1956 Gibson ES-225T
Introduced at the NAMM show in July of 1955, the ES-225T has the distinction of being Gibson's first Thinline guitar. This newly designed 16” wide hollow-body instrument featured 1-7/8" deep sides, a single cutaway and a 14 fret neck joint. The model made use of the Les Paul’s trapeze combination bridge/tailpiece - a unit that worked far better on the ES-225 than on the early Les Paul guitars on account of the 225's correct neck angle. The model was equipped with a powerful P-90 pickup positioned in the middle of the body and shimmed up for optimal string to pickup height. The ES-225T lasted just four years in the Gibson catalogue before it was replaced by the ES-330T in 1959.
A stunning example of a mid '50s Gibson hollow body, this 1956 ES-225 boasts a particularly attractive and well-preserved sunburst finish. The guitar is completely original apart from a set of reproduction tuning machines. The original frets show minimal play wear and the guitar plays cleanly across the fingerboard.
With a powerful P-90 pickup that pushes the front end of an amplifier beautifully, this ES-225 is a gorgeous sounding guitar that excels as a rhythm instrument. The central positioning of the pickup delivers a warm and full response reminiscent of a neck pickup, while adding much of the clarity and articulation of a bridge pickup. In our opinion, the positioning of the single P-90 pickup on this model puts the ES-225T among the finest-sounding rhythm guitars ever produced.
With its round, full-shouldered carve and first fret depth of 0.886", this guitar’s neck profile is nothing short of heavenly. While the slightly leaner '59 profile is the most talked about among many guitar aficionados, the full-bodied necks of the mid 1950s are, in our humble opinions, the most comfortable carves that Gibson ever put on electric guitars.
This 1956 Gibson ES-225T has been set-up in our repair shop with 11-49 strings and plays beautifully. Action is currently set at 4-5 64ths of an inch at the twelfth fret.
Scale length of 24.75". First fret depth of 0.886" and a twelfth fret depth of 0.983". 1-11/16" nut width. Pickup DC reading 8.4k. Weight of 5lbs 11oz.
With modern hardshell case.
A stunning example of a mid '50s Gibson hollow body, this 1956 ES-225 boasts a particularly attractive and well-preserved sunburst finish. The guitar is completely original apart from a set of reproduction tuning machines. The original frets show minimal play wear and the guitar plays cleanly across the fingerboard.
With a powerful P-90 pickup that pushes the front end of an amplifier beautifully, this ES-225 is a gorgeous sounding guitar that excels as a rhythm instrument. The central positioning of the pickup delivers a warm and full response reminiscent of a neck pickup, while adding much of the clarity and articulation of a bridge pickup. In our opinion, the positioning of the single P-90 pickup on this model puts the ES-225T among the finest-sounding rhythm guitars ever produced.
With its round, full-shouldered carve and first fret depth of 0.886", this guitar’s neck profile is nothing short of heavenly. While the slightly leaner '59 profile is the most talked about among many guitar aficionados, the full-bodied necks of the mid 1950s are, in our humble opinions, the most comfortable carves that Gibson ever put on electric guitars.
This 1956 Gibson ES-225T has been set-up in our repair shop with 11-49 strings and plays beautifully. Action is currently set at 4-5 64ths of an inch at the twelfth fret.
Scale length of 24.75". First fret depth of 0.886" and a twelfth fret depth of 0.983". 1-11/16" nut width. Pickup DC reading 8.4k. Weight of 5lbs 11oz.
With modern hardshell case.