Here is a magnificent 1964 Gibson ES-175D in a stunning naturally aged Tobacco Sunburst finish, featuring a typical ’64 neck with an excellent feel, and two perfectly balanced Pat# pickups that are warm and powerful. The ES-175 is one of Gibson’s great classics: its sharp Florentine cutaway, parallelogram mother-of-pearl inlays, and “Zig-Zag” tailpiece make it instantly recognizable, and many legendary musicians are associated with this stage beast.

Among the favorite “Golden Era” Gibson models, the ES-175 appeared in 1949 as the electric version of the L-4. The 175 — named after its original price of 175 dollars — immediately became a hit. It was first equipped with a single P-90 in the neck position, and a two-pickup version (still with P-90s) arrived in 1953. With a width of 16 1/4″ and a shorter scale length than the 17″ or 18″ models, the ES-175 features a fully laminated body. The result: a more affordable price than the solid-wood Super 400 or L-5, better ergonomics, and improved feedback control. In 1957, the ES-175 adopted the “zig-zag” tailpiece and received Gibson’s brand-new humbucker pickup. Offered with one or two pickups, it remained almost unchanged until the early 1970s, when the single-pickup version disappeared. Produced from 1949 to 2017, the ES-175 is one of Gibson’s longest-running models.

Our 1964 instrument is a superb guitar with a wonderful feel, very pleasing natural patina, and absolutely splendid weather checking. According to its previous owner, it was purchased in Ireland, and a few small modifications or repairs were carried out by a former owner: a refret job (excellent, making it very playable), the neck pickup cover removed and reinstalled, missing metal knobs on the pots, a solder joint on the harness that seems to have been retouched, and on the top—under the strings—some traces of glue or support for… well, we’re not exactly sure: floating pickup? Pickguard? Something else? The serial number is clearly visible on the headstock and on the orange “Union Made” label typical of 1964, though the two numbers differ by one digit. Such factory anomalies are common. The guitar shows very light checking, a superb finish, and absolutely no breaks, cracks, or major repairs of any kind.

As for the hardware, the tuners and all nickel hardware are correct: zig-zag tailpiece, wooden bridge—everything is coherent. The plastics are also correct: gold reflector knobs, wide-bevel pickguard, all in nice condition. The pickups are original Patent Sticker humbuckers: the bridge pickup is intact, and the neck pickup had its cover removed and resoldered. The original potentiometers are no longer in their casings.

This guitar offers a lively and resonant acoustic response, with a warmth that recent models never quite match. Typical of early ES-175s—lighter than later versions—this guitar is a marvel both acoustically and plugged in. The pickups sound wonderful: the bridge has a strong, silky grain; the neck is defined and warm, delivering a broad tone with pronounced, articulate mids. The neck has a perfect C profile that is not too thin, very comfortable, with a 43 mm nut width. The refret is still perfect, with no grooves or wear. A marvel of comfort.

This superb 1964 Gibson ES-175D comes with its original case and will delight both players and collectors.