A Fine 1950 ES-300 (Almost Identical to the First ES-350 but without a Venetian Cutaway)

One of only 116 Sunburst ES-300s shipped in 1950 (an additional 41 ES-300Ns were shipped that year), out of a total of 825 ES-300/300Ns shipped between 1948 and 1953. This 17-inch-wide guitar weighs just 6.60 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of just over 1 11/16 inches and a scale length of 25 1/2 inches. Laminated maple body with triple binding on the top and bottom edges, one-piece mahogany neck, and bound rosewood fretboard with 20 frets and inlaid pearl split-parallelogram position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl crown inlay. Individual single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners with single-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Two P-90 pickups with outputs of 7.30k and 6.98k. Five-layer (black/white/black/white/black) plastic pickguard. Two volume controls on lower treble bout and one master tone control on upper treble bout. Gold plastic barrel-shaped "Speed" knobs. Rosewood bridge with pre-set compensating saddle and trapeze tailpiece with pointed ends and three small raised parallelograms. The absolute minimum of belt buckle scarring on the back, a tiny surface mark on the top by the neck at the top of the pickguard, otherwise this guitar is in mint condition. The top is nicely flamed and there is minimal finish checking to the body. With the Gibson oval white label. Housed in a later black hardshell case with navy blue plush lining (9.25).

"The 17-inch ES-300 was reintroduced in 1946 with a laminated maple body and a single coil pickup relocated in the neck position...At the end of 1948 the ES-300 was upgraded with two P-90 pickups. The controls were accordingly modified to include separate volumes for each pickup (near the bridge) and a master tone control (in the upper bout of the body). Closed-back Kluson Deluxe tuners also became standard in the late 40s and in 1950 the back of the headstock was pointed black...Notwithstanding a twin pickup assembly, the non-cutaway shape of the ES-300 gradually proved a handicap and the model was discontinued at the end of 1952" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 176).

"These three guitars [the ES-300, ES-150, and ES-125 models) were completed in 1947 by a new model designated ES-350 which, in fact, proved to be an ES-300 with a rounded Venitian [sic] cutaway...The ES-350, on which among others, Talmadge (Tal) Farlow was to make himself famous during the 1950' [s,] had general specifications identical to those of the ES-300. It was made entirely of maple, often with a gentle curl, with a laminated maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. Like the ES-300, the ES-350 had 'double parallelogram' position markers and the peg head was inlaid with the Gibson 'crown'. The tailpiece with two 'F' holes featured [on] the first Post-War ES-300 gave place to a more traditional trapeze tailpiece with pointed extremities" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics from the Origins up to 1961, pp. 39-41).