This guitar is a commission sale. If you have a high-end or vintage guitar you are interested in selling please contact us.
Here for sale we have a Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis hollow-body archtop electric guitar in Vintage Sunburst finish. Jazz legend Herb Ellis was famously associated with the 1953 Gibson ES-175 single-pickup archtop electric guitar throughout the majority of his career. The guitar had originally left the factory with a P-90, however this was changed for a PAF humbucker due to feedback issues. In 1991 Gibson released the ES-165 Herb Ellis in tribute to the Jazz great, creating a new model which shared many specifications with his original instrument. The ES-165 Herb Ellis was available until 2013, going through a few different variations over it's 22 year run. In 2004 the 490R humbucker was replaced with a Gibson BJB floating pickup which remained on the spec sheet until the instrument was discontinued. Additionally there was a short lived 'Plus' version which featured two pickups, available between '02 & '04.
Made in the USA in 1998, this guitar features a set-neck construction comprising a Laminated Maple body, Mahogany neck & 20 fret Rosewood fingerboard. Gold hardware is fitted including a zig-zag tailpiece ABR-1 TOM bridge & Grover tuning machines with 'Tulip' buttons. A single Gibson 490R passive humbucking pickup is installed and is wired to master volume & tone controls. The body is handsomely bound in white, whilst the fingerboard is inlaid with MoP split parallelograms, complimenting the beautifully Flamed Maple of the body.
The Mahogany neck plays exceptionally well. The profile is very comfortable, and could be described as a 'Soft C' shape which provides easy reach across the fretboard in all registers. This works in tandem with the 12" fingerboard radius to make jazzy chord voicings and smooth lines feel like a breezy and effortless affair. The single Florentine cutaway body design improves access to the upper register, meaning you can make use of all 20 frets. The shapely lines of the body feel great in the arms and with the arched top and back feel very comfortable in both standing and seated positions.
When plugging the ES-165 Herb Ellis in, it's very easy to see why instruments such as this are favoured by jazz players around the world. The tone is warm and round, yet retains clarity and articulation. Notes chime with a quality that is spacious while also being distinct and bell-like -perfect for both chordal and melodic playing. The single pickup configuration helps to reduce the weight on the top of the instrument, facilitating more vibration and improving the dynamic responsiveness of the instrument. The Laminated construction also makes this guitar resistant to feedback at high volumes, meaning that it is perfect for live situations.
This guitar is a commission sale. If you have a high-end or vintage guitar you are interested in selling please contact us.
Please be aware that for international buyers import fees are not included in our postage and packaging cost, this only covers the cost of the guitar being sent to you. Import fees will be charged by Customs upon the guitar's arrival in the recipient country. Due to Brexit, this also applies to EU buyers. We advise checking the total import cost with Customs as this is not information we are able to accurately provide.