1949 Gibson ES-175
The inaugural ES-175 — a jazz guitar that would define Gibson's archtop electric heritage. Single P-90, pressed maple construction, and the distinctive pointed cutaway. Very rare first-year examples.
Current Market Value
* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology
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Specifications
| Body Wood | Maple (pressed archtop single-cutaway hollow body) |
| Neck Wood | Mahogany |
| Fingerboard | Rosewood |
| Scale Length | 24.750" |
| Frets | 20 |
| Pickup Config | S |
| Bridge | Combination adjustable bridge/tailpiece |
| Tuners | Kluson Deluxe |
| Finish Options | Sunburst |
| Est. Production | 75 |
Pickups & Electronics
Single P-90 dog-ear pickup. Single pickup configuration is the original 'D' (standard) version.
What Changed in 1949
First year of the ES-175 — Gibson's most important single-cutaway archtop electric. The pressed (laminated) maple construction was unusual at the time but produced excellent results. Very low first-year production.
Collector's Notes
First-year (1949) ES-175s are rare. Verify single vs. two-pickup configuration — the two-pickup 175D is more common. P-90 dog-ear pickups should be original. These are jazz instruments but have been embraced by rock players.
How to Authenticate a 1949 Gibson ES-175
Gibson serial numbers from this era are ink-stamped on the back of the headstock. Cross-reference with known Gibson serial tables — numbering was not strictly sequential. Potentiometer date codes are critical: look for CTS pots (code 137) with two-digit year codes matching 1949 or up to 18 months earlier. This is the most reliable dating method for Gibson guitars of this era. The finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer showing age-appropriate checking (fine crazing). Under blacklight, original nitro fluoresces a distinctive green-yellow — refinished instruments lack this characteristic. Verify original P-90 pickups with correct construction. Full-depth hollow-body archtop. Laminated maple body with single Florentine cutaway. Parallelogram inlays. Check binding condition — deterioration common. Original Kluson Deluxe should be present with no evidence of replacement (no oversized bushing holes). Original hardshell case adds provenance value.