Meteorock

Studying a Masters Degree related to Chemical Engineering can sometimes be a serious pain in the buttocks, but rarely we recieve a course that lets us have a glance at the beauty of life. Right now I'm taking one of those courses, named Meteorological Aspects of Air Pollution. Comes to pass that Dr. Jonathan Khal, who is imparting these series of lectures is, as I am, a fond guitar aficionado. He owns an obscure guitar, hardly ever heard of, the Gibson ES-175 Steve Howe model based on the 1964 Gibson ES-175 played by this guitar virtuoso.

As the people from Gibson say about this guitar: "...The Steve Howe signature ES-175 celebrates the achievements of the man who elevated rock guitar to an art form. As a member of the English band Yes, Steve's tasteful, eclectic guitar parts helped define a new style of music...". So, if you happen to like progressive acts such as Dream Theater or Steve Vai, have in mind that they owe a big deal to guitar master Steve Howe.

His signature guitar is as elegant as his sound. You may notice in the picture the vintage sunburst finish which accentuates the purity of the instrument's design. Nickel hardware makes the guitar look solid and strong. The maple/poplar full-hollow body nicely catches those elusive fat lows coupled with bright and round highs yielding an explosive jazz sound. A big ol' toggle switch selects between the '57 classic humbucking pickups. The Nashville TOM bridge and 175 tailpiece evoke an era when luthiers sincerily cared about taste in guitar making. Kudos go to Gibson for making such a nice instrument. If someone asked me if this guitar is stable, I would have to answer: "compare its temperature to the temperature of the sorrounding air". Adieu.