'78 ES175/CC Charlie Christian Sunburst, EX+++ Cond. code GI555

http://www.jpbourgeois.org/guitar/cc.htm

Christian was the first "guitar god" of the electric guitar - sort of the EVH of the late 30's/early 40's - rising to fame with a Gibson ES-150 with a bar pickup (aka "Charlie Christian" pickup) and is widely believed to be the forerunner of the modern guitar style.  His career only lasted from around 1937 at age 18 - until he passed away in 1941 at 23. Gibson produced this model as a tribute to Charlie in '78 and '79 with very low production numbers, although I don't have the exact shipping count. Features include Florentine cutaway, antique sunburst finished maple top with f-holes, dark stained maple back and sides, 3-piece maple neck with volute, 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearloid double parallelogram inlays, floating Tuneomatic bridge with rosewood base, one Charlie Christian pickup in neck position, one volume and one tone control with "speed" knobs, trapeze tailpiece with 3 raised parallelograms, white-bound body and fretboard, b-w top purfling, beveled edge b-w-b-w-b pickguard, nickel tuners with bell shaped buttons, truss rod cover reads "ES-175/CC", 16" lower bout, 3-3/8" body depth, 24-3/4" scale, 1-11/16" nut width, and pearl "Gibson" logo and crown inlay on headstock. This one is also stamped "second" on the back of the headstock, for which the distinction is moot on a vintage guitar - whatever minor cosmetic flaw there might have been is undetectable by the time a guitar is 25+ years. This one has some nice figuring in the top and the finish is in beautiful shape with just some minor checking around the edges and some light buckle scratches on the back. 100% original with no overspray or alterations. One owner since the early 80's, and it has spent nearly all that time in the closet. This guitar is definitely investment quality !