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Up for sale, a 1958 Gibson ES-335 TDN in excellent condition and perfect working order, complete with its original PAF pickup pair and Lifton hardshell case. This golden age Gibson ES-335 hails from late in the first year of production, boasting a highly coveted early feature set including the three-ply Thin Top construction, rounded "Mickey Mouse Ear" body horns, dot inlay on the bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard, a one-piece Honduran mahogany neck with long tenon joint, and a pair of PAF humbuckers with original windings.
A largely original example with a couple key factors that make this '58 more within reach than others produced this same year, the guitar retains its original Blonde nitro lacquer body finish, while the neck has been reshaped in-line with a 1960 C-shaped profile carve. The neck and headstock face have been professionally refinished by Riggio Custom Guitars to match the original lacquer on the body, and the guitar has been refretted with flawless medium jumbo frewire. The instrument boasts all-original plastics (including the strap buttons), the original ABR-1 no-wire bridge, and new ThroBak humbucker covers and lightweight tailpiece.
Lightweight at 7lbs 14oz, this guitar has rich natural sustain, and the three-ply construction (in contrast to the four-ply 335s made from mid-1959 onward) yields a particularly lively, resonant quality. Also unique to the earliest ES-335s, this guitar has the shallower neck set seen in 1958, yet with the full-depth "shaved" ABR-1 bridge seen late in the model year, which has more stability than the first low-profile bridges known to buckle under string tension. Offering the articulation and glassy snap of the maple body and the inherent warmth of the semi-hollowbody construction, the acoustic qualities of this ES are translated faithfully via the original PAF (Patent Applied For) pickup pair.
Metering at 7.15k ohms in the bridge position and 7.8k at the neck, the bridge pickup has exquisite chirp and honk in the top end, offering a wide dynamic range and sensitivity to pick attack. The low end is sweet and round, and each string within complex chords is very distinct and crisp. The neck pickup has a woody percussive sound, smooth and full with a growl in the low end and the same detail afforded the bridge pickup. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, we've dialed in this ES-335 with fresh 11-49 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Honduran mahogany
-Shape: Slender C (re-shaped), measuring .825” 1st fret, .899” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, dot inlay
-Frets: Medium jumbo (refret), no wear
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 11/16”, nylon
-Tuners: Kluson Deluxe single line (replaced buttons)
Body Specs:
-Wood: Maple "Thin Top" three-ply
-Pickups: PAF humbucker x2, 7.15k Bridge, 7.8k Neck
-Harness: CentraLab pots date to 8th week of '58
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: ABR-1 no-wire bridge (full depth "shaved"), Throbak lightweight stopbar
-Plastics: Long guard four-ply pickguard, gold bonnet knobs, amber switch tip, M-69 pickup rings, plastic strap buttons
-Serialization/Factory Markings: Orange oval label, A-prefix, T-prefix FON (1958 build date)
The original plastics are all remarkably clean, with very limited upward deflection of the "long guard" four-ply pickguard which extends past the bridge. The ABR-1 no-wire bridge is factory shaved down on the underside to accommodate the (original) shallower neck set of this early 335, and the bridge has been fitted with a fresh set of vintage-spec saddles. The current bridge posts are fractionally larger in diameter than the stock posts, repositioned slightly for accurate intonation, with singular small maple dowels visible beneath the bridge thumbwheels.
The gloss Blonde lacquer body finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, and there is light figuring across the lower bout on top. As is normally the case with early three-ply Thin Top 335s, the guitar exhibits some minor splitting of the outward ply largely occurring adjacent to the input jack and at the waist on the back. There is one cleanly doweled strap button hole on the bass-side body horn tip, and some small nicks along the lower bout binding edge. Cosmetic wear is otherwise limited to subtle lacquer checking across the body, very light buckle wear central to the lower bout, and some minor dings and scuffs consistent with careful use.
The neck profile has been reshaped with a depth and overall shape very reminiscent of Gibson’s more slender carves seem from 1960-62, and the neck heel has been slightly rounded over as well, very comfortable in the palm in the upper registers. The profile and headstock have been professionally refinished in nitro lacquer gloss by Riggio Custom Guitars, and Riggio's work is recognized worldwide and by Gibson for its strict adherence to golden age Gibson methods and materials.
