A Spectacular Original 1962 ES-335 Custom with Two PAFs

This special "custom order" weighs just 8.10 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Laminated maple body with single binding on the top and back and semi-solid construction with maple central block, one-piece mahogany neck, and bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers (no inlay at the 1st fret, as usual). Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl crown inlay. Serial number ("76696") impressed into the back of the headstock. Individual single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners with double-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Neck profile on this guitar is a medium. Two PAF humbucker pickups with rectangular black "Patent Applied For" labels, black plastic surrounds, and outputs of 7.22k and 7.57k. Five-layer (black/white/black/white/black) plastic pickguard with bevelled edge. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch for pickup selection, all on lower treble bout. Black plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs with metal tops. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic non-retainer bridge with nylon saddles and factory Gibson sideways Vibrola tailpiece with a special long arm (the arm measures 6 1/2 inches). With a black plastic "Custom Made" plaque between the bridge and the sideways Vibrola covering the stud tailpiece fixings. The original Gibson orange oval label is inside the bass f-hole, with the style ("ES-335TDC") written in black ink and the serial number ("76696") stamped in black. The serial number is also stamped on the back of the headstock. This guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition, with only a few minuscule belt buckle marks on the back and a few tiny marks on the sides. The Cherry color is totally unfaded and shines like new. It plays fantastically and sounds wonderful -- and it has that great '62 neck profile that many players prefer. Housed in the original Gibson black hardshell case with orange plush lining (8.50). This guitar is absolutely one of the best examples that we have ever seen!

"Introduced in 1958, the ES-335T (originally no final D) truly ranks among the all-time Gibson classics, not only because of its enduring popularity but also because of its semi-solid construction which pioneered a new style of electrics" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 231).

"There were indeed a number of firsts in the early days of the electric guitar, but in retrospect only few of them can be considered as true milestones. The double cutaway thinline pioneered by Gibson in 1958 genuinely rank amongst the great original designs. Their graceful shape was truly innovative at the time and spawned several imitations such as Gretsch's revamped Chet Atkins series or the Guild Starfire. But perhaps the most important hallmark of the new thinline was their semi-solid construction. Indeed Gibson's prime objective was to design an instrument that would combine the advantages of both solid and hollow body electrics and therefore appeal to a variety of players, regardless of their musical style" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 77).