Re: ES 175 GAS relief
- From: mleggett@xxxxxxxxx (Max Leggett)
- Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 23:24:16 GMT
Congrats on the 175. After B's postings about his 175 I got a major
gas attack, too, and got a very nice 165 with a routed Benedetto pup.
It's not got a mahogany back, it's not loud, and doesn't sound as good
as B's 175, but it's ultra playable - something about that 3.25" depth
and the short scale is just so right - and it's nice and mid-y. Also
about 1/2 the price, whgich hugely aqppeals to the cockles of my cheep
little heart. But I still envy you and B those primo 175s ....
On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 19:03:41 -0400, Nick Thomas <nick@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
>Here is my tale of GAS relief. It has been building for many months
>and with 5 sharp's blessing I tell the tale.
>
>I had been playing my Gibson Tal Farlow, minding my own business when
>our friend 5 sharp comes up with a REALLY nice sounding 175. I ask him
>for the details. Early 80's, mahogany back and sides instead of the
>usual maple; pretty standard stuff. But the year and the woods are
>important.
>
>I really wanted the shorther scale length. I have short arms and
>fingers. Plus all those years of playing Les Pauls has engrained that
>spacing into muscle memory.
>
>I picked up a few 70's 175's and they were boat anchors. Now they
>can't all be that heavy, but a couple were bucking to be Les Pauls.
>
>Now, before the Tal I had played a Campellone. The sound of this
>guitar got buried once I started playing with a larger ensemble. Once
>all the horns got honking I might as well have been playing the
>spoons.
>
>So I figure, if he can find a good one in the Netherlands, it should
>be a cinch to find one in the good ol USA. Not so. While I did find
>many examples with the mahogany back and sides from the early to late
>80's they were all as dead as door nails, or had a non-existant
>mid-range; all highs and lows. But mostly I played a lot of dead wood.
>And with the price of shipping and gasoline the search really started
>to hurt.
>
>Last week I found what I was looking for about an hours drive from me.
>I am convinced that emailing 5 sharp before heading out on my journey
>brought me much good fortune. The neck was smallish and felt great.
>Feel is tops on my list of must-haves. The tone was amazing from the
>first note. It is a bit livelier and a tad brighter than 5 sharps, but
>that is also something I was looking for. The tone is just as deep and
>as sweet.
>
>I have been wandering the Earth with a high resolution sound clip of
>his 175 on my IPOD so I knew just what I wanted sound-wise.
>
>I think part of the key to this guitars sound is that it had been
>heavily played and that the finish was very checked and had opened up.
>The guitars finish looks like a 50's guitar, not something from 1987.
>Also, oddly enough, the head stock is stamped "SEC" which I guess
>means it had a blemish coming out of the factory. The tuners had been
>changed to Grovers, it has a somewhat new correct replacement bridge
>and tail-piece. The shiny top coat is rubbed down to a dull finish in
>many places. The frets are half gone but professionally crowned and
>play very well. It has been played.
>
>It really does look and play like a late 50's guitar. I tried a few of
>those too, but did not find a "good" one.
>
>Thank you 5 sharp for the sound clips. Now please stop buying guitars.
>I really don't need a 335.
>
>-Nick T
>
>
-------------------------------------------------------
Is it not strange that sheep's guts should hale
souls out of men's bodies?
Willie 'The Lion' Shakespeare
-------------------------------------------------------
.
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