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New vs Vintage ES 175


dvd5300

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Okay. I spent a month looking, and recently found a good deal on a 1979 ES175D Natural finish with maple neck- $3,000. Ready to buy it, then I looked online at a new ES175D on Musician's Friend website- Sunburst, mahogany neck- for $3,200. Am I crazy to consider a new Gibson? Should I buy it, play it and, if it's not a keeper, send it back? FYI the 1979 played nice- good neck- PU's sounded great.

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Yup.. that is the only real way to know.. to play them...

 

If the new one is a good guitar then vintage smintage.. Just cos its old doesn't make it necessarily any better.... good and bad guitars appear in every year.

 

So, no.. You arnt crazy at all :)

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And I would be nervous about a 70s Gibson with a 3 piece maple neck. I have owned several that have twisted.

 

Not saying all 70s maple necked Gibsons will twist but I WILL say that every Gibson I've owned with a twisted neck was 70s maple.

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And I would be nervous about a 70s Gibson with a 3 piece maple neck. I have owned several that have twisted.

 

Not saying all 70s maple necked Gibsons will twist but I WILL say that every Gibson I've owned with a twisted neck was 70s maple.

 

My preference is mahogany. The other 175's I looked at had mahogany necks, but 1-9/16" nuts. I prefer a 1-11/16".

It seemed straight when I played it. I couldn't detect any issues, but I'm not a Luthier either. Can there be movement after 36 years? The photo of the new Gibson 175 on the Musician's Friend website shows the bridge adjusted down pretty far. Maybe even all the way. (More, closer pics would be better) Is that a bad sign?

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The photo of the new Gibson 175 on the Musician's Friend website shows the bridge adjusted down pretty far. Maybe even all the way. (More, closer pics would be better) Is that a bad sign?

Not really.. It could be a very good thing and may just mean nice low action... which to me is a good thing... (as long as theres not a load of string buzz as a consequence).

 

Again.. it really is impossible to tell from pictures.. Gibsons are hand finished and set up so they are all different in that aspect...

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First of all, there's nothing "vintage" about a 1979 Norlin era 175, it's just a "older" guitar. It has no added, or perceived greater value just due to what it is, and never will. So,... as has been said above, it should only be compared as a "used" guitar, taking into account the price, playability, sound, condition, etc. The price also looks 25%-30% higher than what I would call "market value".

 

All else being relatively equal, the new guitar at $3200 is a better value than the used guitar at $3000.

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First of all, there's nothing "vintage" about a 1979 Norlin era 175, it's just a "older" guitar. It has no added, or perceived greater value just due to what it is, and never will. So,... as has been said above, it should only be compared as a "used" guitar, taking into account the price, playability, sound, condition, etc. The price also looks 25%-30% higher than what I would call "market value".

 

All else being relatively equal, the new guitar at $3200 is a better value than the used guitar at $3000.

 

THIS!

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  • 1 month later...

THIS!

An old jazz playing friend of mine has a beautiful '63 ES175 and a '69 and '79 ES 175, and the '79 is his go-to guitar out of the three. Not all Norlin era stuff was bad, most were very good instruments from my experience from gigging and recording. [smile]

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I haven't tried one of the newer 1959 reissues, but my 2012 reissue ES175 I love very much - that's mine in my avatar pic. I think old or new, so long as you try the instrument and it suits you either are great.

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