Up for sale, a 1960 Gibson ES-330 TD in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a hardshell case. Introduced in 1959, this example of the ES-330 boasts the model's earliest features, including dot inlay on the fretboard, "Mickey Mouse" ear body horns, black plastic pickup covers, and nickel-plated hardware.
Tonewoods comprise a fully hollow thinline maple body, a one-piece Honduran mahogany neck and a bound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, yielding both the immediacy and cut of maple and the softer attack and airiness of the fully hollow construction. The guitar has a lively overarching bark and detail, and the P-90 pair is woody and percussive-sounding. The bridge pickup offers more growl and midrange presence, while the neck pickup is fat and bell-like, retaining the P-90's glassy trebles. Weighing only 5lbs 13oz, this ES-330 has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck has a slender C-shaped profile indicative of the 1960 model year, measuring .810" deep at the 1st fret and .930" at the 12th. On the bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard, the original medium jumbo frets have been leveled and crowned, currently showing no wear. The guitar plays cleanly in every register up the 24 3/4" scale, and the neck is straight with a responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The original nylon nut measures 1 11/16" in width. On the headstock, the guitar has been fitted with an era-correct set of Kluson Deluxe single line tuning machines with original white buttons. There are a few doweled and touched-up small mounting holes from different tuner sets installed in the guitar's lifetime.
There is a small, roughly postage stamp-sized, mahogany veneer added to the top back edge of the headstock, with some localized touch-up in this area. Additionally the face of the headstock has been refinished, with some original finish remaining between the letters of the "Gibson" pearl inlay.
The original P-90 pair meters at 8.1k ohms in the neck position and 8.2k at the bridge, and the wiring harness features CentraLab pots which date to the 43rd week of '60. The R-prefix Factory Order Number, visible through the treble-side F hole, also dates to '60. Hardware includes the original nickel-plated trapeze tailpiece, and a vintage Gibson ABR-1 bridge, chrome plated with the correct patent number and foundry stamp on the baseplate. The bridge dates circa 1965. All of the original plastics are present and very well-kept including the wide bevel pickguard, quartet of gold reflector cap knobs, and the black dog ear pickup covers.
The Sunburst gloss nitro lacquer finish presents very well with sparingly little aging of the original rich three-tone appearance. There are two professionally addressed splits on top, extending from the treble-side F hole, and there is localized touch-up along these repairs. There is subtle lacquer checking on the body, light buckle wear central to the back, and some minor marks consistent with careful use on the body as a whole. The neck profile retains its smooth  nitro lacquer gloss loss, free of palm wear
A vintage (non-original) hardshell case is included.