a ES-175. There are some great players who used a ES-330.

I compared the thinline semi hollow Collings SoCo LC Deluxe (laminated top) and Deluxe (carved top) and could not hear a difference. I bought the carved top one strictly for aesthetic (color) reasons.

[Little Jay]

Well, to stretch a bit, the Epiphone Casino USA made IS actually a Gibson
Wonder how it compares with a 330 for jazz by the way?

I can’t imagine it would sound much different since they are the same….. slap on some Thomastik flatwounds and a 330/Casino turns into a jazz monster!

Btw, I changed the saddles on my DIY 330/Casino to nylon and like it better than regular saddles.

[hotpepper01]

Emily sure knew her way with the ES330. Although she altered the P90s into humbuckers.
Boy, could she play and we lost her too early

[Gregc57]

Damn, she's good!
Thanks for sharing,
Greg

[L50EF15]

Emily sure knew her way with the ES330. Although she altered the P90s into humbuckers.
Boy, could she play and we lost her too early

Agreed on all counts. My two favorite albums of hers (now out of print, “Take Two” and “Catwalk”) have excellent examples of her playing with that instrument. For example, “Pocket Wes”, Track 1, side 2 on “Take Two”;

There are a couple of guitars I let go over the years that I regret selling, one of which was a 1966 ES-125TC. That was an outstanding guitar, pretty much the sound I had been chasing. But circumstances years later meant I had to sell it. Every so often, I get the itch to buy another, but the prices keep rising (though still less than its close cousin, the 225).

I can approach the sound with my P90 equipped Les Paul, but it’s not quite the same. The 125-TC was actually a good seller for Gibson. I think it would be even now if they reissued it.

[Sleeko]

Although not officially a Gibson, the Epiphone Elitist is related somewhat, beautifully made and worth a mention. Play nice too!