1957 Gibson ES-175 Vintage Archtop Guitar Blonde, Collector-Grade w/ PAF & Lifton Case

Up for sale, a 1957 Gibson ES-175 in collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original Lifton hardshell case. A stunningly clean golden age Gibson instrument with its original Blonde gloss nitro lacquer finish and PAF neck position humbucker, this ES-175 is a remarkable late '50s Gibson archtop.Tonewoods include the fully hollow 16" wide maple body and one-piece Honduran mahogany neck capped with a bound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and acoustically the guitar has plenty of bass register breath, treble detail, and immediacy, qualities which translate faithfully through the original PAF humbucker. Strung with 12-52 flatwound strings (with a wound G), the PAF delivers incredible warmth and sweetness, with a woody cut and treble clarity. Wound at 7.38k ohms, the PAF has enough punch, presence, and immediacy to compliment picking dynamics, yet with an overall bloom indicative of both the pickup wind and fully hollow body construction. The guitar weighs 5lbs 12oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with easy-playing action and accurate intonation.The one-piece mahogany neck has a chunky C-shaped carve with round, inviting shoulders and plenty of substance, yet not as massive as some necks from 1957-58, measuring .895" deep at the 1st fret and .985" at the 9th. The bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard retains the original slender "banjo" frets which have been freshly dressed and show zero wear. The guitar plays cleanly in every register up the 24 3/4" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The original nylon nut is intact, measuring 1 11/16" in width, and the headstock retains the original Kluson Deluxe single line tuning machines with transparent keystone buttons. There is just a tiny bit of wear on the top headstock edge, and faint “bleed” into the finish from the tuner housings on the back of the headstock.All of the electronics work as they should, and the PAF has one original coil and one coil rewound to vintage spec by Eric Daw Custom Guitars (screw coil). The pickup meters as it should in the "low wind" PAF range at 7.38k ohms, with the original PAF decal on the baseplate and stock nickel cover. The wiring harness is also stock. Original hardware includes the Brazilian rosewood floating bridge with compensated saddle and the nickel zig-zag tailpiece. The plating on the tailpiece is bright and clean with just the faintest dusting of surface patina, and the original plastics are near mint, comprising the wide bevel pickguard and pair of amber bonnet knobs. The orange oval label with A prefix serial number is visible through the F hole, as is the bold U-prefix Factory Order Number stamped inside the body.The original Blonde nitro lacquer gloss finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, and simply remarkable in its preservation. There is a light speckling of bubble maple figuring on the back too. Cosmetic wear is limited to very faint lacquer checking on top, and one tiny nick on the treble-side lower bout edge adjacent to the binding. Beyond that, there is one slightly darker arching line in the finish on the back (likely from contact with something in the case) and a few exceedingly faint finish scratches in the clear coat of the gloss. The nitro gloss on the neck profile is extremely clean and smooth, with just a few shallow nicks on the carve behind frets 6-7.The original brown Lifton hardshell case with brown speckled exterior and pink interior is included, also extremely clean with functional latches and the original handle frame.