The model used for the ES-125 has a string spacing on the neck pickup of 1 15⁄ 16" from high E to low E.
In 1950 the P90 transitioned to 6 adjustable poles between two Alnico 5 bar magnets. The original had 6 Alnico slug pole pieces. The ES-125 was equipped with one P90 pickup. One non-adjustable P-90 pickup with "dog ears".Both the thinline and the regular models would be discontinued by the 1970s. 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. In the mid-1950s, the ES-125T was introduced, which was an entry-level thinline archtop electric guitar based on the original ES-125. The unbound rosewood fingerboard initially sported pearl trapezoid inlays later, it would have dot inlays. When reintroduced in 1946 it had the larger 16.25" wide body that the ES-150 had. The pre-war model, discontinued in 1942, had a smaller 14.5" body. It had one P-90 single-coil pickup in the neck position, a single volume control and a single tone control. I think you need a tube amp with a lot of headroom to get good clean tones otherwise the P90 will break up and sound pretty mushy.Introduced in 1941 as the successor to the ES-100, the ES-125 was an entry-level archtop electric guitar. What sort of amplifier you use with it will make a huge difference. If you have to buy it on-line, make sure the seller has a money back return policy. It should be less expensive than other vintage model guitars if you can find one - but I would highly recommend that you play it before purchasing as it might not be the "holy grail" that you think it will be. My first Les Paul had P90s, and I took them out, had the top routed and put humbuckers in it (and then it sounded wonderful to me). I have never been a fan of P90 pickups since and have not owned another guitar with P90, although many people love them. And I'm pretty sure they were laminated body material (although I'm not sure of that), it did have a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. The more modern designs, with better tuners, stop bar tailpieces and tune-0-matic bridges are much superior in that you can be sure your intonation is correct etc.
I bought mine in 1965, it was probably a '62 or '63 model, and I paid $125 for it. The 125 was a more inexpensive "student" or beginner guitar. Honestly it wasn't that great of a guitar. My first electric was a 125 (see avatar) with a cut away and a single P90. They weren't identical then, and they aren't identical now. For me it is only buying online or flying out to a seller in Europe if there is a git reserved for me.īack in the 50s and early 60s the guitars varied quite a bit from one to another, both in neck profile and pickup windings. So I can't really go out and test a 50s ES-125 for myself.
Few second hand stores sell only very common things - used LPs, Teles, Strats etc. I live in a country where vintage Gibs and vintage gits in general are very very rare. If it is the same pickup and neck throughout the years, my main goal is a good price for a decent model. Question: did Gibson ever change anything about pickup and neck profile and size specs during the production in 50s and later in 60s? I am not interested in one specific year or anything like that. One p90, the regular deep body, no cutaway, sunburst finish. I am looking at any of the 50s production ES-125. I am totally fine with fresh guitar from store, but now when looking for my first archtop I am thinking of buying ES-125 because I can not find anything else that would beat the combination of very simple but highly aesthetic looks (the simpler the better for me) + amazing sounding P90 + relatively low price for a vintage Gib. Usually I am not the vintage guitar kind of guy.