Snohomish, WA, United States
About this listing
The GuitarThis guitar was written up in Guitar World in February 2026, in an article that called it a total freak and, without qualification, a one of one. We agree on both counts.It is a 1967 Gibson Barney Kessel Custom in Cherry Sunburst, built to a special factory custom order, and it still carries the original build paperwork from CMI, Gibson's parent company at the time, detailing every custom appointment the buyer requested. That paperwork lives in the case. We are not speculating about what makes this guitar unusual. We can read the order.Here is what was specified, as listed on the sheet:∙ Ebony fingerboard in place of the standard board∙ Neck joining the body at the 17th fret rather than the 14th∙ Master volume with toggle switch∙ Tal Farlow style custom hand bound tortoiseshell pickguard∙ Body built to 2-1/4" depth rather than the standard 3"∙ Stereo and Varitone controls∙ Deluxe chrome Bigsby vibrola∙ Standby switchA custom name engraved truss rod cover was also ordered. It is not in the case, and we assume the original owner kept it.What Makes It ExtraordinaryStart with the body. A standard Barney Kessel is three inches deep. This one is 2-1/4". Taking three quarters of an inch out of the rim completely changes how the guitar sits against you without stripping out its acoustic character. Combine that with the neck joint pushed back to the 17th fret and the deep double Florentine cutaways, and the upper register access is remarkable for what is fundamentally a jazz box.Then the woods. From roughly 1965 until the model was discontinued in 1974, production Barney Kessels were built entirely from laminated maple. This one is not. It has a solid spruce top with solid maple back and sides. The back is beautifully figured and carries no center seam, meaning it was carved from a single piece of maple wide enough to span the whole body, which is not something Gibson was doing on the production line. The neck is a five piece laminate, three strips of figured maple sandwiching two thinner strips of walnut.Then the electronics, which are where the original owner really went to work. Two Patent Number T-Top humbuckers, a three way selector, individual volume and tone for each pickup, plus a master volume mounted on the upper horn, a standby switch, a Varitone, and stereo output. All of it factory fitted. Somebody wanted every tonal combination they could get into one instrument, and Gibson built it for them.The Barney Kessel Custom was already the deluxe version of the model, carrying the bowtie fingerboard inlays and the large mother of pearl musical note on the headstock rather than the Regular's split parallelograms and crown. This one adds a Custom plaque on the headstock, the stinger on the back of the peghead, three ply binding front and back, waffle back Kluson tuners, and the witch hat knobs correct for 1967. The metal parts are chrome rather than the gold you would normally expect on a Custom, another departure specific to this order.The 25.5" scale is standard Kessel spec and worth understanding if you have not played one. It is a longer scale than most of Gibson's catalog, closer to Fender territory, and it gives the guitar a tighter and more articulate response than a 24.75" Gibson archtop. On a body this thin, people sometimes expect it to behave like a Byrdland. It does not. It sounds like its own thing.For context on what this cost: a Barney Kessel Regular listed at $395 and a Custom at $560 when the models launched. Whoever ordered this one paid considerably more than that.Condition: Honest & DetailedWe'd grade this excellent. The original owner took exceptional care of it and it shows.The Cherry Sunburst finish is original and has aged the way a well kept nearly sixty year old Gibson should. There is some superficial finish cracking around the standby switch. There is light tarnishing on the pickups and hardware. The guitar was used rather than hidden away, and it wears that honestly.Everything is straight, functional, and playing as it should.Additional photos are always available on request, and we're happy to answer any question before you buy.Configuration & Included Original Parts: Full DisclosureTwo things are currently set up differently from the factory order and in both cases the original factory parts come with the guitar.The electronics are currently wired mono with a custom Varitone installed. The complete original factory harness, including