One of Just 97 ES-355TDSVs Made in 1963.

1963 Gibson ES-355 TDSV.

One of just ninety-seven ES-355TDSVs made in 1963. This guitar weighs 9.50 lbs. and has a nut width of 1 11/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Laminated maple body with semi-solid construction and maple central block, one-piece mahogany neck with a medium profile, and bound ebony fretboard with 22 wide jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. 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 ("152199") impressed into the back of the headstock. The body of the guitar is multi-bound on the top (seven-ply) and the back (three-ply). Individual Grover Roto-Matic tuners with tulip-shaped metal buttons. Two 'patent number' humbucker pickups (each with a small rectangular label on the underside "Patent No / 2,737,842") with black surrounds and outputs of 7.52k and 7.37k. Tortoiseshell pickguard with five-layer (white/black/white/black/white) plastic binding. 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 a gold circular plate with the numbers in black around the Varitone switch. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic retainer bridge with metal saddles and Gibson Vibrola tailpiece with "walrus-tooth" tip. With the original orange oval label inside the bass f-hole with style "ES-355TD" written in black ink and the serial number "152199" stamped in black. All hardware gold-plated. This guitar is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition, with the absolute bare minimum of belt buckle marking on the back, a very tiny surface abrasion to the back of the neck at the ninth fret, a tiny sliver (3/4 x 1/8 inch) chipped away from the back of the headstock by the "D" tuner, and some minor discoloration to the gold-plated hardware. The back of the headstock has a "2" stamped above the serial number, although we cannot see any visible flaws in the grain, which is the usual reason for the factory designating a guitar as a "second." Housed in the original Gibson black hardshell case with five latches and orange plush lining (8.75). The original handle of the case has broken off (and is in the case) and has been replaced.

"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).