Gibson ES-330TD Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 365114, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, laminated maple body; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.

A super nice original example of a sunburst ES-330 from 1965. This guitar has typical period features including a medium cherry sunburst top, bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlay, and chrome-plated hardware including a tune-o-matic bridge and trapeze tailpiece. The single bound body is fully hollow, unlike the semi-hollow 335-355 series and the neck joins at the 16th fret. The tuners are single enclosed Kluson deluxe with plastic buttons. Two P-90 pickups are mated to the standard Gibson wiring rig, with the older style gold 60's style "capped" plastic tone and volume knobs and white switch tip. This is one of the earliest "skinny neck" examples from late 1965, with the nut narrowed to 1 5/8" from the earlier shape in common with nearly all Gibson models of the time.

The ES-330 is a great sounding very versatile guitar at home in many musical situations. Despite being intended by Gibson as an "amateur" instrument (the least expensive of the double-cutaway thinlines) the 330 has been heard on countless classic records in many styles of music since its introduction in 1959. Jazz great Grant Green used this model extensively on his most well-regarded early-1960's recordings. A number of period bluesmen have been spotted with one as well, including B.B. King, Chuck Berry and most notably Slim Harpo, who is nearly always pictured with one. The 330 and its nearly identical sister guitar the Epiphone Casino were featured in countless '60's British invasion bands, including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Manfred Mann, the Merseybeats and many more. This is a nice example, fitted with a period Bigsby with a "Fab" sound in spades!
 
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 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.). Very clean and all original, with very light wear overall, most notably scuffing into the finish on the back and some corrosion on the pickguard bracket. No repairs or modifications, just a light fret dress. Marked as a "second" but no visible flaw we can find. An excellent player, and a super example overall with a newer HSC. Excellent + Condition.

Item # 6939

$4,200.00