The Budget Version of the ES-175 with a Single P-90

1965 Gibson ES-125C

This late 1965, 16-inch-wide, 3 1/3 inch-thick guitar weighs just 5.40 lbs. Three-ply laminated maple body, single-bound on the top and back. One-piece Honduras mahogany neck with a standard scale length of 24 3/4 inches, a nut width of 1 9/16 inches and very comfortable medium-to-thin profile. Black faced headstock with "Gibson" logo in gold. Serial number "329808" stamped in blind on back of headstock. Rosewood fretboard with 20 original 'jumbo' frets and inlaid pearl dot position markers. Single-layer, bell-shaped black plastic truss-rod cover with two screws. Three-in-a-line Kluson Deluxe 'Double-Line' Strip Tuners with white oval plastic buttons. One original P-90 pickup with a strong output of 8.74k.  Single-layer tortoiseshell pickguard secured to body by two screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) with gold plastic bell-shape metal top knobs. Rosewood bridge with pre-set compensating saddle on rosewood base and Trapeze tailpiece with raised diamond on cross-bar. There are two very small and insignificant dents/dings on the back of the neck behind the first and fifth frets - most likely from a capo being used. The original frets do show some playing wear and the fretboard has a few light 'divots' on the first four frets - but the guitar plays and sounds just as a ES-125 of the era should and does not require a re-fret… we have given this all original guitar a strong (9.00) exceptionally fine rating.  Housed in its original worn but sound Gibson four-latch, shaped "Alligator" softshell case with black padded lining (8.50)

"Two cutaway variants of the ES-125 were announced in early 1965 as budget versions of the 175 series. As implied by their designation, however, the single pickup ES-125C and the dual pickup ES-125CD share the same specs and ornamentation as the non-cutaway ES-125. (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 169).

Just 475 examples of the thick bodied ES-125C were shipped between late 1965 and 1970 with only 87 guitars shipped in the first year.