The ES-225 can be viewed as a short-lived transitional model or a significant yet overlooked milestone in the evolution of Gibson guitars. Either way, it is one of the few non-student model Gibsons from the 1950s that is still just about affordable
We recently observed that the ES-225 is to a pre‐1956 Les Paul Goldtop what a ES-335 is to a ’Burst. If you compare an ES-225 from 1956 with any pre-1956 Goldtop, you’ll notice identical pickups, potentiometers, tone capacitors, control knobs and switches. Assuming the guitar in question is original, even the truss rod cover and nylon nut are the same.
ES-225 neck profiles and frets evolved throughout the 1950s, and they tracked the Les Paul models very closely. Besides the buttons, the Kluson tuners are identical, too, so that leaves the thinline body as the only significant point of difference. Even the trapeze bridge is a throwback to the earliest Les Pauls and it actually enhances the ES-225 – but more on that later.
The Skinny
During the 50s, players were beginning to appreciate smaller and more comfortable guitars with extra feedback resistance, and Gibson was facing stiff competition. In those days, Gibson was a fairly traditional guitar manufacturer, and it hit on an idea that maintained the company aesthetic while catering to the latest trends: it introduced new models with thinner bodies.
In essence, the ES-225 is a thinner version of the ES-295, which is just an ES-175 with a fancy tailpiece and glitzy lacquer. All three models share an identical Florentine cutaway outline and laminated body construction, but where the ES-295 and ES-175 measure 3 5/16 inches (84mm) deep at the rims, the ES-225s clock in at just 1 11/16 inches (43mm).
The ES-225 was Gibson’s first thinline electric and, as such, the forerunner of the ES-330 and ES-335 and many others. The ES-225 was soon joined by the ES-350T and carved top Byrdland, but it was the only one with Gibson’s full 24 ¾ -inch scale length. The other two had a 23 ½-inch scale length and were actually a half-inch thicker. But the ES-225 has a hidden feature that sets it apart from all the others and can be seen as a significant first step towards the radical centre-block design of the ES-335.
Gibson glued a maple block measuring about half an inch thick between the top braces. It extends from the bridge area towards the lower bout and it must be assumed that Gibson did so to solidify the top and dampen resonance.
One Or Two
The ES-225T was introduced in 1955 as a single-pickup guitar. This wasn’t uncommon for archtop guitars, but rather than situate the pickup in the usual neck position, Gibson elected to place it dead centre instead. Being charitable, it
