Gibson ES-335 1968 - Blonde/Natural

Well, this is kind of interesting. It sure looks like a blonde ES-340. It's got the 5 piece maple neck and the birch plywood body but it's not a 340. The label says 335 and the circuit says 335. It's kind of beat up but it plays well and sounds excellent. I'm used to playing 58's and 59's so I have to recalibrate my ears for the late 60's. It's bright and the fingerboard is narrow but it's loaded with character. It drives the amp hard and has a balanced set of pickups (pre T-top). It's mostly original-only the tuners have been changed to Grovers and the truss rod cover is wrong. It has an aftermarket bridge but the original is in the case. The case is not original-it's a 70's case. This is a pre Norlin guitar made by a lot of the same folks who were making the venerable 58-64's. I'm guessing this was a factory prototype for the ES-340 or an employee guitars. A blonde 335 was not offered in 68 and the birch plywood wasn't used until 69 (on the 340). The finish is discolored and flaking a bit on the lower bass bout but it doesn't affect the playability or the tone. Just honest wear. I'd call it a 7/10. I would suggest a fret level as it buzzes at a couple of frets.