Vintage 1961 Gibson ES-330TD Sunburst With OHSC

1961 was a pivotal year in history.  JFK was inaugurated, the first human entered space, and the Beach Boys debut single "Surfing" came out.  It's also when the electric guitar was growing in popularity, on the cusp of an explosion.  Gibson was a leader then, and 1961 was when this amazing ES-330TD was born.

Originally released in 1959 as an alternative to the semi-hollow ES-335, the fully hollow-body ES-330 quickly became an artist favorite and remains a key model today.  This is the "TD" version with two P-90 pickups and a relatively rare find - you don't see many of these out there, especially in such good shape.  We had this particular guitar at Truetone over a decade ago until it was sold - now that buyer has brought it back for us to sell again, and we're thrilled.  

Being fully hollow, this ES-330TD is quite light - it weighs in at just 5.80 lbs.  It's super resonant, and even unplugged it sounds amazing.  The Maple body is matched with a Mahogany neck and Brazilian Rosewood fretboard.  The neck is very comfortable to play - it's not fat, as it's the slim early 60's carve but also not too thin.  Of course, it sounds amazing, thanks to the dual P-90 pickups.  You get the woody snap and brightness that you want, without ever sounding harsh.  Roll the tone back for extra warmth.  If you're looking for a lively, airy tone, and a solid midrange mixed with highs that cut and lows that provide a solid basis, this guitar is it.  We found it to be surprisingly versatile.  Sure, you won't be blasting with high gain but that's not why you're looking at this.  Whether you're playing clean jazz, slightly dirty blues or simply classic rock, this ES-330TD will do it.

 

As with all vintage guitars, we do a full vetting as soon as we take it in.  The head of our repair shop and vintage expert went through the guitar, and we can detail everything here:

• Original finished on body; the neck has been refinished
• At one point the headstock was reamed for Grovers but now has original style tuners with conversion bushings
• The fretboard was refretted with jumbo frets. 
• A new nut was cut and installed 
• The guitar has a newer chrome tailpiece
• The nickel ABR-1 bridge is original
• The pickups and all electronics are original

Given all of that, what you're looking at is a great example of a vintage ES-330TD that has had some work done, with slight modifications, but mostly all original.  The interior label came off years ago so we do not have a serial number to provide; we determined the year based on the specs and pot dates.  We've priced it accordingly, with all of the above taken into consideration.  The original hardshell case is included as well.

The guitar has been setup to play perfectly.  We're excited to have this 1961 Gibson ES-330TD here, and look forward to placing it in its new home.