Jackie65 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 So, I have just finished watching the Joe Pass/Ella Fitzgerald concert on You Tube for the bazillionth time! I would buy a new ES-175 tomorrow if I had the money! What say the masses about my best option around the 2k mark? On my radar so far: 2004 Gibson ES-137 on EBay for auction at $2000 (so far, closes tomorrow night) 1977 Gibson ES-137 on Reverb for $2500 ("different tuners, visable fret wear up to the 12th fret but doesn't affect playability" they say) 1997 575 Custom on Reverb for $1725 but it's had "minor neck repair" that looks like it was cracked through almost?! ____ 575 Custom FS and on EBay for $2399 (doesn't say what year and doesn't say if it has a case, shows a lot of pick wear on the pickups, otherwise might be nice) I like the idea of the Gibson as what all the old famous cats I like enjoyed to play, but worry about getting a dog as I will be buying sight-unplayed. I like the 575's but only when they have the custom inlays (I know, I know, but I like's ma fancy fretboard bling). Open to all ideas you have to get me a good ax! I have not played a Heritage, just read all the goodness about them. I am okay with not buying a Gibby just because of the name if I can get the sweet sound from something else. If you think I'll be unhappy unless it's a true Gibson then let me know that too or anything else you think I should consider! No snobbery here, genuinely don't know what I should do with my dough for now. If only I'd had this desire 30 years ago when it was cheaper right?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLeroy Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 I'm a newbie myself, but welcome to the HOC. Full Disclosure: I'm selling all my G brand guitars to buy some more H brand guitars. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=heritage+H-575 knock yerself out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie65 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 Or I could go super cheap and check out the Eastman AR372 for sale up the street for $750. Not finding any true reviews of Gibson versus the world, ha ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brentrocks Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Get a h525 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pressure Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 You have to play a lot of those guitars to see what will make you really happy. I'm a big fan of Mr. Pass but he played anything he got his hands on including a Fender Jazzmaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Hold out for a 575 spruce top with a medium C neck,mahogany bodyou and neck,Seth lovers,that what I use to fly joe,pyramid Plat wound strings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yooper Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 I believe Joe played an Ovation live in Denmark with Stephane Grappelli. His Epiphone models even sound great when he plays them. Let's just say he would have loved any Heritage hollow body. We all do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 I believe Joe played an Ovation live in Denmark with Stephane Grappelli. His Epiphone models even sound great when he plays them. Let's just say he would have loved any Heritage hollow body. We all do. Dont know where I read it but he said he didnt really like the Ibanez JP sig much. Seldom played them unless he was traveling OS. Didnt really care about gear or practice that much. Im sure he practiced at some stage of his life, maybe later he dropped it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 No doubt his best sounding rig was his D'aquisto,but his older 175 recording were outstanding..those kawasaki guitars sucked,but I guess they kept him out of the poor house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 No doubt his best sounding rig was his D'aquisto,but his older 175 recording were outstanding..those kawasaki guitars sucked,but I guess they kept him out of the poor house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 No doubt his best sounding rig was his D'aquisto,but his older 175 recording were outstanding..those kawasaki guitars sucked,but I guess they kept him out of the poor house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Banana fingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Save a lot of money and buy an Epi 175 or a Gibby ES-135. 575 can be found for some good deals. Are you looking for lots of bling or just functional use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Your voting criteria asked for "The BEST used Joe Pass option". Based on that and since you've only given us the choice of an ES175 or H575 to vote for, I voted for the Gibby. The 175 is a laminate body jazz box that Joe Pass turned into an iconic instrument. His jazz "thunk" came from that 175's plywood body, flatwounds and his amazing technique. If you want HIS tone, you've got to go with his axe. If you want an all solid wood archtop that is loosely based on the ES175 (similar dimensions, but neck pickup placed at the harmonic and closer to the fingerboard) then my vote would be for an H575. I've owned an ES165 Herb Ellis (single p'up model), and it had HIS tone...but the quality was sub par in my view. I understand that the QC has improved on the recent Custom Shop 175's, but as you pointed out, that's going to cost much more than any 575. I absolutely love my 