Gibson ES-330TD Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
A nice original example of a sunburst ES-330 from 1966. This guitar has typical period features including a dark sunburst top, bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlay, and chrome-plated hardware including a tune-o-matic bridge with nylon saddles. The single bound body is fully hollow, unlike the semi-hollow 335-355 series and the neck joins at the 16th fret. The tuners are single enclosed Kluson deluxe with plastic buttons. Two P-90 pickups are mated to the standard Gibson wiring rig, with gold 60's style "capped" plastic tone and volume knobs and white switch tip.
The 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 one as well, including 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 nice example, fitted with a period Bigsby with a "Fab" sound in spades!
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.). A well preserved, nicely original old 330; all original except the Bigsby which is period and appears to have been added when new, the strap button is changed and the outside blind nut for the pickguard bracket is missing. There is some light wear overall, frets have been crowned once or twice but not a lot of hard use. A very nice playing 1960's ES-330, with the original yellow-lined HSC. Excellent - Condition.
