1957 Gibson ES-225T SUNBURST

While relatively short-lived among its peers, the Gibson ES-225 model represented the first-ever "thinline" hollowbody electric model for the company. Taking the laminate recipe and shape of the deeper bodied ES-175, the ES-225T delivered a lighter instrument, less appointed, and with a uniquely positioned P90 at the midline of the bridge and fingerboard. The long trapeze tailpiece used in the original Les Paul solidbody and ES-295 models is also employed in the ES-225.

This mid-period example from 1957 is a great, lightweight example with a strong P90 and a great 50s neck. It's got a great acoustic tone with a richness in the low midrange and nice round but bloomy top end. Plugged in, the P90 delivers some robust output but still has a nice bouncy feel with wonderful clarity; it's a perfect pickup to work the volume and tone controls for some added versatility, not to dissimilar from how a great Les Paul Junior behaves. The centered pickup position also provides a great responsive balance, allowing the player to dictate more of the voice by way of pick location and attack. You can understand why Gibson continued to use this method in the ES-125 and ES-330 models that followed.

Year: 1957

Body: Maple/Poplar/Maple Top, back and sides

Tuners: Kluson Nickel button tuners

Neck: Mahogany

Fretboard: Rosewood with clay dots

Fretboard Radius: 12"

Neck Width: 0.919 at 1st fret , 1.044 at the 11th fret

Frets: Original

Scale Length: 24 3/4"

Nut Width: 1.701"

Nut material: Bone

Bridge: Wrapover bridge and tailpiece

Pickups and switching: Single P90 Pickup with master volume and master tone conrols

Weight: 2.7 kg

Case: Comes with an original 1960s Byrdland case

Notes: Tuners have been changed, peg holes have NOT been reamed.