A Piece of Gibson History, Ready to Play Again
The Gibson ES-175 is one of the most storied hollowbody electric guitars ever made. Introduced in 1949, it quickly became the go-to archtop for jazz players who wanted a full, warm tone in a 16-inch body that was a little easier to hold than the big-bodied L-5 and Super 400. By the mid-1960s, the ES-175 had decades of real-world gigging under its belt — and this 1966 example is a genuine piece of that legacy.
What makes the '60s ES-175 special is the combination of a slim, fast neck profile and Patent Number humbuckers that deliver a warm, rounded tone with excellent note clarity. The laminated maple body — a deliberate design choice from day one — keeps feedback manageable at volume while still producing that airy, open hollowbody character. This is the guitar that Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, and Steve Howe all turned to when they needed a hollowbody that could handle more than just quiet cocktail jazz.
If you've been hunting for a vintage ES-175 that's been played and lived a real musician's life, this is worth a close look. Used examples like this one are increasingly hard to find in the wild.
Laminated Maple Hollowbody Construction
The ES-175's all-laminate maple body is not a shortcut — it's the reason the guitar exists. Gibson made a deliberate choice to use laminated maple construction, which kept the price accessible and also made the guitar substantially more resistant to feedback than a carved solid-top archtop at comparable volume levels. The 16-inch-wide, 3 3/8-inch-deep body with dual f-holes and a single Florentine cutaway gives the ES-175 its distinctive shape and voice.
The Florentine (pointed) cutaway was actually a Gibson first — the ES-175 was the company's first electric guitar to feature it. It opens up access to the upper frets in a way that the rounder Venetian cutaway on other models did not, which suited bebop and jazz players working the full neck range.
Mahogany Neck and Patent Number Humbuckers
The 1966 ES-175 carries a one-piece mahogany set neck with a rosewood fingerboard, 20 frets, split-parallelogram inlays, and a 24 3/4" scale length. By 1966, Gibson's chrome-covered Patent Number humbuckers had replaced the earlier PAF and patent sticker versions — these are often described as early T-top pickups, producing a warm, full sound well suited to jazz and blues but capable of handling rock and fusion as well. Controls follow Gibson's standard layout: two volume, two tone, and a three-way selector switch.
Hardware is all chrome-plated, including the pickups and zig-zag trapeze tailpiece. The floating rosewood bridge was the standard for the period, offering a warm tonal response that the later Tune-o-Matic (fitted to some 175s in subsequent decades) approached differently.
Product Features:
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Body: 16" laminated maple hollowbody archtop, single Florentine cutaway, dual f-holes
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Neck: One-piece mahogany set neck, slim late-'60s profile
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Fingerboard: Rosewood, 20 frets, split-parallelogram inlays
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Scale Length: 24 3/4"
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Pickups: Gibson Patent Number humbuckers (chrome-covered)
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Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way pickup selector switch
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Bridge/Tailpiece: Floating rosewood bridge, zig-zag chrome trapeze tailpiece
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Tuners: Kluson Deluxe (period-correct)
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Hardware Finish: Chrome
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Year: 1966
This is a used electric guitar from our inventory. Pictures are of the actual item you will receive.
This vintage 1967 Gibson ES-175 is in good overall condition for its age, displaying honest wear and tear accumulated over decades of use. It features multiple fine finish age cracks throughout the body, along with imperfections around the heel, all consistent with the natural aging of a vintage instrument. The guitar has been inspected by both our in-house technicians and an independent luthier, who have confirmed it is structurally sound in its current condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they provide the best representation of the instrument's overall condition.
All used gear is sold AS IS.
Brand: Gibson
Model: ES-175
SKU: U-1967-ES-175|397374
Condition: Used
Since 1872, C.A. House Music has been helping musicians across the Ohio Valley find the right gear -- with real advice from a team that actually plays. We're your authorized dealer of all the big names in guitars, keyboards, band instruments, drums, pro audio, and more. With four family-owned and operated locations in Ohio and West Virginia (plus a full online store), you don't have to go far for instruments, lessons, rentals, and repairs. No matter your musical needs, our team of musicians wants to help you Play Music for Life.
