Gibson ES-330T Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1960)
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Item # 10402
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Gibson ES-330T Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1960), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # R3558-4, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown alligator chipboard case.
This guitar is really a stunner condition-wise, just a super clean all original example of an early sunburst ES-330T looking very little used since new. This plain "T" model was the relatively short-lived single pickup version of the popular ES-330TD, introduced in 1959 but phased out in the early 1960s. It has all the cooler first-generation features including bound dot rosewood fingerboard, rounder "Mickey Mouse" cutaway horns on the body, nickel hardware and a black plastic P-90 pickup cover. The nickel-plated ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge is the first "no-wire" pattern with nickel saddles. The single-bound body is fully hollow with a deep rich sunburst and the neck joins at the 16th fret.
The distinctive feature of the original ES-330T is that single P-90 pickup mounted in the middle of the body, something Gibson first tried in 1955 with the ES-225. It is controlled with 1950s style amber plastic "bonnet" tone and volume knobs. This center pickup placement gives a smooth midrangey tone, obviously not as versatile as the twin pickup ES-330TD, but with a distinctive sound all its own. This is simply a superbly easy-handling and great-playing guitar, super lightweight and still with the more round backed 1959 style neck instead of the wide, flat version seen on most 1960-61 guitars. This is one of those guitars you'll pick up and play for a bit, and suddenly it's a couple of hours later, even if you don't plug it in!
Overall length is 43 1/8 in. (109.5 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
Overall this is a superbly original guitar with very little in the way of real wear. It remains completely original and the finish is shiny clean overall, with some very small dings, dents and handling marks. There is some very light scuffing to the back from shuffling around in the case over the past 60+ years. The original frets show very minor wear in the lower positions and there is some light wear to that zone of the fingerboard.
This is a very fine-playing and sounding guitar, very light and super comfortable, complete in the original alligator grain chipboard case. This is somewhat more worn than the guitar, with the original hangtag and envelope containing the Tune-O-Matic instruction sheet, Sonomatic String tag and Professional Action card and even the tiny screwdriver provided for adjusting the bridge. A period strap and cable are included as well. Overall this is just a lovely package from the beginning of the 1960s, they don't turn up like this all that much anymore. Excellent + Condition.
This guitar is really a stunner condition-wise, just a super clean all original example of an early sunburst ES-330T looking very little used since new. This plain "T" model was the relatively short-lived single pickup version of the popular ES-330TD, introduced in 1959 but phased out in the early 1960s. It has all the cooler first-generation features including bound dot rosewood fingerboard, rounder "Mickey Mouse" cutaway horns on the body, nickel hardware and a black plastic P-90 pickup cover. The nickel-plated ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge is the first "no-wire" pattern with nickel saddles. The single-bound body is fully hollow with a deep rich sunburst and the neck joins at the 16th fret.
The distinctive feature of the original ES-330T is that single P-90 pickup mounted in the middle of the body, something Gibson first tried in 1955 with the ES-225. It is controlled with 1950s style amber plastic "bonnet" tone and volume knobs. This center pickup placement gives a smooth midrangey tone, obviously not as versatile as the twin pickup ES-330TD, but with a distinctive sound all its own. This is simply a superbly easy-handling and great-playing guitar, super lightweight and still with the more round backed 1959 style neck instead of the wide, flat version seen on most 1960-61 guitars. This is one of those guitars you'll pick up and play for a bit, and suddenly it's a couple of hours later, even if you don't plug it in!
Overall length is 43 1/8 in. (109.5 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
Overall this is a superbly original guitar with very little in the way of real wear. It remains completely original and the finish is shiny clean overall, with some very small dings, dents and handling marks. There is some very light scuffing to the back from shuffling around in the case over the past 60+ years. The original frets show very minor wear in the lower positions and there is some light wear to that zone of the fingerboard.
This is a very fine-playing and sounding guitar, very light and super comfortable, complete in the original alligator grain chipboard case. This is somewhat more worn than the guitar, with the original hangtag and envelope containing the Tune-O-Matic instruction sheet, Sonomatic String tag and Professional Action card and even the tiny screwdriver provided for adjusting the bridge. A period strap and cable are included as well. Overall this is just a lovely package from the beginning of the 1960s, they don't turn up like this all that much anymore. Excellent + Condition.