A Unique Special Factory Order ES-330TDC with Patent # Humbucker's…

1964 Gibson ES-330TDC Special.

This unique guitar weighs just 6.20 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. Single-bound laminated maple body, one-piece mahogany neck with a medium-to-fat profile, and rosewood fretboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo. Two-layer (black on white) plastic truss-rod cover. Serial number ("175618") impressed into the back of the headstock. Individual "single-line" Kluson Deluxe tuners with white plastic oval buttons. Two patent number humbuckers with black rectangular labels on the underside and outputs of 7.90k and 7.73k. The model "ES-330TDC" is stamped in black inside the bass f-hole. Five-layer (black / white / black / white / black) 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. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic retainer bridge with nylon saddles and original trapeze tailpiece with raised diamond on cross-bar. All hardware nickel-plated. This fabulous guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition, with just the bare minimum of belt buckle scarring on the back. Complete with the original hang-tag with "ES-330TDC SPECIAL" stamped in dark blue, the original "Tune-O-Matic Bridge" instructions, the original "Humbucking Pickup Adjustments" sheet, the original case key in the original envelope and wait for it… the original receipt from Melody Maker Music Center in Rhode Island, dated April 15, 1965, showing "1 Gibson guitar ES 330TDC / 2 humbucking pickups  $220.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Housed in its original Gibson black hardshell case with orange plush lining (9.25).

We asked our friends at Gibson to take a look at the original shipping ledgers and this guitar has the following entry dated 1.20.65: "ES 330 TDC w/H B Pu Spl  175618".

We also contacted Mike Slubowski of The Les Paul Forum and he confirmed to us that he has never seen nor heard of a "humbucking" ES-330…

In the golden years of the fifties and early sixties you could special order anything you wanted (within reason) from the Gibson factory… and here is the one and only Patent Number Humbucker ES-330!!!

"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. The transitional instruments made during the second half of 1962 therefore feature block markers and black plastic-covered pickups" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 230).

The main differences from the more expensive ($282.50) ES-335 were the absence of the solid center block and the use of a trapeze tailpiece as opposed to the 335's stop tailpiece.