the factory Varitone, was removed intact and has been fully preserved. It is included with the sale and is ready to reinstall for any buyer who wants the guitar back in its factory ordered stereo configuration. Nothing was cut and nothing is missing.The factory ordered deluxe chrome Bigsby vibrola has been removed and replaced with a genuine Gibson 1967 Barney Kessel trapeze tailpiece, in excellent condition, sourced from a reputable vintage shop. This is the real part, not a reproduction, and it is the tailpiece these models normally shipped with. The factory installed Bigsby has been preserved and is included with the guitar for anyone who wants to put it back on.Everything else on the guitar is original.Provenance & PressThis guitar was featured in Guitarist magazine and republished by Guitar World on February 13, 2026, in a piece by veteran vintage dealer Dave Davidson of Well Strung Guitars with contributions from Huw Price. Davidson's assessment was that the guitar demonstrates how far Gibson's custom division would go to satisfy a customer, and he called it a one of one.It comes with the original CMI build order paperwork and the original case.The CaseComes with the original Gibson hardshell case, which is also where you will find the CMI order paperwork.Who Is This For?This is for the collector who understands that documented factory custom orders from this era almost never survive with their paperwork intact. Gibson's custom division would build nearly anything a customer was willing to pay for, and the results were frequently one of a kind. What disappears over sixty years is the evidence. This guitar has it, and it has a national magazine feature on top.It is also, separately from all of that, an exceptional instrument. Solid spruce over solid maple, a one piece figured maple back, a thin body with a 17th fret neck joint, an ebony board, and a control layout that gives you more tonal options than anything else Gibson was building in 1967.There is not another one.Additional photos available on request, just send a message.Specifications∙ Year: 1967∙ Model: Gibson Barney Kessel Custom∙ Variant: Factory custom order, documented on original CMI build paperwork∙ Country of Origin: USA (Kalamazoo)∙ Finish: Cherry Sunburst, original∙ Body: Archtop with double Florentine cutaways; solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides; back carved from a single piece with no center seam; three ply binding front and back∙ Body Depth: 2-1/4", custom ordered in place of the standard 3"∙ Neck: Five piece laminate, three strips figured maple with two strips walnut; joins the body at the 17th fret per the custom order∙ Neck Profile: Medium C∙ Fingerboard: Ebony with bowtie inlays∙ Headstock: Mother of pearl musical note inlay, Custom plaque, stinger on rear∙ Frets: 20∙ Nut Width: 1 9/16"∙ Scale Length: 25.5"∙ Pickups: Two Gibson Patent Number T-Top humbuckers∙ Electronics: Factory ordered stereo with Varitone; currently wired mono with a custom Varitone installed. Complete original factory harness including the factory Varitone removed intact, preserved, and included with the sale∙ Controls: Volume and tone per pickup, three way selector, master volume on upper horn, Varitone, standby switch; witch hat knobs∙ Pickguard: One off shape in the style of the Tal Farlow, custom hand bound tortoiseshell, per the original order∙ Tailpiece: Genuine Gibson 1967 Barney Kessel trapeze tailpiece currently installed, sourced from a reputable vintage shop; factory ordered deluxe chrome Bigsby vibrola preserved and included with the guitar∙ Tuners: Waffle back Kluson∙ Hardware Finish: Chrome, per the custom order, in place of the gold normally found on a Barney Kessel Custom∙ Documentation: Original CMI factory build order paperwork, included in the case∙ Press: Featured in Guitarist magazine and Guitar World, February 2026∙ Included: Complete original factory stereo wiring harness with factory Varitone, intact and preserved; factory ordered Bigsby vibrola, preserved∙ Cosmetic Notes: Superficial finish cracking around the standby switch; light tarnishing on pickups and hardware; original finish throughout∙ Case: Original Gibson hardshell caseShippingLocal pickup in Snohomish, Washington is always welcome. All instruments shipped by KanaLei Guitars are shipped using Reverb's Safe Shipping option, so your purchase is protected from the moment it leaves our hands to the moment it arrives at yours.
Price$81,895
+ $500 Shipping
