1967 ES 335

[Bluesman1989]

Hi,

 

Ive been checking out this ES on Ebay - VERY tempted, but the price almost seems too good.

 

I was just hoping some experts out there may be able to authenticate or just put my mind at rest.

 

Much appreciated!

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170556690813&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2761.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D170556690813%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

[L5Larry]

First let me say I know nothing about English to American money conversion, so the bidding price means nothing to me, but I can tell you a few things about this guitar, and buying "vintage" guitars in general.

 

This guitar, as disclosed in the ad, has been converted from a the stock trapeze tailpiece, to a "stopbar". This KILLS the "collector" or "vintage" value of the guitar. Many ES players prefer the stopbar (me included), but this is a MAJOR modification to a '67.

 

The ad states "all original except", there can be no "all original" if there is an "except". This guitar is also missing it's pickguard, which is also the preference on many players (me included), but the ad makes no mention of it's existence or being included in the sale. Although a new pickguard and bracket are fairly inexpensive to buy, and easy to install, this also affects the value of the guitar.

 

I also question whether the Selmer case is original. I do not know of any Gibsons being sold in America with Selmer cases, it may have been different on your side of the pond. The case doesn't look to fit properly or be of a high quality.

 

The back of the neck shows a large amount of odd "pitting". I'm not sure what would cause pitting of this nature, but it doesn't look to be normal play wear.

 

I would also verify the serial number, and potentiometer codes prior to serious consideration. Since it is in no way an original vintage piece, the numbers are not really important in determining value, but I would still want to know.

 

All that said, this guitar might be a monster player and sound fantastic. It's value is as a "player" not a "vintage" or "collector" piece, and should be priced (and sell) accordingly. The general rule is that a guitar that has had major modifications or repairs is worth about 50% of the same year/make/model/color of an all original example, with all it's parts, in similar condition.