One of a Very Few Natural ES-150DCs Shipped in 1970

One of only a very few Natural ES-150DCs shipped in the second production year of 1970 (according to Gibson Shipment Totals 1937-1979 by Larry Meiners (p. 30), no ES-150DCNs were shipped in 1970). Weighs just 6.50 lbs. and has a nut width of slightly over 1 9/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Maple body, mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard with 22 frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl crown inlay. Individual Kluson Deluxe tuners with double-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Serial number ("102355") and "Made in U.S.A." stamped on the back of the headstock. Two humbucking pickups with black plastic surrounds and outputs of 7.56k and 7.60k. Five-layer (black/white/black/white/black) plastic pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch on lower treble bout and one master volume control on upper treble bout. Gold plastic barrel-shaped "Speed" knobs. Tune-O-Matic bridge with retainer and trapeze tailpiece with raised diamond on cross-bar. A very early 1970 guitar, and most certainly one of the last ES-150s made before the introduction of the dreaded "volute." This guitar is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition, with only a couple of small finish cracks on the back and a small indentation on the bass side of the back of the neck by the fifth fret. Housed in its original Gibson black hardshell case with purple plush lining (8.50).

"In 1969 the 150 designation was revived and applied to a double cutaway electric with a 3" deep body called the ES-150DC" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 171).

"This new model of 1969 bears little resemblance to the ES-150s made from 1936 to 1956. Its name came, no doubt from its list price, which fell between those of the ES-175D and the ES-125. The standard ES-150DC (DC for double cutaway) has Gibson's usual four knobs and pickup selector switch, but it also has a master tone [i.e. volume] control on the upper treble bout -- the only double-pickup Gibson model with this feature" (George Gruhn and Walter Carter, Electric Guitars and Basses: A Photographic History, p. 80).