The original Gibson-badged brown Lifton hardshell case with pink plush interior is included and extremely clean, with functional latches and the original handle.
A largely original example with a couple key factors that make this '58 more within reach than others produced this same year, the guitar retains its original Blonde nitro lacquer body finish, while the neck has been reshaped in-line with a 1960 C-shaped profile carve. The neck and headstock face have been professionally refinished by Riggio Custom Guitars to match the original lacquer on the body, and the guitar has been refretted with flawless medium jumbo frewire. The instrument boasts all-original plastics (including the strap buttons), the original ABR-1 no-wire bridge, and new ThroBak humbucker covers and lightweight tailpiece.
Lightweight at 7lbs 14oz, this guitar has rich natural sustain, and the three-ply construction (in contrast to the four-ply 335s made from mid-1959 onward) yields a particularly lively, resonant quality. Also unique to the earliest ES-335s, this guitar has the shallower neck set seen in 1958, yet with the full-depth "shaved" ABR-1 bridge seen late in the model year, which has more stability than the first low-profile bridges known to buckle under string tension. Offering the articulation and glassy snap of the maple body and the inherent warmth of the semi-hollowbody construction, the acoustic qualities of this ES are translated faithfully via the original PAF (Patent Applied For) pickup pair.
Metering at 7.15k ohms in the bridge position and 7.8k at the neck, the bridge pickup has exquisite chirp and honk in the top end, offering a wide dynamic range and sensitivity to pick attack. The low end is sweet and round, and each string within complex chords is very distinct and crisp. The neck pickup has a woody percussive sound, smooth and full with a growl in the low end and the same detail afforded the bridge pickup. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, we've dialed in this ES-335 with fresh 11-49 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Honduran mahogany
-Shape: Slender C (re-shaped), measuring .825” 1st fret, .899” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood, dot inlay
-Frets: Medium jumbo (refret), no wear
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 11/16”, nylon
-Tuners: Kluson Deluxe single line (replaced buttons)
Body Specs:
-Wood: Maple "Thin Top" three-ply
-Pickups: PAF humbucker x2, 7.15k Bridge, 7.8k Neck
-Harness: CentraLab pots date to 8th week of '58
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: ABR-1 no-wire bridge (full depth "shaved"), Throbak lightweight stopbar
-Plastics: Long guard four-ply pickguard, gold bonnet knobs, amber switch tip, M-69 pickup rings, plastic strap buttons
-Serialization/Factory Markings: Orange oval label, A-prefix, T-prefix FON (1958 build date)
The original plastics are all remarkably clean, with very limited upward deflection of the "long guard" four-ply pickguard which extends past the bridge. The ABR-1 no-wire bridge is factory shaved down on the underside to accommodate the (original) shallower neck set of this early 335, and the bridge has been fitted with a fresh set of vintage-spec saddles. The current bridge posts are fractionally larger in diameter than the stock posts, repositioned slightly for accurate intonation, with singular small maple dowels visible beneath the bridge thumbwheels.
The gloss Blonde lacquer body finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, and there is light figuring across the lower bout on top. As is normally the case with early three-ply Thin Top 335s, the guitar exhibits some minor splitting of the outward ply largely occurring adjacent to the input jack and at the waist on the back. There is one cleanly doweled strap button hole on the bass-side body horn tip, and some small nicks along the lower bout binding edge. Cosmetic wear is otherwise limited to subtle lacquer checking across the body, very light buckle wear central to the lower bout, and some minor dings and scuffs consistent with careful use.
The neck profile has been reshaped with a depth and overall shape very reminiscent of Gibson’s more slender carves seem from 1960-62, and the neck heel has been slightly rounded over as well, very comfortable in the palm in the upper registers. The profile and headstock have been professionally refinished in nitro lacquer gloss by Riggio Custom Guitars, and Riggio's work is recognized worldwide and by Gibson for its strict adherence to golden age Gibson methods and materials.
The original Gibson-badged brown Lifton hardshell case with pink plush interior is included and extremely clean, with functional latches and the original handle.
