A Unique 'Factory Special-Order' White with Black Binding 1961 ES-355TD/SV

A unique 'factory special-order' Polaris white with black binding ES-355TD/SV made in August of 1961. This near mint (9.25) guitar weighs just 9.10 lbs. and has a laminated maple/spruce/maple body with maple central block. One-piece "Peruvian" mahogany neck with a typical 1961 medium profile. Black bound ebony fretboard with 22 jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. "Les Paul Custom/Super 400" style multi-bound headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl five-piece split-diamond inlay. Two-layer (black on white) plastic truss-rod cover with "Stereo" engraved in white. Serial number ("25409") impressed into the back of the headstock. The body is multi-bound on the top (seven-ply) and the back (three-ply) and has the widest layer of binding in black (the only one we have ever seen). With an orange oval label inside the bass f-hole with style ("ES-355TD") written in black ink and the serial number ("25409") stamped in black. Also "Stereo+Varitone" stamped in black just beside the label. Individual Grover Roto-Matic tuners with half-moon metal buttons. Two PAF 'double-black' pickups with black plastic surround and outputs of 8.25k and 7.66k. Multibound "short" imitation tortoiseshell pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch for pickup selection and six-position Varitone rotary switch for tonal settings, all on lower treble bout. Black plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs with metal tops and earliest "small" version black plastic Varitone knob. ABR-1 (non retainer) Tune-O-Matic bridge with metal saddles and factory Gibson "sideways" vibrola tailpiece. Original Gibson oval orange label inside treble 'f' hole with Style "ES-355TD" written in black ink and Number "25409" stamped in black. All hardware gold-plated. A near mint (9.25) and most probably unique color scheme factory special order guitar from the "top-of-the-line" thinlines. Complete with the original Gibson folding hang-tag with "ES-355TD-SV / Special" stamped in black and also the original Gibson "Professionals Attention / Stereo Wired" hang-tag. Housed in it's original Gibson four-latch black hardshell case with orange plush lining (9.00).

We contacted our friends at Gibson who confirmed that the original shipping ledger entry for August 1961 reads: "25409 ES-355-TD-white 8/17/61" (copy of shipping ledger sheet included).

"The ES-355T (at first no final D) was perfected in the second half of 1958 as a deluxe variant of the ES-335T. By 1959 the model was commercialized in two versions: the ES-355TD fitted with a regular mono wiring and the ES-355TD/SV equipped with the Stereo Varitone circuitry pioneered on the ES-345T. During the 1960s the stereo model outsold the mono one which was ultimately phased out in 1970, while the ES-355TD/SV remained cataloged until 1981...The ES-355TD/SV is identical to the mono version in every respect save for its Stereo Varitone circuitry...On the SV model the two pickups are wired separately for stereo effect and require a special Y-cord to the amp. the Varitone is a 6-position rotary switch which, combined with the regular toggle switch, permits to pre-select 18 different tone settings. On the early ES-355TD/SV the circular plate of the Varitone switch is painted black but gold plated 'rings' became standard by 1960. Until the advent of walnut in 1969, the great majority of 355s (whether mono or stereo) were released in cherry red" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, pp. 237-238).

"For reasons now unknown, even the basic carcass of the 355 and its less ornate stablemate the ES-345, introduced later that same year, was upgraded. Rather than using mahogany, poplar or sometimes basswood, for the inner ply, these models tended to utilize spruce, sandwiched between the outer sheets of maple. While other laminates were generally more figured than those used for 335's, for cosmetic purposes, the inner ply of spruce could not be seen. It must therefore, have been selected either for its sonic qualities or economical logistics."

"The principal color option for the 355TD and 355TD SV appears to have been Cherry, although black, white, natural and pale sunburst (similar to Epiphone's Royal Tan and Royal Olive) examples do exist."(Adrian Ingram, The Gibson 335. pp. 23-24).

"Until the advent of walnut in 1969, the great majority of 355s (whether mono or stereo) were released in cherry red. But a few instruments were made with custom finishes, such as sunburst (e.g. #A31491) registered on 22nd October 1959, natural (e.g. #A32828 registered on 24th February 1960), black (e.g. A32908 registered on 7th March 1960), Argentine Grey (e.g. A32937 registered on 9th March 1960) and white (#1906 registered on 1st March 1961)." (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 238).