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Gibson Es335 tdc 1965


xavier

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Hey Xavier--

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

I think we need a lot more information than just the one picture, but I already see at least one thing that suggests to me that regardless of whether the guitar may be a real Gibson, it is definitely NOT an ES-335. The guitar in your picture clearly has P-90 pickups, and while Gibson currently does have a NEW limited-edition 335 with black P-90s, I don't think there have been 335s made in the past with P-90s. The ES-335 normally has humbucker pickups.

 

Given this, I wonder if this guitar is actually an ES-330. The easy way to find out is to look to see if the guitar has a solid center block running the length of the guitar body. If it does, then things get interesting. If the body of the guitar is completely hollow (and is a real Gibson), then I am willing to bet the farm that this is actually an ES-330. That's a nice guitar, but it will sound different from a 335. The center block makes the 335 a semi-hollowbody guitar, and this adds sustain and reduces feedback. Also, the humbuckers are what will give the guitar its classic sound.

 

I like the P-90s and I have a hollowbody. They are great guitars, but the ES-330 will sound different from an ES-335. One way to think of the comparison is that the early Beatles used Epiphone Casinos, which were the budget version of the ES-330. Lennon even uses that guitar on the rocking version of "Revolution." But compare that to the tone of Eric Clapton in Cream or of B.B. King, and you get the idea of how the center block and the humbuckers change the tone and sustain of a guitar.

 

One other odd thing: the picture appears to show that the toggle switch to change pickups has been replaced with some sort of pushbutton, like a door bell (it is the white dot just below the pickguard). I've never seen this on an ES-330 before. It could mean that the guitar has been rewired, or worse, it could mean that there is no pickup selector switch there at all.

 

Short answer: I think that IF THIS IS A GIBSON, then it is an ES-330 that has had some work done to it. The 330 is a great guitar, no doubt, but it does not command 335 prices so you should not pay top dollar. You really definitely should not buy this guitar blind. You need to play it or guarantee at least a 48-hour approval period if it will be shipped to you. I strongly suspect the seller is not particularly knowledgeable--or is trying to make a fast buck off someone who doesn't know guitars well. I'll learn toward lack of knowledge for the time being, though.

 

And all we've done here is prove that it's not a 335. Without pictures of the headstock, etc. we can't even begin to verify that it is a real Gibson. If you can't see more of this guitar than this picture, I would wait for a better buying opportunity.

 

I cannot emphasize this enough: without more pictures, we cannot verify that this is an actual Gibson at this point.

 

Update us if you have more details.

 

Ignatius

 

(By the way, cool forum name. If you're in the know, you know that Ignatius and Xavier were buddies in late 1500s.)

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first of all' date=' thanx alot for the info

 

here's a pic of the headstock

and the serialnumber is 350624

 

do you think it's worth 2700 EUR?[/quote']

 

Hmmm. The Guitar Dater Project registry agrees that the serial number is a 1965 manufacture date so that's good, and the headstock in your photo looks authentic. But now we need to know why the seller thinks it's a 335 and why the toggle switch is missing. Until you know those things, it is not worth a cent (at least to me). Are you able to see this guitar in person? Can you (or the seller) verify whether it is a semi-hollow or a hollowbody guitar? Can you (or the seller) explain why the toggle switch is either removed or replaced with what appears to be a pushbutton? And can you (or the seller) verify what that pushbutton actually does?

 

These are crucial questions to answer before any value can be assessed. In addition, you need close-ups that show if there are any cracks in the body, what sort of wear there is to the finish, etc.

 

And lastly, I need to know what 2700 EUR is in U.S. dollars. My instinct is that it is way too much for an ES-330 unless it is in pristine condition, but I might be far too cynical about the weakness of the dollar these days.

 

Get the answers to the questions above, and let's keep plugging away at this one.

 

Ignatius

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That is definitely an ES-330, not a 335. It's different is a few ways: P-90 pickups, different tuners, hollow body (not semi-hollow), and the neck meets the body at about the 16th fret instead of the 19th. That said, these are FANTASTIC guitars! I had the pleasure of playing a '65 ES-330 last week, and oh boy was that sweet. It had a Bigsby, which was very nice. I still love my '67 ES-335 like nothing else I've ever had, but that ES-330 sure would make a worthy partner.

 

2700EUR does sound a bit expensive for a 330, by the way. Unless that's where the market really is, I'm not sure. But again, they can be wonderful instruments.

 

PS - Ignatius, the toggle switch looks fine to me. It's switched toward the camera, so you're seeing it from a directly overhead perspective...that's what I think.

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That is definitely an ES-330' date=' not a 335. It's different is a few ways: P-90 pickups, different tuners, hollow body (not semi-hollow), and the neck meets the body at about the 16th fret instead of the 19th. That said, these are FANTASTIC guitars! I had the pleasure of playing a '65 ES-330 last week, and oh boy was that sweet. It had a Bigsby, which was very nice. I still love my '67 ES-335 like nothing else I've ever had, but that ES-330 sure would make a worthy partner.

 

2700EUR does sound a bit expensive for a 330, by the way. Unless that's where the market really is, I'm not sure. But again, they can be wonderful instruments.

 

PS - Ignatius, the toggle switch looks fine to me. It's switched toward the camera, so you're seeing it from a directly overhead perspective...that's what I think.[/quote']

 

Good call, spitball! I see exactly what you mean. I am convinced it is a 330 as well, but I am pushing Xavier to find out why his seller is claiming it is a 335. In general, it looks authentic to me, but the seller's claim that it is a 335 is bugging me so I want it to bug Xave as well.

 

Oh, and great catch on where the neck meets the body. I totally missed that. I'm glad I learned something new today as well.

 

Ignatius

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Oh' date=' and great catch on where the neck meets the body. I totally missed that. I'm glad I learned something new today as well.

 

Ignatius[/quote']

 

I know they changed the spec in the late 1960's to match the 335 in this regard. So, not all ES-330s have this difference, but many, perhaps most, do.

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