1951 Gibson ES-175
The 1951 ES-175 — the definitive jazz archtop. Sharp cutaway, floating bridge, and P-90 pickups. The guitar of Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, and Pat Metheny.
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 laminate (full-depth archtop) |
| Neck Wood | Mahogany |
| Fingerboard | Brazilian Rosewood |
| Scale Length | 24.750" |
| Frets | 20 |
| Pickup Config | S |
| Bridge | Floating rosewood bridge with trapeze tailpiece |
| Tuners | Kluson Deluxe |
| Finish Options | Sunburst, Natural |
| Est. Production | 600 |
Pickups & Electronics
P-90 single-coil pickup(s). Single pickup (ES-175) or dual pickup (ES-175D).
What Changed in 1951
Continued production. The ES-175 remains the jazz guitarist's first choice.
Notable Examples
Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Jim Hall — the ES-175 defined jazz guitar tone.
Collector's Notes
Jazz players prioritize playability over collector condition. Original pickups, floating bridge, and trapeze tailpiece are key. Single-pickup models are rarer but two-pickup more desirable for players.
How to Authenticate a 1951 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 1951 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.