Refinished or just great condition on Gibson es-125?

[ericfsu14]

Came across the great looking Gibson es-125 and was wondering if this is just a real cherry or has it been altered? Did they come with a shiny lacquer finish? Ive only see pretty rough looking ones in person.

[L5Larry]

One photo is not really enough to tell much, and you almost need the guitar in-hand to be definitive, but to answer one of your questions, yes, they came with a shiny nitrocellulose lacquer finish.

 

Additional info might help:

 

What is the serial number and what year is it "supposed" to be?

 

Does it show any lacquer checking (hairline cracks) anywhere on the guitar, specifically around stress points such as the base of the neck, control knob area and base of the headstock?

 

Do parts of the guitar finish look much more shiny than others?

 

Has the finish been inspected under "blacklight"? This will reveal any overspray, and can show evidence of a refin.

 

I could go on with questions, but this kind of thing is not best determined by photos over the internet. An experienced guitar technician or vintage guitar 'expert" in your area, with guitar in hand, can answer your questions in a few minutes.

 

Suspicions aside and from the singular photo, the guitar looks like the ultimate "closet classic", but..... almost too good to be true. As tens of thousands of 125's were built over the years, and the fact it was a "student model", they don't carry a large value, collector or retail. Regardless of a refin or other mods/repairs, if the guitar plays good and sounds good, an ES-125 is a fine instrument to own at the "right" price.

[JimR56]

Came across the great looking Gibson es-125 and was wondering if this is just a real cherry or has it been altered? Did they come with a shiny lacquer finish? Ive only see pretty rough looking ones in person.

 

That's a pretty good photo, and based on what I'm seeing (the color and shading of the finish, the patina on everything, the parts, etc), I'm confident in saying that it's "right". They made so many of those, it isn't surprising that you will occasionally see one that's very clean. I do see minor wear, though, which only convinces me further that it's all original.

[ericfsu14]

Thanks for the replies. It's officially mine! Although I'm worried it TOO nice to play gigs with! But i guess a good problem to have.

[wintermoon]

while not a for sure thing, the yellowed binding is a decent indicator.

of course an old refinish might have yellowed binding, but as Jim point out, evrything looks pretty righteous.

[Pesh]

That's incredible; congratulations on the new ES! I reckon you could risk it at a gig for a song or 2...get her out to see the world!