Gibson ES-330TDC Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1963)
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Gibson ES-330TDC Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1963), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 150370, cherry lacquer finish, laminated maple body; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This is a nice original example of a cherry-finish ES-330TD from 1963, a very good year for Gibson! The ES-330TDC 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 double-cutaway 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.
This guitar has typical period details including a medium cherry finish overall, bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlay and nickel-plated hardware including the tune-o-matic bridge and trapeze tailpiece. The tuners are single enclosed Kluson deluxe with plastic buttons. Two P-90 pickups under nickel-plated covers are mated to the standard Gibson wiring rig, with the 1960's style "capped" plastic tone and volume knobs and white switch tip. Just the previous year the Es-330 switched from a dot-inlaid neck with plastic pickup covers to this configuration.
The double pickup ES-330 is a great sounding very versatile guitar at home in many musical situations. Despite being intended by Gibson as an "amateur" instrument (the least expensive of the double-cutaway thinlines) the 330 has been heard on countless classic records in many styles of music since its introduction in 1959. Jazz great Grant Green used this model extensively on his most well-regarded early-1960's recordings. A number of period bluesmen have been spotted with 330's as well, including occasionally B.B. King, Chuck Berry and most notably Slim Harpo, who is nearly always pictured with one. The 330 and its nearly identical sister guitar the Epiphone Casino were featured in countless '60's British invasion bands, including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Manfred Mann, the Merseybeats and many more. This is a lovely "Beat-era" example ready for the next 60+ years.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 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 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This Cherry gem is relatively clean and original overall, showing some light general wear and a few small cosmetic foibles. Overall there is typical checking to the finish, with small dings and dents and some moisture wear in the spot on the top and the rim where the player's arm rests. The ES-330 originally had no forward strap button; this one had them added on the underside of the upper horn and the top of the neck heel (!?) before someone settled on the standard back of the heel (if slightly off center). The latter remains while the former two have been filled in but are still visible.
All hardware is original except for the tuners, which are exact correct period Kluson Deluxe machines re-installed in place of 1940's style large-plate open back Klusons, a somewhat inexplicable change made decades ago. The imprint of the slightly larger baseplates can still be seen on the back of the headstock, but no routing was involved. The nickel plating has some light general wear. This 330 definitely has some slightly oddball adventures but remains beautiful and all original except for the restored tuners. The original frets and fingerboard show some wear but still play fine and this is an excellent playing and sounding guitar, complete in a later 1970s HSC Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a nice original example of a cherry-finish ES-330TD from 1963, a very good year for Gibson! The ES-330TDC 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 double-cutaway 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.
This guitar has typical period details including a medium cherry finish overall, bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlay and nickel-plated hardware including the tune-o-matic bridge and trapeze tailpiece. The tuners are single enclosed Kluson deluxe with plastic buttons. Two P-90 pickups under nickel-plated covers are mated to the standard Gibson wiring rig, with the 1960's style "capped" plastic tone and volume knobs and white switch tip. Just the previous year the Es-330 switched from a dot-inlaid neck with plastic pickup covers to this configuration.
The double pickup ES-330 is a great sounding very versatile guitar at home in many musical situations. Despite being intended by Gibson as an "amateur" instrument (the least expensive of the double-cutaway thinlines) the 330 has been heard on countless classic records in many styles of music since its introduction in 1959. Jazz great Grant Green used this model extensively on his most well-regarded early-1960's recordings. A number of period bluesmen have been spotted with 330's as well, including occasionally B.B. King, Chuck Berry and most notably Slim Harpo, who is nearly always pictured with one. The 330 and its nearly identical sister guitar the Epiphone Casino were featured in countless '60's British invasion bands, including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Manfred Mann, the Merseybeats and many more. This is a lovely "Beat-era" example ready for the next 60+ years.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 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 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This Cherry gem is relatively clean and original overall, showing some light general wear and a few small cosmetic foibles. Overall there is typical checking to the finish, with small dings and dents and some moisture wear in the spot on the top and the rim where the player's arm rests. The ES-330 originally had no forward strap button; this one had them added on the underside of the upper horn and the top of the neck heel (!?) before someone settled on the standard back of the heel (if slightly off center). The latter remains while the former two have been filled in but are still visible.
All hardware is original except for the tuners, which are exact correct period Kluson Deluxe machines re-installed in place of 1940's style large-plate open back Klusons, a somewhat inexplicable change made decades ago. The imprint of the slightly larger baseplates can still be seen on the back of the headstock, but no routing was involved. The nickel plating has some light general wear. This 330 definitely has some slightly oddball adventures but remains beautiful and all original except for the restored tuners. The original frets and fingerboard show some wear but still play fine and this is an excellent playing and sounding guitar, complete in a later 1970s HSC Overall Excellent - Condition.