Super-Rare Factory Stop-Tail ES-355

One of a handful of stop-tail ES-355TSVs (out of a total of 189 ES-355s) made in 1960. This exceptional example weighs just 8.70 lbs. and has a nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Laminated maple body with maple central block, one-piece mahogany neck, and bound ebony fretboard with 22 frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. Multi-bound headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl five-piece split-diamond inlay. The body is multi-bound on the top (seven-ply) and the back (three-ply). Individual Grover Roto-Matic tuners with half-moon metal buttons. Two hot PAF pickups (the bridge pickup being a 'Zebra') with outputs of 7.59k and 7.32k. "Long" tortoiseshell pickguard with five-layer (white/black/white/black/white) plastic binding. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way toggle switch for pickup selection, all on lower treble bout. Black plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs. ABR-1 non-retainer Tune-O-Matic bridge with metal saddles and factory stop-tail. All hardware gold-plated. Apart from the absolute bare minimum of belt buckle scarring on the back and overall finish checking, some minor tarnishing to the gold hardware, and a few very small chips on the back of the top of the headstock, this forty-five year old cherry beauty is in as fine condition as the day it left the factory. Housed in its original Gibson brown hardshell case with purple plush lining (8.75).

"The vibrato tailpiece is a standard appointment on the 355 (whether mono or stereo) and the instruments without one are to be considered as exceptions. A few non-vibrato 355s were nonetheless custom-built with a stop tailpiece, eg. #A29538 and #A29540 registered on 1st April 1959 or #A32831 (stereo) registered on 24th February 1960." (A.R. Duchossoir. Gibson Electrics. The Classic Years. p. 237).

"In comparison with the 335, the 355 was, from 1958 on, practically always equipped with a vibrato tailpiece, which on the very first models, was systematically a Bigsby unit. It is possible though, that a few samples were originally assembled with a stop-tailpiece but they are, to our knowledge very rare. If in doubt, one only needs to look at the base of the guitar for the traces of the screws used to mount the vibrato." (A.R. Duchossoir. Gibson Electrics. From the Origins Up to 1961. p. 153).