A Superb Early Sixties ES-330 TDC

1962 Gibson ES-330TDC.

This super lightweight guitar weighs just 5.60 lbs. Double-cutaway, single-bound laminated maple body. One-piece mahogany neck with a nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches, a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. and a wonderful medium profile. Bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 22 original jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo. Two-layer (black on white) plastic truss-rod cover secured by two screws. Serial number "55743" impressed into the back of the headstock. Individual single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners with white plastic oval buttons and "D-160400 / Patent No." stamped on the underside. Two really hot P-90 pickups with black plastic covers and outputs of 8.14k and 7.95k. Five-layer (black over white) plastic pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way pickup selector switch, all on lower treble bout. Black plastic bell-shaped knobs with white markings and metal tops. Inside the bass f-hole is stamped in black "ES-330TDC." ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic retainer bridge with metal saddles and original trapeze tailpiece with raised diamond on cross-bar. All hardware nickel-plated. This fabulous guitar is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition, with just some very fine finish checking and a couple of small marks on the back of the neck, just behind the eighth fret, a couple of very small marks on the headstock edges and a miniscule amount of hardly visible belt buckle scarring on the back (nothing through the finish). Complete with the original Tune-O-Matic Bridge instructions in the original manilla envelope, original receipt dated July 27th, 1962 ($352.00 including case). Also included is the original owner's hand written 'Set List'. Housed in the original Gibson "Lifton" five-latch, shaped black hardshell case with light-orange plush lining (9.00).

"Built with the same body shape as the ES-335T, but not the same semi-solid construction, the ES-330T/TD were originally introduced in 1959 as a replacement for the single cutaway ES-225T/TD. The single pickup version was phased out in 1963, but the ES-330TD remained in production until 1972. Two main variants are usually distinguished up to the mid-60s...The first variant is characterized by a dot-inlaid fingerboard and black plastic-covered pickups...The ES-330TD was originally offered in sunburst and natural finish but in the course of 1960 the popular cherry red was substituted for natural...In mid-62 the fingerboard was enhanced with small pearloid block inlays and at the end of the year the the pickups were fitted with metal covers" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 230).

The main differences between the ES-330 and the more expensive ($282.50) ES-335 were the absence of the solid center block and the use of a trapeze tailpiece rather than a stop tailpiece. This is one of only 734 ES-330TDCs shipped in 1962.