Gibson | ES-125

Introduced in 1941 as the successor to the ES-100, the ES-125 was an entry-level archtop electric guitar. It had one P-90 single-coil pickup in the neck position, a single volume control and a single tone control. The pre-war model, discontinued in 1942, had a smaller 14.5″ body. When reintroduced in 1946 it had the larger 16.25″ wide body that the ES-150 had. The unbound rosewood fingerboard initially sported pearl trapezoid inlays; later, it would have dot inlays.

In the mid-1950s, the ES-125T was introduced, which was an entry-level thinline archtop electric guitar based on the original ES-125. It would later add options for double P-90 pickups and a sharp cutaway, referred to as a florentine cutaway, similar to the ES-175. Both the thinline and the regular models would be discontinued by the 1970s.

Materials: Solid Honduras mahogany neck, arched maple back and sides, solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge.

Hardware: Original P-90 pickup and electronics; original nickel trapeze tailpiece; original tortoise pickguard; original nickel-plated Kluson Deluxe tuners, original compensated rosewood bridge. Vintage correct gold bonnet tone and volume knobs.

Notes: Introduced in 1938 as the ES-100, the ES-125 was renamed in 1941, and remained in continuous production for over 30 years. With its fat P-90 pickup and fast 24.9″ scale, the ES-125 offered true Gibson quality and playability at an affordable price. The laminated body offers superior feedback resistance, and the guitar produces a respectable acoustic tone for playing unplugged.

This example is in excellent original condition, without pick, buckle or thumbwear, right down to the original frets. A solid player for jazz, swing or blues, the ES-125 remains by far the best value in a true vintage Gibson archtop.