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I can only add one or two things to what other people said. If the pickups are too high you might also lose some dynamics in the amplified sound.
Using a washer between the pickups screws and the top reliefs some weight from the top giving you more dynamics and liveness, i saw it on a youtube video by a famous jazz guitar teacher, and i can confirm it to be true.
By the way, Gibson guys knows what and why they do things: if it has a thick top is to give you a fat amplified sound.
Good luck and congratulation! Beautiful guitar.
Enviado desde mi LG-H870 mediante Tapatalk
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07-03-2020 01:33 AM
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Raise the action ....
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Originally Posted by pingu
I appreciate the suggestions, though.
When I set this guitar up I wanted to get the action lower, even though it was set to Gibson specs. I'm aware of how strings can be too low and contact frets when played hard. I ran into this with a 1930s Slingerland archtop that I restored. I had to do a neck reset, straighten the neck and replace the fretboard. It didn't have a truss rod so I had to mill grooves in the neck for a couple of carbon fiber rods. It plays pretty well now, but it was major surgery.
So, when I was setting up this ES-775 I was trying to figure out if the strings really were in contact with the frets, even though it didn't seem like that was the problem. I did some testing (several times, out of frustration) and ruled that out. But thanks for your suggestions, glad to have the input. Lots of wisdom on this forum.
-Jon
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Originally Posted by sgosnell
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This discussion about the acoustic sound of an ES-175 reminds me... Wasn't Joe Pass' first Virtuoso album recorded acoustically using an unplugged ES-175?
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Originally Posted by archtopeddy
Frankly, I don't like the acoustic sound of Joe's 175 on that record as little as I like the acoustic tone of my own 1961 175. I use to compare it with the sound of a monkey farting in a tin can.
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Odd idea maybe:
The best sound I ever heard from a 175 was Jim Hall's. He had a Guild pickup on it, which may have been a single coil.
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Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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Originally Posted by oldane
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A beautiful guitar! Do you know how much it was played? A few years ago I bought a NOS Martin CF-1 archtop. It had been hanging in a shop for 10 years. I purchased it on line and when it arrived the unplugged tone was tight with almost no dynamics. But I knew this was an acoustic guitar, and like a flat top would open up. And did it ever. The more I played her the better she sounded.
And BTW, I love the unplugged sound of my ES-175 VOS.Last edited by Betz; 07-04-2020 at 12:07 PM. Reason: add some notes
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there was a thread here some time ago on the tone of Joe Pass' Virtuoso album. A few of us actually did experiments with mic'ing the ES175 and running a direct line to record, and the results came quite close to what you hear on Virtuoso. I've personally never had a problem with the sound on that recording, and actually like it because it's not your stereotypical acoustic sound. It sparkles and snaps, growls and speaks. It's not my favorite, but somehow it fits the way Joe was playing on that album, IMO.
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The Virtuoso record was made on Pablo records. Norman Granz, the owner of Pablo wanted everything to be one take, warts and all on that label's releases. The concept was to capture pure jazz improvisation. I have all of Joe Pass's work on that label, and while much of it is far from perfect (mistakes can be heard and the tone sometimes is less than stellar), it is all wonderful.
Joe's tone on "For Django" or "Intercontinental", IMO is as good as jazz guitar tone gets. It is a very "electric" tone, played on a 1962 Gibson ES-175D with flatwounds. I own three Gibson Es-175D guitars, each strung with flatwounds. Joe's early tone is the sound that I am always trying to achieve. If only I had his fingers and skill set.....
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Originally Posted by Stringswinger
DB
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Here is a shot you might not have expected. Gene Bertoncini playing a blonde Gibson ES775! Taken Jun 1, 2004 at a workshop.
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Originally Posted by Stringswinger
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Originally Posted by Betz
My 2017 VOS 59 is the lightest and most acoustic.
My 2017 Figured is the heaviest and most electric.
My 1997 is in between those two.
While they are all different, they are not as different as my carved electric archtops or my carved acoustic archtops. That said, I do believe a two pickup 59 reissue and a 90's one pickup 165 would be different enough in both tone and feel to easily justify owning both. Hope that helps.....
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Originally Posted by Stringswinger
My '91 ES-775 is about 1/4" or .25", my Epi Joe Pass (Peerless, 2003) is about 7/32" or .220", and my '61 ES-125TD is about 5/32" or .160"
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Originally Posted by Stringswinger
Thank you!
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I may be wrong, but isn't the OP talking about the fabled and much revered "thunks" that wins the approval of 175 players and listeners?
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Don't forget Jim Hall. There's a whole library of early ES-175 JH records with the classic thunk sound.
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I think the thunk of ES 175 and what OP is talking about are two different things.
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Originally Posted by jonh
Congrats on your NGD - enjoy it in good health
I have two 175s and am very familiar with what you describe...the sound getting thinner when you dig in
I think that the suggestions to raise the action and lower the pick up are sound
I also think that some of this depends on pick ups. In my 175 with P90s - no issue; in my other with Classic 57s...big issue
what I’ve found useful to play at the sweet spot between the neck pup and the neck. It also pays to play around with volume. Following the advice of other forum members (esp. Lawsonstone), I now turn my amp up and turn the guitar volume down (sometimes as low as 5). That helps a lot
hope this is useful
apologies if it’s all a bit obvious
best
david
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Originally Posted by jonh
ES-175 VOS 1959 (2012) 4,95 mm – 2,6 kg
ES-175 VOS 1954 (2015) 5,83 mm – 3,06 kg
and for comparison:
ES-275 (P90s) 5,23 mm.
The difference in feel goes with the numbers: 1954 feels ’deader’ than 1959. ES275 has less depth so the feel is different, less vibrant.
Of course one must consider also that VOS 1959 is 1 pickup model so the top vibrates a bit more freely.
I have always thought that the OP’s question is about every archtop. That has been a hard school for my heavy right hand. But enjoyable school!Last edited by Herbie; 07-07-2020 at 06:04 AM.
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Originally Posted by jonh
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Also pick is an important factor for the compression. Some picks just make ES 175's (and other guitars) sound compressed even when picked lightly, others give you more "headroom".
For example, Dunlop Jazztone picks sound more compressed to me. The regular red Jazz III's sound more open. Although out of the package, the unbevelled edges have molding marks that can make it sound thin. Some sandpaper and polishing work clears that nicely.
Fender Chris Stapleton Princeton
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