Up for sale, a 1968 Gibson ES-335 TD in collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original chipboard case. 100% original save for a professional refret and corresponding bone nut, this ES-335 has an exceedingly clean original Sunburst nitro lacquer gloss, with tight flame figuring extending across the bass side of the top.
Bold and sweet-sounding when strummed acoustically, this ES-335 has snappy note attack and plenty of woody bark, qualities channeled through the pair of Patent # humbuckers. Preceding the T-Tops typically seen by '68, these pickups are firmly "low wind," metering at 6.9k ohms in the neck position and 7.6k at the bridge. The result is a pickup that works particularly well with the ES-335's semi-hollow construction, highly responsive to picking dynamics with dense harmonics. The cleans are sparkling and round, and the humbuckers overdrive smoothly with a slight scoop in the midrange. The guitar weighs 7lbs 14oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 11-49 strings, low action and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Mahogany, one-piece, long tenon
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .845” 1st fret, .995” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, small block inlay
-Frets: Medium/Tall fretwire, refretted (no wear)
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 9/16”, bone (upgraded)
-Tuners: Kluson Deluxe, double line double ring
-Serialization: Six-digit stamp on peghead
Body Specs:
-Wood: Maple
-Pickups: Pat # humbucker (Pre-T Top) x2
-Harness: CTS pots, 35th week of '68
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: ABR-1 Pat # bridge with nylon saddles, trapeze tailpiece
-Plastics: Witch hat knobs, four-ply narrow bevel pickguard,
There is very tight, lively flame extending across the bass side of the body, with the figuring revealing itself at highly specific angles and disappearing just as quickly. The three-tone Sunburst nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, with cosmetic wear limited to a few small dings and scuffs on the body as a whole, some expected pick scuffing across the guard and sparingly little lacquer checking. The gloss on the neck profile is extremely smooth, and there are a few small finish chips on the headstock edges.
The original black tolex chipboard case with red plush interior is included and equally as clean as the guitar. The Gibson badge is intact on the case pocket.