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Gibson ES-225
1955 Sunburst Gibson ES-225T
Period	1955–1959
Construction
Body type	hollow
Neck joint	Set
Scale	24.75"
Woods
Body	maple (laminated) some have mahogany sides -- sunburst models not natural
Neck	mahogany
Fretboard	rosewood
Hardware
Bridge	Les Paul combination bridge/tailpiece
Pickup(s)	1 or 2 P-90s
Colors available
tobacco sunburst, natural

The Gibson ES-225 is a thinline hollowbody electric guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation between 1955 and 1959. It is notable as the first thinline hollowbody guitar produced by Gibson.

History

The ES-225 was originally introduced in 1955 as the ES-225T, a thinline hollowbody guitar featuring a Florentine cutaway, the Les Paul combined bridge and tailpiece (also used on the Les Paul from 1952 to 1953 and on the ES-295), a laminated pickguard, and a single P-90 pickup mounted in an unusual position midway between the bridge and the end of the fingerboard. From 1956 the ES-225TD, a twin pickup model with conventional pickup positioning, was also available.Both models had a tobacco sunburst finish, with more expensive natural finish models (ES225TN and ES-225TDN) also available from 1956.

Specifications

The specifications remained the same during the period the guitars were manufactured, with the exception that in 1959 a few guitars were made with separate trapeze-style tailpieces and floating Tune-o-matic bridges.

When the guitar was initially marketed it was the first thinline hollowbody guitar Gibson had produced, preceding the Byrdland and ES-350T models. In 1959 the ES-225 was phased out in favour of the ES-330 and ES-125T models.

Reception

Gibson shipped 5,220 of the single pickup ES-225 and 2,754 of the twin pickup models.

References

1. ^ Duchossoir A R (1998). Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, p. 229
2. Gibson Electric Guitars and Amplifiers, 1958 catalogue. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Gibson, Inc. p.9
3. Wheeler T (1992). American Guitars: An Illustrated History. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, p. 139
4. Duchossoir A R (1981). Gibson Electrics. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, p. 112
5. Duchossoir A R (1998). Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, p. 82

• Gibson electric guitars
• Semi-acoustic guitars
• 1955 in music