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My New Heavily Modded 50's ES-125 w/cutaway and 2 P90's (Pics and Video)

JimFog

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2001
Messages
182
I had a '53 ES-125 for years that my dad found and gave me. Always liked it, but found the lack of a cutaway and 2nd pickup very frustrating, and not very useful for my playing. Eventually, dad said "Sell it if you don't use it! Won't bother me a bit". So, I did.

Flash forward 20+ years to last week, and a I see a "Ratrod'ed Gibson ES-125" on Craigslist. Turns out I had a bunch of mutual friends with the guy selling it, and an amp he was interested, so we worked a deal.

What a killer guitar.

It's another 50's ES-125.......but back in the 70's, somebody hacked it up with a poorly done cutaway and bridge pickup, plus a really ugly, caramel-y fudge finish. The guy I got it from bought, and sent to a local luthier for 9 months, who redid the cutaway and binding, cleaned up a bunch of extraneous holes, refinished it black, put on a Bigsby and all-new excellent electronics, including a pair of Fralin P90's.

It's EXACTLY what I wanted my old 125 to be......except maybe the black, which is nice, but wouldn't have been my first choice.

It's gonna get a LOT of use around here, between the rockabilly, jump blues, western swing and honky-tonk bands I'm in.

Here's some pics and video.

44317441_10216065060314741_7805595369575809024_n.j  pg



 

JimR56

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2012
Messages
588
That looks and sounds great!

Ditto that. Nice job by the luthier who rescued it.

I checked out your other videos, Jim. Man, you've got some range and some chops and some taste. Kudos, sir. :salude
 

JimFog

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2001
Messages
182
Ditto that. Nice job by the luthier who rescued it.

I checked out your other videos, Jim. Man, you've got some range and some chops and some taste. Kudos, sir. :salude

Thanks. It was Howard Guitars in Magnolia, DE.

Appreciate the kind words!
 

mad dog

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2006
Messages
440
I wondered who got it. Saw the listing, was about to contact him with a trade idea when the listing disappeared. Good score Jim. That looks and sounds quite nice!
MD
 

JimFog

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2001
Messages
182
I wondered who got it. Saw the listing, was about to contact him with a trade idea when the listing disappeared. Good score Jim. That looks and sounds quite nice!
MD

I'm amazed at how many people I know that saw his ad and thought about it, but didn't pull the trigger. I'm glad I did!

BTW, you're on the Gear Page under the same name, right? We used to talk on there, especially the "West Coast Blues" thread, before I was shown the door.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
Great rescue , and what an amazing tone and chops and super technique -Outstanding !
 

toneville

New member
Joined
Apr 3, 2019
Messages
20
Who could argue a mod like this. Gibson didn't even think enough of the ES125s to serialize them back then and now it has a whole 2nd career ahead of it. Well done.
 
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