Gibson ES-175D 1974 | Sunburst

Some guitars become famous because they're rare. The ES-175 became famous because musicians actually played them. Night after night, studio after studio, decade after decade. There's something special about a guitar that earns its reputation the hard way.

I love that Gibson never tried to overcomplicate the formula. A fully hollow laminated maple body gives the ES-175 that warm, woody voice everyone hopes an archtop has, while also making it a little more practical than the carved jazz boxes that inspired it. It's alive in your hands. Chords bloom with a richness that's hard to describe until you've sat with one for a while, and single notes seem to hang in the air just a little longer than you'd expect. This 1974 example wears a classic Sunburst that suits the guitar perfectly. Some finishes come and go with the times. Sunburst on an ES-175 never really has.

The funny thing about the ES-175 is that people love to put it in a jazz-shaped box. Fair enough, it has probably backed more jazz standards than just about any electric guitar ever made. But that's only half the story. Roll the tone back and it's smooth as silk. Open it up and it has enough bite for blues, roots, early rock, and just about anything that appreciates a little character over outright aggression. Great guitars have a way of refusing to be pigeonholed, and I think the ES-175 is one of them.

To me, this is one of those Gibsons that gets more interesting the longer you own it. It doesn't demand your attention the way a flame top Les Paul might. Instead, it quietly reminds you why so many working musicians reached for one in the first place. Seventy years after the model was introduced, that says far more than any spec sheet ever could.

Serial: 624745
Weight: 7lbs 5oz
Model: Gibson ES-175D
Year: 1974
Finish: Sunburst
Body: Fully Hollow Laminated Maple
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale Length: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Frets: 20
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic with Trapeze Tailpiece
Pickups: Dual Gibson Humbuckers
Controls: 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 3 Way Toggle Switch
Construction: Set Neck
Made In: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Case: Gibson Hardcase
Notes: Excellent overall condition for a 52-year-old guitar. Shows expected signs of honest playwear consistent with its age but has clearly been well loved and cared for throughout its life.