Gibson ES-330TD Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1961)
LOADING IMAGES
Gibson ES-330TD Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1961), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 23102, sunburst top, dark back and sides finish, laminated maple body, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, brown tolex hard shell case.
This is a truly superb example of a first-generation sunburst ES-330TD from mid-1961, the model's second full production year. It retains all the earliest features including a bound dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard, rounder "Mickey Mouse" cutaway horns, black plastic P-90 pickup covers and "no-wire" ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge. The dark shaded sunburst still has a very 1950s look to it.
The ES-330T And ES-330TD debuted in late 1959 as lower-budget additions to the ES-335 line launched the year before. The initial announcement in the October/November '59 GIBSON GAZETTE described them as "Thrilling modern instruments...Double cutaway body and thin silhouette make it wonderfully east to hold and play". The single pickup 330T only lasted into the early 1960s, but this far more versatile double pickup "TD" was a much more popular instrument.
In 1960 1198 of these sunburst, two pickup 330s were shipped out of Kalamazoo, priced at $250 (plus case). Oddly enough the total of sunburst exampled dropped to 542 in '61 but that was mostly due to the advent of a new cherry-finish option, which quickly became the more popular version. The ES-330 was in any case regarded as a successful model for Gibson and would remain so into the late 1960s.
This 1961 ES-330TD has a classic set of mid-line Gibson features, but a distinctive feel. While grouped with the thin-line semi-solid 335 range this is actually a very different instrument to play. The slim single-bound body is fully hollow without any center block, making it much lighter and more resonant. This also led to another distinguishing feature of the 330, the neck joining the body farther in at the 16th fret to allow the joint to be stronger.
The neck profile on this guitar is the slim, flatter 1960 style, a feature specific to this period. This one has a rounder back with a shade more "meat" to it than some 1960s. The headstock has just a pearl Gibson logo, the tuners are single-unit enclosed Kluson deluxe with plastic buttons. The two P-90 pickups are mounted under black plastic dog-ear covers, which would be replaced with metal the next year. They are controlled by the standard Gibson 4-knob one switch wiring rig, with the then-new metal-capped plastic bonnet knobs.
Despite being intended as "amateur' instruments early ES-330TDs are great-sounding, extremely versatile guitars that have been heard live and on record in many styles of music. Jazz great Grant Green used an early model like this extensively on his classic early 1960s recordings, while Slim Harpo relied on one for his deep swamp blues. The ES-330 and its nearly identical sister the Epiphone Casino were featured by countless '60s British invasion bands including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Manfred Mann, and many more. This is an exceptional example, one of the cleanest the early ES-330TD's we have seen, a light and handy guitar with a killer feel and sound.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 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 fantastic original guitar, showing only *very* light wear for its 60+ years on the planet. It remains beautifully original, the only alteration being a period Gibson metal strap button added at the heel (which is extremely common). The finish is very clean with virtually no fade and only some minimal checking; there is some minimal scuffing and tiny chips, dings and dents; the most notable wear is a few chips off the rear edge of the headstock. All hardware is original and complete with some minor plating wear.
The original frets remain in excellent shape with hardly any wear even in the lower positions. The D string tuner is slightly bent but works fine. This is a simply superb playing and sounding guitar, very light and super comfortable. Many ES-330's were not originally purchased with hard cases (many came housed in chipboard!) as it added $47.00 to the price; this one has been equipped with a proper modern Gibson HSC. This is really a splendid instrument; they simply don't come a whole lot nicer than this! Overall Excellent + Condition.
This is a truly superb example of a first-generation sunburst ES-330TD from mid-1961, the model's second full production year. It retains all the earliest features including a bound dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard, rounder "Mickey Mouse" cutaway horns, black plastic P-90 pickup covers and "no-wire" ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge. The dark shaded sunburst still has a very 1950s look to it.
The ES-330T And ES-330TD debuted in late 1959 as lower-budget additions to the ES-335 line launched the year before. The initial announcement in the October/November '59 GIBSON GAZETTE described them as "Thrilling modern instruments...Double cutaway body and thin silhouette make it wonderfully east to hold and play". The single pickup 330T only lasted into the early 1960s, but this far more versatile double pickup "TD" was a much more popular instrument.
In 1960 1198 of these sunburst, two pickup 330s were shipped out of Kalamazoo, priced at $250 (plus case). Oddly enough the total of sunburst exampled dropped to 542 in '61 but that was mostly due to the advent of a new cherry-finish option, which quickly became the more popular version. The ES-330 was in any case regarded as a successful model for Gibson and would remain so into the late 1960s.
This 1961 ES-330TD has a classic set of mid-line Gibson features, but a distinctive feel. While grouped with the thin-line semi-solid 335 range this is actually a very different instrument to play. The slim single-bound body is fully hollow without any center block, making it much lighter and more resonant. This also led to another distinguishing feature of the 330, the neck joining the body farther in at the 16th fret to allow the joint to be stronger.
The neck profile on this guitar is the slim, flatter 1960 style, a feature specific to this period. This one has a rounder back with a shade more "meat" to it than some 1960s. The headstock has just a pearl Gibson logo, the tuners are single-unit enclosed Kluson deluxe with plastic buttons. The two P-90 pickups are mounted under black plastic dog-ear covers, which would be replaced with metal the next year. They are controlled by the standard Gibson 4-knob one switch wiring rig, with the then-new metal-capped plastic bonnet knobs.
Despite being intended as "amateur' instruments early ES-330TDs are great-sounding, extremely versatile guitars that have been heard live and on record in many styles of music. Jazz great Grant Green used an early model like this extensively on his classic early 1960s recordings, while Slim Harpo relied on one for his deep swamp blues. The ES-330 and its nearly identical sister the Epiphone Casino were featured by countless '60s British invasion bands including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Manfred Mann, and many more. This is an exceptional example, one of the cleanest the early ES-330TD's we have seen, a light and handy guitar with a killer feel and sound.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 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 fantastic original guitar, showing only *very* light wear for its 60+ years on the planet. It remains beautifully original, the only alteration being a period Gibson metal strap button added at the heel (which is extremely common). The finish is very clean with virtually no fade and only some minimal checking; there is some minimal scuffing and tiny chips, dings and dents; the most notable wear is a few chips off the rear edge of the headstock. All hardware is original and complete with some minor plating wear.
The original frets remain in excellent shape with hardly any wear even in the lower positions. The D string tuner is slightly bent but works fine. This is a simply superb playing and sounding guitar, very light and super comfortable. Many ES-330's were not originally purchased with hard cases (many came housed in chipboard!) as it added $47.00 to the price; this one has been equipped with a proper modern Gibson HSC. This is really a splendid instrument; they simply don't come a whole lot nicer than this! Overall Excellent + Condition.