1957 Gibson ES-225TD, Sunburst
- Unit price
- / per
At a Glance:
Model: ES-225TD
Year: 1957
Finish: Sunburst
Body: Fully hollow single cutaway
Fingerboard: Bound rosewood with dot inlays
Pickups: Two original P-90 pickups
Tuners: Correct single-line Klusons with plastic buttons (top E tuner button has a repaired crack)
Tailpiece: Correct nickel long trapeze
Nut width: 42.4mm
Neck depth: 1st fret 22.8mm / 10th fret 24.7mm
Pickup readings: Bridge 7.75k / Neck 8.06k
Case: Period brown Lifton case
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
1957 Gibson ES-225TD, Sunburst
- Unit price
- / per
Ask a Question:
1957 Gibson ES-225TD, SunburstDescription
Super clean, collector grade 1957 Gibson ES-225TD, finished in a wonderfully attractive three-tone Sunburst and complete with a period brown Lifton hard case. Despite their rarity (only made between '56-'59) these models represent excellent vintage value, offering a rare golden-era Gibson for the price of some modern Custom Shop instruments.
Predecessor to the ES-330 the ES-225 occupies a lovely spot in Gibson’s 1950s hollowbody range. The ES-225T (single pickup version) was introduced in 1955 combining fully hollow, thinline construction, a comfortable single florentine cutaway body and a centred, single P-90 pickup. The TD (double pickup) version was introduced a year later with production running for less than 3 years before the model gave way to the ES-330 in 1959.
This example presents beautifully. The Sunburst finish remains clean and vibrant, with the guitar reacting exactly as expected under blacklight. There is some tasteful light lacquer checking throughout, and the binding has mellowed to a lovely yellow hue, altogether making this a truly striking, collector grade instrument.
The body is fitted with its correct nickel long trapeze tailpiece, and the tuners are original single-line Klusons with plastic buttons. All other hardware and plastics appear correct, including the original plastic endpin. Furthermore there is no second strap button hole drilled at the heel - a testament to its careful ownership over nearly seven decades.
The neck has a lovely profile, a bit slimmer than expected of a '57, with a medium C carve that feels great to play. It features a bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, the frets and nut appear original and overall it's a very playable example.
The guitar retains its two P-90 pickups, both of which sound excellent. They are nicely balanced, with plenty of clarity, a balanced midrange and plenty of open hollowbody warmth. The pickup tape fluoresces correctly under UV, and the loom appears correct, with Bumblebee capacitors still present.
Overall, this is a stunning example of a short-lived, golden era model. It comes complete with a period brown Lifton case with the Gibson badge intact.
Adding product to your cart
At a Glance:
Model: ES-225TD
Year: 1957
Finish: Sunburst
Body: Fully hollow single cutaway
Fingerboard: Bound rosewood with dot inlays
Pickups: Two original P-90 pickups
Tuners: Correct single-line Klusons with plastic buttons (top E tuner button has a repaired crack)
Tailpiece: Correct nickel long trapeze
Nut width: 42.4mm
Neck depth: 1st fret 22.8mm / 10th fret 24.7mm
Pickup readings: Bridge 7.75k / Neck 8.06k
Case: Period brown Lifton case
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.