1963 Gibson ES-355 Blonde/Natural

Gibson, back in the day, would make you just about anything you wanted if you were willing to pay up and willing to wait. The top of the thinline series was the ES-355 and it came in any color as long as it was red. Want a sunburst? Gonna cost. I know of perhaps 8. Want a blonde? Gonna have to wait (and pay). I know of just 4 blonde ES-355's built before 1965. Tone wise, it is extraordinary. This guitar is loud and unusually articulate and because you hear every nuance-and every mistake-it will make you a better player. This is the only blonde 63 I've ever seen and it's a beauty with some not too terrible issues. There are a number of filled holes-two in the top under the sideways trem and a lot of them at the endpin from at least three different tailpieces. You would think that folks would leave these guitars alone but they don't. This one left the factory with a sideways trem. Parts are 99% original-one patent number and one PAF-both sealed. Stereo circuit is intact. I'll convert to 335 if you want. The Varitone knob has been changed. Neck is wide (1 11/16") at the nut and medium to slim depth. It measures .83" at the first fret and .90" at the 12th. Pickups read 8K at the bridge and 7.72K at the neck. Finish is 100% original. Frets are too. That circular mark near the Varitone switch isn't a filled hole-it's a mark from the screw that holds the Maestro arm to the unit. I know you don't have one of these in your collection and it's priced well below what a blonde 335 would cost and much, much rarer. Original case.