Music

This 1969 ish Gibson ES-335 has a story.  I don't know what it is, but a deep dive gives some clues.The guitar came in as part of an estate.  The previous owner left no information about it.A quick look revealed that there was something going on with the headstock.  I saw evidence of some work being done behind the nut, and the face of the headstock looked odd right off the bat.  Taking off the tuners revealed that a new overlay had been added to the front of the headstock.  It can be seen when looking through the tuner holes.  I think one was added to the back as well, because the serial number is gone and the old tuner holes aren't there, nor is there any sign of them.  The work is very well done from a woodworking perspective.  It appears that the guitar was converted from a 12 string to a 6 string.Where the wood work is very professional, thoughts about how to make the work look factory was not.  A new logo and flower inlay was added, and they're off center.  The headstock face is not holly, and the finish over it is semi-transparent. A professional finish job was done over the headstock work, and carries through to the rest of the guitar.  The front of the body looks fantastic, and has a factory look to it.Everything on the guitar appears to be replaced with the exception of the pots and tone caps.  The stopbar was added, and it is a little lopsided but this doesn't affect playability.  The original trapeze tailpiece mounting holes were filled before the refinish, and slight evidence of the original ground wire remains.The bridge pickup is a Duncan Seth Lover, signed by Seymour.  The neck pickup is something I've never heard of, a Cablegram Way AL5 Shoreward pickup, dated to 2018.A pro refret was done long ago.  The frets have been worn since and leveled pretty low, but the guitar plays really nicely.  It sounds great too!The one sign that reveals that the guitar is from the 60s is the original label.  The first digit of the serial number is illegible, so dating the guitar with confidence is tough.  Also, the potentiometer codes are covered, so that doesn't help.  The label does have a hand written 12 after the model number, designating it as a factory 12 string. The orange label and serial number scheme narrow down the possible date range between 1964 and 1969.  The nut width is a clue - measuring 1 5/8".  The only year you'll see this width is 1965, when some necks were a little narrower than the previous 1 11/16" and the latter 1 9/16".  But, this guitar was a 12 string, so that is likely the factory nut width for an ES-335TD-12 from as late as 1969.So, I'm calling this a 1969.This is obviously a refurbished, player's guitar, and it is a cool one!Recent Gibson hardshell case included.Mahar's Vintage Guitars is a brick-and-mortar and web-based retailer. We are happy to talk with you before you make a purchase.   Please reach out if you feel so inclined! We cross market our items here and on our own site, so items are subject to sale elsewhere at any time (however we will never cancel a sale if it happens here first). See our profile here, our Google reviews as well as our 100% positive Reverb feedback. Also, Reverb limits us to only 25 pictures of our items. There is a good chance we have more. Contact us if you’d like to see them.No sales tax for direct sale customers outside California. Reverb sales are always taxed.Color: SunburstWeight: 8lbs 6.3ozsTop: MapleBody: MapleNeck: MahoganyNeck Profile: See pictureFretboard: Indian rosewoodInlays: Mother of pearl blocksFrets: Original and worn out.Fret count: 22Nut: ReproductionNut width: 1 5/8"Scale: 24 3/4"Radius: 10"Neck thickness at 1st fret: 0.845"Neck thickness at 12th fret: 0.995"Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"Total length: 41 1/2"Lower bout: 16"Waist: 8 15/16"Upper bout: 11 1/8"Body depth/thickness outside edge: 1 3/4"String gauge: .010-.046"Hardware Color: ChromeBridge Pickup/Brand: Seymour Duncan Seth LoverBridge Pickup Reading: 8.04"Pickup Original?: NoBridge Pickup Ring Original?: NoNeck Pickup/Brand: Cablegram Way Shoreward #1Neck Pickup Reading: 7.8kPickup Original?: NoNeck Pickup Ring Original?: NoPickguard: NoneBridge: Both ABR bridge and the stop bar have been replaced. Tuners: ReplacedSwitch: OriginalKnobs: ReproductionsPots/Codes: look original but not sure, because the leads from the pots to the replaced pickups were spliced in the pickup cavities but the caps and wiring look original.Case: HSCNotes: Broken headstock repair, replaced both front and rear headstock plates. Note the closeup picture of the neck heel. Bridge: Both ABR bridge and the stop bar have been replaced. Knobs: Reproductions. Both pickups and pickup rings have been replaced. Frets: Original and worn out. Nut: Reproduction. Tuners: ReplacedShipping policy:There are two shipping cost options for purchases made on our site for these states and those to the east of them: Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas.  Select Standard shipping at checkout and your item will be shipped via UPS three-day-air.  Select Economy shipping and your item will ship via UPS ground.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for these Eastern states and shipment will be made by UPS three-day-air.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to .  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.

The Gibson ES-335TD-12 is a 12-string version of the classic ES-335 guitar, known for its semi-hollow body and versatile sound.