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Hi, I recently bought a NOS 2016 ES 275 and everything is perfect. Truss rod working fine too. I asked the dealer guitarguitar.co.uk to check before sending it and they did. I also owned one with a dead headstock and returned it before. Now happy.
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12-05-2018 03:56 PM
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Sometimes coil cuts on existing are better...
Originally Posted by Marty Grass
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How deep is this body and lower bout width?
I am seeing a stoptail version also is it called ES 275
Thinline ?
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Is this the newer version of the 275, the semi-hollow? Or did you manage to find one of the last year designs with the fully hollow body? You said 2018 so I assume its the hollowbody. If so , nice catch! The new ones (this year) are thinlines now and are semi-hollow AFAIK, which IMHO makes them a 335 clone really.
She's a beauty I got one in black and I love it!
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Ken, that's a beauty. It is a bit annoying that Zzounds calls it a "Custom Shop" because it is clearly not. Memphis models stand up on their own just fine.
Nice to see that Gibson Memphis is going out with a bang with their great builds. I just hope the assimilation into Nashville will not adversely affect them. Gibson says no, but what would anyone expect them to say? They do say the ES products will be split with the higher end models going to the Custom Shop and the lower end models going to Gibson USA.
We'll see how that all works out.
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So I have had my 275 for 4 months now and it still makes me smile! I am past the hyper focusing on every detail stage and it just feels like my guitar now. I have but one change I might make and that is pups. I think I would be happier with a set of Sheptone Tributes in there like my Les Paul has. But not everyday. About 35% of the time I am very happy with the sound, but the rest of the time I am trying to attenuate some highs...a bunch. Through a tweed Champ! I think a stock A5 PAF type pup would be better. However, I keep telling myself that it is easy to roll treble off, but it sucks trying to add it when it is not there! Anyway, the guitar is a winner!!
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The 2019 model ...... $2999
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I have read mixed reviews here on the Gibson ES 275. I do not like bright sounding guitars much and the 275 was described as kind of bright. That seems strange. I never played one but considering the specs it really should not be that bright. I mean, with a maple body, mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard it has all the specs for a traditional ES sound. I have owned an ES 350t with the same specs (apart from the scale and size) and it was not bright at all. Is it the pups on the 275? The scale?
I like the cosmetics for the 275 though and I am thinking of trying one out but if it is really that different from the traditional ES sound I can save myself the trouble and perhaps try out a 330 or so.
O yeah, would a 2018 275 model have a richlite fretboard? Not sure I'd like that ...
Regards,
DB
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the one I played a couple years ago (synthetic fingerboard I think) was super bright but unless you get it home through your amp with your strings and setup, it may be unfair to judge.
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I wouldn't call mine bright, but I have flat wounds on it.
Richlite is a superior fretboard compared to ebony, at least in some ways. It likely is more durable than ebony, which probably doesn't matter much since ebony will last a lifetime. It is smoother and consistently jet black.
The downside is that it isn't ebony. It doesn't have the grain and tiny grooves. That can tug at the emotions.
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Mine is not any more bright than most laminate archtops. In fact, it has a wonderful dark smoky jazzy tone when you cut back on the tone pot a bit.
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There is an ad for one over here that states all the specs of the guitar. It says: Originally Posted by Marty Grass
Fingerboard Material: Dark Rosewood
It does not say "richlite." Do all ES 275s have a richlite fingerboard?
DB
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Mine has rosewood but is not dark rosewood.
Here is what Gibson calls dark rosewood. It's dark but not black. I chose the darkest of the lot when I got this 345.
Some of the dark rosewood has some lighter streaks. But my guess is that Gibson darkens the wood with stain.
Yes, this is sideways.
Last edited by Marty Grass; 05-06-2019 at 08:23 PM.
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If your 275 is bright, roll guitar volume back, amp volume up, and use 12-52 flatwound strings.
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Have someone else play the 275 for you plugged into an amp like yours and listen to it on the other side of the room.
I'm working on a "proximity theory" for plugged-in archtops, I think they are sneaky.
