Introduced in 1959 as the successor to the ES-225, the ES-330 bridged the gap between the new centre block guitars and Gibson’s classic archtops of the previous decades, becoming a firm favourite with players such as BB King and Grant Green not to mention the rhythm guitar of choice for many.

The finish has kept its deep colour both front and back and there is hardly a mark anywhere to be seen. The sunburst really accentuates the grain pattern of the maple and the finish has retained its lush gloss. 

The neck is in great condition. The back of the neck has been over sprayed in places and there are signs of work having been carried out. The fretboard is mark free and the frets have plenty of life left in them.The binding has also been painted which has obscured the dots though they are still present.

The plastics are in great shape with no warping of the pickguard. The hardware shows no signs of corrosion, slightly dulled which is to be expected.

Electronically the guitar has zero issues with the solder joints being untouched and both pickups undisturbed, strong outputs with original windings. 

The guitar comes with a non original hard case. 

Acoustically this guitar has a pleasantly warm tone that certainly tips the hat to Gibson’s archtop heritage. Plugged in the guitar runs the gamut from warm neck pickup to a more honky, biting bridge pickup tone. The neck has the slightly slimmer ‘60 profile and it is very comfortable and a complete delight to play.

This is a fantastic example with a tone to match and for a bargain price. A must for any collection. Grab it before it gets away…