1968 Gibson ES-335TDC

 

  • SOLD!

  • Year: 1968
  • Manufacturer: Gibson
  • Model: ES-335TDC
  • Case: Hard
  • Color: cherry lacquer
  • Condition: Excellent
  • Description: Retrfofret Stock # 5470. Gibson ES-335TDC Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, c. 1968, made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 800848, cherry lacquer finish, laminated maple body; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case. This 1960's ES-335 is a great guitar with a kind of quizzical story, and a history specific to the east coast vintage market in the "Wild West" days of the 1970's. The guitar was bought by its most recent owner in 1981 at the semi-legendary Guitar Trader shop in Red Bank NJ, one of the first dedicated "Vintage' guitar stores in the world. In those heady days, concepts of "vintage" were very different from now, and most late 1960's instruments were just "used guitars" with no particular collectible value! At that point, 12 string electrics were very unfashionable and comparatively worthless so the folks at Guitar Trader undertook converting a number of 1966-69 ES-335-12's to the more saleable 6-string format. As you've probably figured out, this is one of those guitars. The work is amazingly clean, very inconspicuous, and if we didn't know the story we'd never guess it had been altered. The headstock was re-sculpted to the correct contour and re-veneered front and back, with a correct Gibson headstock facing and factory style "stinger" in black lacquer on the back. The finish blacklights perfectly, being now 30+ year old lacquer (the blacklight is not an infallible tool!). The serial number is correctly stamped on the rear of the headstock but the numbers are fractionally bigger than normal; the orange label is intact but the handwritten areas are mostly faded out. All parts and electronics are original except a replaced jack and an added Bigsby from the 1970's; it was also refretted with large '80's wire-an excellent pro job. Despite its eccentric history this is a great playing and sounding 335, an excellent gigging guitar and a relative bargain in a player's '60's Gibson.Overall length is 42 in. (106.7 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.). Overall very nice; no major wear or damage, alterations as noted above. An excellent player, with an appropriate 1970's HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.