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The original fancier ES-275 Figured in Montreuxburst and Amber had richlite. All of the rest were/are rosewood. Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog
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one has nothing to do with the other. The tele neck pickup sounds beautiful. The 275 I played was bright and thin, didn't have the body in the mids that I was looking for. Compared to a 335 they had and a 175 it was bright and shrill sounding. A tele on the neck pickup is typically not shrill. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
These clips reinforce my thoughts. No doubt you can turn the treble down and get a more mellow sound but out of the box, I didn't think it was "my" sound.
OTOH, this clip sounds great. The one I played didn't sound like this. Maybe all it needs is a good set of thomastiks and a setup?
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Maybe you played a 2019?
The 2019 models have a centerblock, makes them brighter...
My 2018 is super mellow with flatwounds, and still very warm with roundwounds, not bright at all...
That said, even a 2019 shouldn't be brighter than a 335, are you sure the wah wasn't engaged? :-D
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Judging by YouTube clips (has it's limitations of course), it doesn't seem overly bright to me. But it does sound a lot like a 335 to my ears, and not like hollow archtop!
I liked the sound in this vid, but it's also very 335-esque to my ears. I think it's because of the body being a carved out piece of mahogany - probably gives it a more solid/semi-soundprofile.
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Hi, the body of the 275 is not carved out of mahogany, it is traditionaly built with back and sides made of maple/poplar/maple laminate, like an ES-175.
Until the end of 2018 they had a fully hollow body with no center block which gives them a distinctively different sound than a 335.
If I have some time later on I will post samples of my 335 and my 275, two different beasts imo.
The guitar on the video has light gauge round wound strings with a plain G, which brings its own jangliness, and my guess is that there was plenty of treble on the "virtual" amp and that the tone pot was fully open.
In my opinion that guitar should be strung with AT LEAST 11-52's WITH A WOUND G (which is what it was shipped with), and if you want a classic jazz tone you should go for flatwounds like thomastik swing or daddario chromes.
It sounds great with both, not bright at all! I will post examples in a a deluxe reverb with everything on 5.
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My bad, sorry, I was under the impression they had a mahogany body that is CNC-worked to hollow it out. I see now that's not the case. Then I have no explanation why they sound so much like 335s to my ears (and I am talking about the older models, not the recent thinlines with a maple centre block). Originally Posted by fantomaz
But hey, I love the sound of a good 335 (or that of my 333 for that matter ;-)
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Here are the samples played in a fender deluxe reverb with everything on 5, both guitars with the volume on 10 and the tone pot fully open; the 275 is a bit quieter so raise the volume to match the 335 or you will be fooled by the "it sounds louder so it is better" conundrum ;-)
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I'm a bit weird about that. I hardly ever roll the tone knob down on the guitar. I usually want them to sound good without having to do so. Originally Posted by Greentone
DB
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Yesterday I tried out a 2007 Gibson ES 330 (long scale) with P90s. Beautiful guitar but trebly and tinny. I also played a 335 briefly but that sounded even thinner. I traded in my 1987 ES 335 for the same reason years ago. As much as I want to love the 335 I have not found anything that I like yet. When I plug in my 175, 125 or 300 I get what I want right away often. Originally Posted by Little Jay
I remember playing a short scale ES 330 reissue a few years ago and I liked that a bit better.
Not sure wwhat the ES 275 will bring me but I am not holding my breath. It's so hard to judge from clips. The only thinline so far that got that fat and darker ES tone was my ES 350t. Sold it though ...
Like Jack told me today, maybe I should stick to my 175 etc.
DB
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IMO the 275 sounds very close to a 175 with an ABR bridge when played thru a good amp.
The 275 has maybe a bit more sustain, but the general quality of the tone is very similar.
If you like the tone of the 175 with the wooden bridge, there is surely a way to have one adapted for the 275.
The benefits of the 275 for me are the top fret access, smaller, more ergonomic body and better balance, generally MUCH less tiring than the 175 to play for long periods, I dont quite know how to put it but I feel I dont have to fight it as much as the 175 or even the 335 for that matter.
The smaller string spacing is a matter of taste, I have "normal" hands, "large" glove size and I find it super comfortable even for finger style playing.
All together it is a matter of taste, but it is definitely not a "bright" guitar when strung properly, you can trust me on that :-)
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