1960 GIBSON ES-125

Gibson ES-125 from 1960, in very good original condition.

Here is a superb example built in the first half of 1960, when the model had almost reached its second decade of existence: introduced in 1941, it complemented the range of proto-electric guitars represented up until then by the ES-150, the ES -250 and the ES-300, the 125 offering an economically accessible option for modest budgets. Production was suspended the following year, like that of all 6-string electric models due to the war, and picked up again in 1946. Since then, the ES-125 constituted the bulk of hollowbody electric production until its withdrawal from the catalog in 1969 – in total, nearly 34,000 examples left the Kalamazoo factory, proof that Gibson had mastered the formula combining simplicity and quality of construction, the same which guaranteed the success of other models like the LG-1 or the Les Paul Junior.

The instrument presented here is typical of the hollowbody electric guitar kept to its essence: arched top and back made from laminated maple, mahogany sides, a single P-90 pickup in the neck position… everything you need to obtain a immediately usable sound once plugged in to the amplifier. The Sunburst finish is superbly preserved, we can note a clear evolution of the color between the reddish Sunbursts of the late 1950s and those ranging from a deeper black to amber through red as we can see it on this guitar. The rest of the original hardware is also present, including its pickguard, tuners, Brazilian rosewood bridge and electronics. We only note an old repair carried out at the back of the headstock, it is perfectly stable and discreet. The instrument has been fully optimized for playing in our workshop, work including planning of the frets, adjustment of action and intonation at the nut and bridge – enough to restore 100% of its playability to this sixty-plus-year-old instrument!

Sold in a modern fitted hardshell case.