Early 1965 Gibson ES 330 TDC Cherry Red

1965 Gibson ES 330 TDC Cherry Red

Here we have a stunning early 1965 Gibson Es 330 that benefits from having all the pre 1965 all important Gibson transition appointments such as the full 42mm nut width and all nickel hardware. The humble 330 is still in my opinion one of the best vintage buys out there and still represents amazing value when stacked up against the rest of the market, and along with its Epiphone twin the Casino used extensively to sculpt the soundscape of the 1960’s. Today these are still a great choice as they are very lively and very responsive at lower volumes making a perfect tool in the home and studio. They are also light and this one weighs in at mere 6 lbs and feels effortless to play. It has been re fretted recently which of course helps the playing experience with the original nut retained. The cherry red finish is original and has a deep rich lustre with minimal fade and the overall condition is extremely good and firmly in collector grade category. There is a shrinkage split in the binding on the north side of the board between the 19th and 20th fret which is solid and some play wear to the edges of the neck through the top coat as you would expect. The rest of the guitar has natural age related checking and is very easy on the eye. The neck P90 pickup measures 7.9k ohms and the bridge 8.2 k ohms making for an excellent balanced set and must be still hand wound rather than machine wound that Gibson would also introduce in 1965 that can result in a weaker bridge pickup that you often find from 66 on. The plastics are all original as are the double line Kluson tuners with no others ever being fitted. The original nylon saddle ABR1 bridge is in the case with a brass saddle replica presently on the guitar which could easily be swapped back if preferred. The case is an original Gibson yellow lined Lifton that will fit your 335 and has the pebble dash covering, so from the slightly earlier 1960 -62  period but is most likely original to the guitar. One of the nicest 330’s we have had in for a while and we don’t see that many in cherry so if you are in the market here’s your chance!

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