SOLD - 1958 Gibson ES-225, 1955 ES-125 (WITHDRAWN) and SOLD - 1938 ES-150!

DB1

Just seeing if any of you creatures of exquisite taste may want this beauty. It's (as you've probably guessed) a 1958 ES-225 in a glorious sunburst. It's all original  - apart, possibly, from the tuner tips. It's also got the Lifton case with it, which is also in great condition. I've seen something shiny that I want to buy, so I've been racking my brain (didn't take long, as it's not much of a brain) as to what to do. It's really just a feeler to see if anyone's keen, and if there's any interest, we can take it from there. If not, my shiny new object of desire will have probably sold in a few days, so it rather defeats the object of selling it, I suppose!

It really is in wonderful condition as I hope the pics show, and I don't mind taking something interesting as a part-ex - preferably something with holes in, or vintage - or both. Cash price is £4500 - it might be too early to say that I don't want to post it. or to do PayPal, but I'll say it anyway. I'll happily drive miles and miles to deliver it though. I'm in Stafford, and you're very welcome to visit me and have a play and a coffee. I had a 1959 model fairly recently. and that was excellent. This is even better - livelier, I'd say, if anything. There's some lovely gentle lacquer checking on this - the pots don't crackle, and the pickups are strong, with a lovely range of tones, from jazz to pretty Tele-like. 

roberty

Bloody hell that's nice

JezWynd

Wow, surprised to see this one up for sale. They really are exceptional guitars and yours is one of the cleanest i’ve ever seen.

DB1

JezWynd said:

Wow, surprised to see this one up for sale. They really are exceptional guitars and yours is one of the cleanest i’ve ever seen.

Yes, it's lovely, I must say. I've just got something specific in mind that I'd like to buy, and I'm trying to not have too many of the same type. It's just to see if anyone's interested really, as the thing that I'm looking at will probably be gone in the next few days. If it has, then the ES-225 stays, but I've got a bit of a 'one in, one out' policy at the moment. Mind you, that's a fairly loose policy, to be fair. 

paul111s

That’s a lovely looking thing 

AlexO

That is one stunning guitar! It must be something really special to be moving that one on?

JezWynd

I didn't bond with mine initially; I think it had lived in its case for a long time and was rather dead sounding and I compounded the fault by setting the action too low. But putting it on the wall, playing it regularly and lifting the action eventually bought it to life. As you say, it can sound Tele'ish esp on the bridge pu - probably something to do with the bridge. Very fair price for an all original parts example - they were prone to having the pickups removed and losing their bridge feet, so a clean, cased original is quite a rare beast.

Jalapeno

Just Wow !  Immaculate GLWS

DB1

Thanks! :-)   @JezWynd ; - I know what you mean. My old 1959 one (in similar condition) felt less lively than this one.  It's certainly got the twang as well as the mellow sounds. @AlexO - there's a '54 reissue LP goldtop that's reared it's head, and although I'd normally not think about 'one in, one out', other drains on the cash front mean that I've got to consider it. If I miss out on the LP, then it'll probably stay with me, as it really is a stunner. The pics honestly don't flatter it. 

jimmyguitar

That’s gorgeous, would trade my Es-300 for it?

DB1

Hi Jimmy - I need to come out with a couple of thousand quid or so for something else really, and (you might remember) I've got the single pickup blonde ES-300. I love that twin pickup one of yours though! 

jimmyguitar

DB1 said:

Hi Jimmy - I need to come out with a couple of thousand quid or so for something else really, and (you might remember) I've got the single pickup blonde ES-300. I love that twin pickup one of yours though! 

No worries, offer is there! It’s a beautiful playing/sounding thing, the 225’s cutaway and thin body appeal to me though 

DB1

Cheers Jimmy! I love the ES-300's - mine's an early 1948, blonde and virtually mint, with original case, but I think the extra pickup enhances the looks as well as the tone versatility. 

prlgmnr

That's smart. Nicer than my one anyway.

Does it have a serial number? Mine doesn't and I'm curious if that's common, or calls its authenticity into question.

DB1

Good question! I'm at work at the moment, and I honestly can't remember, so will check later. I THINK it's a FON, inside the body, visible through the upper 'f' hole.

prlgmnr

On another forum a guy said his didn't have one, until one day he sprayed febreeze in the case and next time he opened it there was a number that had been there the whole time, inside the f hole as you say.

My assumption is that he was inhaling the febreeze and it has hallucinogenic properties but you never know.

goldtop

On my '58 blonde 225, there was an inked number/code visible through the lower f-hole (i.e. the one by the scratchplate). It was inked on the wood, not on a label. Long gone, so can't check it, but I've got a photo where you can just about see it.

JezWynd

Number is clearly red inked inside lower F hole on my '59 sunburst. On DB1's, it's likely hiding under the scratch plate inside the F hole.

DB1

Yes, you're right - serial number inked inside the lower F hole, and the model inked inside the upper F hole. 

richh

Looks amazing!  Tempting, but having bought your vintage ES-175 a few months ago, I'll have to restrain myself.

Folks, if you're after a good archtop, @DB1 is a great guy to deal with!

DB1

Thanks @richh - likewise! Yes, that ES-175 is lovely. I must have bought and sold (only as a hobby/obsession) about 100 in the last three years, and I can count the ones that I miss on the fingers of one hand. A 1991 ES-335, my L-5 Signature, a CS Strat (which I bought back!) and your ES-175. 

I tried the '54 reissue Gold Top, and (although it was nice) I don't think it's worth parting company with the ES-225 for, so I'll leave this up for a few days maybe to see if anyone's interested, and see what happens.