ES-175 Value

[bobframe]

I am considering the sale of a Gibson ES-175, serial #600196. The headstock has "Made in U.S.A." stamped in it and the body cavity has a white/black/purple sticker showing the guitar was built in Kalamazoo.

 

I know that Gibson s/n's can be tricky, but I believe this is a mid 70's guitar.

 

Can anyone pinpoint this guitar's mfg date?

 

Anyone have any insight into this instrument's value?

 

Many thanks,

 

Bob

________

[L5Larry]

The white/purple stickers came in around 1970, the six-digit serial numbers went out in 1975, so 70-75 is all you can get by serial number alone.

 

The features of the 175 have virtually remained the unchanged since it was fitted with humbuckers, so there are no feature changes to help.

 

On six-digit Gibsons, without any other defining features or information, the accepted method of putting an assembly date on them has become potentiometer codes. It's not an easy task to get the codes off the pots inside a hollow body, but it can be done, and I know of no other way to narrow down the year of mfg.

 

Let us know what you find on the pots.

[L5Larry]

A quick survey of e-bay "sold" listings shows mid-70's era 175's selling for around $2000 - $2500.

[bobframe]

A quick survey of e-bay "sold" listings shows mid-70's era 175's selling for around $2000 - $2500.

 

That's close enough for what I need. Thanks very much.

 

For grins I tried to read number on pots...very tough to see...does "77650" mean anything (on bridge tone pot)? Mind you, I'm reading the numbers through a poorly lit mirror (so they are backwards) and some serious dust bunnies.

[retrorod]

do you have a picture of "the beast" ??

[L5Larry]

does "77650"

 

It's normally a seven-digit number that starts with "137", so if you got the last five numbers it would read:

1377650.

 

IF.. this is the number, the pots were made during the 50th week of 1976 by CTS Corp. That would bump the guitar assembly well into 1977, but... your six-digit serial number does not fit the eight-digit serial number scheme used in '77.