1978 Gibson ES-335TD Vintage Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar Stoptail Wine Red w/ Tarbacks, Case

Up for sale, a 1978 Gibson ES-335TD in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. Finished in the original gloss Wine Red nitro lacquer and featuring the original pair of Gibson's "Tarback" humbuckers, this is an extremely clean and soulful vintage Gibson. Player-friendly upgrades include a professional stoptail conversion for increased sustain and tuning stability, and the guitar also boasts a full 1 11/16" wide nut.Tonally, this Gibson delivers the goods, and the bridge pickup is clear, defined, and plenty warm, with a surprising amount of chime and punch. The Tarbacks are potted for excellent feedback rejection, working well with higher gain and still providing a sparkling, dynamic response. With both pickups engaged, it's easy to dial in an ideal rhythm tone that has just enough percussive cut and roundness, and with the neck pickup singled out, things fatten up nicely with a bold wooly sweetness that still is quite clear. With semi-hollowbody maple body construction and a three-piece maple neck, the tone balances the immediacy of the center block and crisp top end of the maple with the soft attack and bloom of the semi-hollow construction. The guitar balances well on a strap and weighs 8lbs 3oz. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, we've strung this ES-335 with roundwound 10-46 strings and dialed in the action and intonation.The three-piece maple neck has a slender C profile carve at the nut with slight shoulders and a fast feel, gaining significant roundness and heft as you travel up the fretboard, measuring .780" deep at the 1st fret and .980" at the 12th. The dark rosewood fretboard features pearl small block inlays, retaining the original wide/flat Gibson fretwire which is remarkably clean, showing light wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-8. The guitar plays easily in all registers with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut width is 1 11/16", the full width associated with pre-1965 Gibsons and subsequent reissues (yet rarely seen on '70s models). On the headstock, the guitar features modern Grover Deluxe Kluson-style double line bolt-bushing tuners, matching the original footprint and button-style of Kluson gears.All of the electronics work as they should, with original Tarback humbuckers and individual Volume and Tone controls for each pickup. Additionally, the guitar has a two-way coil-tap switch for the pickups located on the treble side body horn. The bridge pickup retains its original windings, while the neck pickup has been professionally rewound and rebuilt. The original "Union Made" label is visible through the bass-side F hole, and the inner ply of the maple back is highly figured, with ripples of flame also visible through the F holes. The hardware includes the original Nashville bridge and a stoptail of similar vintage, with the mounting holes for the original trapeze tailpiece cleanly doweled and oversprayed, virtually disappearing in the surrounding maple. The chrome hardware is positively gleaming, and the plastic parts are also notably clean, save for some light pick scuffing across the guard, including a quartet of vintage reflector cap knobs and pair of cream switch tips.Cosmetically, this is an exceedingly clean vintage example, and the original Wine Red gloss nitro lacquer finish is rich and dark. Wear is limited to just a few minor marks and faint finish scratches on the body as a whole, while the gloss on the neck profile is nigh flawless and free of palm wear.The original hardshell case is included with a plush red interior, functional latches, and original leather handle. There is some wear and black gaffer's tape on the case exterior.