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Gibson ES 125Semi-Acoustic Guitar! Archtop Hollowbody Electric Guitar
Introduced as an entry-level archtop hollow-body electric guitar in the 1940s, the long-since discontinued Gibson ES 125 is still finding its way onto stages today. Sometimes called a semi-acoustic guitar because of its hollow, sound-enhancing body, the ES-125 is among the low-end offering from the ES series. The ES, of course, stands for Electric Spanish, a reference to the type of guitar. Regular guitars are sometimes called Spanish or classical guitars to differentiate them from Hawaiian guitars which are laid flat on the lap. First available in 1941, the ES-125 was brought out as a successor to the ES-100. Most players think it’s a great choice for jazz -- and this model still gets plenty of blues and rockabilly playing, too. It’s a simple guitar with a P-90 single-coil pickup at the neck. It also has both a tone and a volume control knob. Originally introduced with a 14.5 inch body, that version was short-lived. The model went away when most production in the United States was halted for World War II. When it finally retuned in 1946, the body was remade to be 16.5 inches wide like its brother the ES-150. While the unbound fingerboard of rosewood had pearl-like trapezoid inlays in earlier years, these eventually gave way to cheaper and simpler dot inlays. In the 1950s, the ES-125T, a thinline model, joined the regular ES-125. That model was later offered with double pickups and a sharper cutaway that made it resemble the ES-175. In the 1970s, all ES-125 models were discontinued and this well-liked electric guitar left the lineup to take a seat in Gibson guitar history. Luckily you can always find several listed on eBay A few well-known guitarists still sometimes bring the simple elegance of an ES-125 onto stage with them. For example, Sheryl Crow has been seen with one. Since she’s been known to play songs with sounds influenced by rock, folk, hip-hop and country, it’s easy to see how she could find a use for one. Here's a great video of Gary Clark Jr. Rocking out with an es-125!
“It felt just right. The action was perfect, and it felt like we were meant to be together. It’s been my No. 1 guitar ever since. I play it all the time around the house, and take it with me everywhere I go. It’s the guitar I write on as well.” George Thorogood, the Wilmington, Delaware blues-rock guitarist and vocalist, often uses his ES-125. While he’s best known for his hit “Bad to the Bone”, he has also recorded covers of popular Hank Williams and John Lee Hooker songs. Along with the Delaware Destroyers, this ES-125 player has come out with 16 studio albums and sold 15 million albums worldwide. Good players stick with guitars that serve them well. While the Gibson ES 125 was never intended for glory, a few musicians give this little guy stage time whenever they can. Tell us what you know about this guitarUpload your images, or send us the url to your video. We'll embed it on this page, and give you plenty of feedback. Gibson ES 125 to Gibson ES Series |