1959 Gibson ES-355 Red Stop tail

This is a really unusual 355. First, it's a factory stop tail-rare enough? There are only about a dozen known-all special orders as a Bigsby was standard equipment on a 355. Second, it's a big neck 59-the 355 went to the slimmer "transitional" neck early in the year-much earlier than the 335 and 345. Wait, it gets better. It's a thin top like a 58. This is a stereo 355 but it doesn't have the fully cut away center block like every stereo 355 I've ever seen. This one is built exactly like an early first rack 345 with the small rout for the Varitone, wax potting around the choke and short leg PAF. I've owned others from this rack of 35 guitars but this is the only one that is built this way. My guess is that it was originally intended to be a 345. Everything is original One note-it has a repaired smile crack at the headstock. Stable since the 70's. Original brown Stone case.