MagicSam Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Hi, i'm looking for some help to date this ES 335 TD wallnut.  I'm not used to Gibson's Serials 😃 Thank you.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 Hello Sam, The first # is difficult to see. If it's a 1 then it is 174410 which would put it as a 1964 or 1965. Gibson serial numbers were all over the place in the mid to late '60's. I have a 1969 and the headstock, trapeze and knobs and general layout look very similar but... 1966-1969 had a narrower nut width 1 9/16". A 64 or 65 should have a 1 11/16" nut width. To be sure you could pull one of the pots to look at the date code on the back. My '69 serial number could have been from '66 or '69 so I had to look at the pot date which revealed that the pot was made in 1968, making '66 not possible. To safely remove a pot I pull the knob and tie a thread to the shaft before loosening the nut. Once the nut is removed you can push the shaft to lower the pot into the body cavity and you can then pull it over to the f-hole so you can see the #'s on the bottom. Once done you can pull the thread to get the pot back into its mounting hole. You might also be able to read the pot code without removing by using a mirror on a stick with a flashlight. In my case the #'s were obscured with solder and oxidation so I had to remove one. If I remember correctly there are some letters, CTS maybe and then the first # is the year. If the pot dates as '63 the guitar is likely an early '64. If it dates '64 it may be a '64 or 65 and you may never know for sure but both those years should be about the same value. Good luck in your quest,  JO'C 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 On 8/30/2019 at 4:26 AM, MagicSam said: Hi, i'm looking for some help to date this ES 335 TD wallnut. Â Â It's been awhile since I been in the dating seen, but I will throw out what I remember. Flowers and Candy is a good way to get your foot in the door... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicSam Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 Hello Jo'c and thank you. your right with the nut width it's 1 9/16". I d'on't thik I could access to the pots at the shop but i'm gonna ask them. The neck have like a reinforcement like this one (not aviable in later versions) : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Interesting, so not '64 or '65. It has a volute so it's likely a later 1969. My '69 does not have a volute but '69 was a transition year. Have the shop pull a pickup and look at the back. Mine are the black Pat No. sticker. Later '69 has a different sticker on back, purple and white if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grog Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 (edited) It looks to be an early 70's 335. I can see the 70's sticker through the "F" hole. It has a stamped serial # which dates it before 1975 when they switched to an oval decal for about three years. It also has the "Made in USA" stamp & volute nudging it into the 70's. It looks like the tuners were changed to a newer, similar style tuner. I would take a guess at 1971, but it's just a guess. Many 1972's had Gibson embossed pickups, but I'm not sure if they ever sold ES-335s with them. If they did, that could rule out 1972. PS..... Here is a 1972.... https://reverb.com/item/25450727-gibson-es-335-tdw-1972-walnut Edited September 6, 2019 by Grog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicSam Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 (edited) Hi Grog, It's really look like this one on Reverb apart from the pickups. One thing I noticed yesterday :Â the very light weight of this guitar, and maybe an other thing more strange, there is no center block on all the lengh of the body : Â Â Edited September 6, 2019 by MagicSam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 12 hours ago, Grog said: It looks to be an early 70's 335. I can see the 70's sticker through the "F" hole. It has a stamped serial # which dates it before 1975 when they switched to an oval decal for about three years. It also has the "Made in USA" stamp & volute nudging it into the 70's. It looks like the tuners were changed to a newer, similar style tuner. I would take a guess at 1971, but it's just a guess. Many 1972's had Gibson embossed pickups, but I'm not sure if they ever sold ES-335s with them. If they did, that could rule out 1972. PS..... Here is a 1972.... https://reverb.com/item/25450727-gibson-es-335-tdw-1972-walnut  Grog is correct. The made in USA stamp was introduced in 1970 and the 70's label is inside the f-hole, which I hadn't noticed until I zoomed the pic. Volutes were started in late '69.  My '69 also has an open "O" at the top of Gibson on the headstock decal, whereas Sam's and the '72 in Grog's link have a closed "O".  I don't remember what year Gibson went back to the 1 11/16" nut width but that might help pin it down further along with no "Gibson" stamp on the pickup covers. I'm guessing '70 or '71. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grog Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 (edited) They usually machine away a lot of the center block for electronics installation under the pickups. Some years might be more than others. My Les Paul Signature from 1974 has a "T" shaped center block. Totally hollow on the end by the strap button. Gibson must have reissued the walnut 335 recently...…. http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2017/Memphis/ES-335-1970s-Walnut.aspx Edited September 6, 2019 by Grog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagicSam Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 (edited) 26 minutes ago, JO'C said: tamp & volute Great I didn't know about this reissue from 2017. I found a very similar one from 1971 here :Â Â https://shop.guitarpoint.de/de/vintage-gibson-/1971-gibson-es-335-tdw-walnut2 and a demo here :Â Â Â Or Here :Â Â Edited September 6, 2019 by MagicSam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdave Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 (edited) I bought my ‘63 reissue ~2013...its a ES335TDC made in Memphis serial no. “24936. It has plastic bridge pieces. Came in a black case with yellow lining.  ? Eric Clapton 50th Anniversary issue but I’m really not sure at all. Here are photos of the certificate of authenticity &  the guitar. I was hoping for help in finding out when this lovely guitar was made. Can anyone help?  Thanks. drdave  Edited September 14, 2019 by drdave Better quality photo of guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Same Guy Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 (edited) A friend of mine recently sold his '72 w/ Bigsby. Light as a feather, and had the really slender neck. The "Gibson"-embossed T-Tops sounded amazing.. I still regret not buying it from him.. Edited September 15, 2019 by Same Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerometchiky Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 Hello,  I haven’t succeeded in finding what year my ES335 dates from. The serial number ( 81177511) says 87, but the label (orange/red) is from Kalamazoo, and as far as I know this factory closed in 84.. Also no "made in USA" on the headstock Does anyone know how to help me to find out when it was made? Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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