575's!! The best way to decide on an archtop, or any guitar you plan on keeping for a long time, is to play as many as you can before purchase. Let us know what you decide on, and welcome to the HOC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Your voting criteria asked for "The BEST used Joe Pass option". Based on that and since you've only given us the choice of an ES175 or H575 to vote for, I voted for the Gibby. The 175 is a laminate body jazz box that Joe Pass turned into an iconic instrument. His jazz "thunk" came from that 175's plywood body, flatwounds and his amazing technique. If you want HIS tone, you've got to go with his axe. If you want an all solid wood archtop that is loosely based on the ES175 (similar dimensions, but neck pickup placed at the harmonic and closer to the fingerboard) then my vote would be for an H575. I've owned an ES165 Herb Ellis (single p'up model), and it had HIS tone...but the quality was sub par in my view. I understand that the QC has improved on the recent Custom Shop 175's, but as you pointed out, that's going to cost much more than any 575. I absolutely love my 575's!! The best way to decide on an archtop, or any guitar you plan on keeping for a long time, is to play as many as you can before purchase. Let us know what you decide on, and welcome to the HOC. This! And I would add: Do enough research to know what you want. Get that. Any compromise of that approach will result in you getting rid of the compromise guitar, sooner or later, to get what you wanted all along. Life is short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanschoyck Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 If you have your jaw set for an ES 175, I would save and get that. While I agree with the "play as many as you can" thing, I find that I have to live with a guitar a while before I really know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfan Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Welcome Jackie65. Full disclosure, I got to chatting with Jackie on TGP about Heritages and other guitars and I told him (or her?) to join the HOC to get the info from the experts. Glad you made it over here. Nice bunch of folks here. I tried to stress the mojo that comes with a Heritage. I recently heard from a semi local member here who read that I had a 575 I was considering selling. I broke it out for the first time in a long time, installed strings and holy cow I forgot how nice it was. I have been vacillating on selling ever since. It does have a sweet voice. I also considered selling my H150..guess what same story..too freaking nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfan Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 No doubt his best sounding rig was his D'aquisto,but his older 175 recording were outstanding..those kawasaki guitars sucked,but I guess they kept him out of the poor house. Kawasaki guitars? Which one? Or I could go super cheap and check out the Eastman AR372 for sale up the street for $750. Not finding any true reviews of Gibson versus the world, ha ha! Eastmans are cool too, I discovered them and was surprised at the value, I have two of their acoustics. If I were only getting one guitar to keep for a lifetime and play jazz though it would be a Heritage arch top of some sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie65 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 I do really like the bling (bound f holes and blocks in the fretboard). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 I do really like the bling (bound f holes and blocks in the fretboard). GUILTY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Those ibanez guitars,they never sounded good on joe. He hated playing them..but a Recon a buck is a buck..and the epiphone he only played once.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
111518 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 I would strongly recommend playing a 175 or two or three before you buy, if that's your choice. They tend, in my experience, to have thick, round, baseball bat-type necks. I like this feel, and I own a 175, but, it is not a typical neck carve for most current guitars. And, I sold Ibanez guitars as a kid working in a store, and the only one that made a strong enough impression that I went back and searched for and bought one years later was the Pass model. Everyone grips about the pickup placement. It is true that the pickup isn't at the neck, so, it sounds different ... go figure. I like the little bit more edge it yields, but, mostly, it's a very comfortable guitar to play acoustically. The model was reversed engineered from his D'Aquisto .... which means it is as close to a D'Aquisto as I'll ever get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichYank Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Note about the You Tube posts by LittleLeroy. The first one is not believable or credible at all. It's some guy who never plays the instruments just talks about them. Reminds me of a kid playing outfield picking dandylions. Just my humble 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Nothing close to a D aquisto ,I knew Jim pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polo Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Sure is some strange birds been flyin around lately!!!!! - a fairly simple man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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