The Guitar

The ES-355 sat at the top of Gibson's semi-hollow line, above the 335 and the 345, and it is the one Chuck Berry built a career on. Everything that makes a 335 great is here, with the appointments turned all the way up: an ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl blocks, multi-ply binding on the top and back, bound f-holes, and gold hardware throughout.

This is a 1970 Stereo in Walnut. Laminated maple body with a maple center block, three-piece mahogany neck with a volute, slim C profile, 1 9/16" nut, 12" radius, 22 frets.

The electronics are the part people underestimate. Two patent number humbuckers with gold covers, two volumes, two tones, a three-way toggle, and the six-position Varitone rotary with its choke. The Varitone is a genuine tone-shaping circuit rather than a gimmick: each position notches out a different band, giving you everything from the full humbucker voice through thinner, more vocal and nasal settings that cut through a mix in ways a standard 335 cannot. Run it into the stereo output with a Y cable and you can send each pickup to its own amp or channel, which opens up a whole other set of options.

The Maestro Vibrola is paired with a Towner break angle bar, which is the piece that makes this setup work properly. A Maestro on its own leaves a shallow string break over the bridge, which costs you sustain and lets strings wander off the saddles. The Towner bar pulls the strings down behind the bridge and restores a proper break angle, so the guitar sustains better, holds tuning better and feels more solid under the hand.

Condition: Honest & Detailed

We'd grade this very good, and the finish in particular is strong for a guitar of this age.

The Walnut finish shows only light swirls on the front and back plus a few dings. There is very little checking on the body, with two small finish cracks near the pots that are shown in the photos. The back of the neck has excellent age checking, the kind people actually want to see on a guitar from this era.

There is fret wear present, most noticeably in the lower positions. There is plenty of life left in them and the guitar plays as it is, so whether to level and crown is a decision we are leaving to the next owner rather than making for them.

There is one thing to flag clearly: the back of the headstock has a significant chip on the corner. It is shown in the photos and you should look at it before buying.

The important structural point is that there are no neck breaks and no repairs anywhere on this guitar. On a 1970s Gibson that is the first question anyone asks, and the answer here is clean.

Additional photos are always available on request, and we're happy to answer any question before you buy.

Originality

The pickups and all of the electronics are original to this guitar, including the Varitone circuit and its choke. Nothing in the control cavity has been swapped or rewired.

The Towner break angle bar is an addition, fitted to improve the break angle over the bridge.

The Case

The original case is not with the guitar. It ships in a hardshell case.

Who Is This For?

This is for the player who wants the real top-of-the-line ES, with the ebony board, the gold hardware and the original Varitone circuit intact. A clean-finished 1970 with no neck damage, original electronics, and a Vibrola setup that has actually been sorted out rather than left to fight you.

Additional photos available on request, just send a message.

Specifications

∙ Year: 1970

∙ Model: Gibson ES-355 Stereo

∙ Serial Number: 638925

∙ Country of Origin: USA (Kalamazoo)

∙ Finish: Walnut

∙ Body: Semi-hollow, laminated maple with maple center block; multi-ply binding on top and back; bound f-holes

∙ Neck: Three-piece mahogany, set neck, volute

∙ Neck Profile: Slim C

∙ Fingerboard: Bound ebony, mother of pearl block inlays, 12" radius

∙ Frets: 22; wear present, most noticeable in the lower positions, with plenty of life remaining

∙ Nut Width: 1 9/16"

∙ Scale Length: 24.75"

∙ Pickups: Two Gibson patent number humbuckers, gold covers, original

∙ Electronics: Two volume, two tone, three-way toggle, six-position Varitone rotary with choke, stereo output; all original

∙ Vibrato: Maestro Vibrola

∙ Additional Hardware: Towner break angle bar, fitted to improve string break angle over the bridge

∙ Hardware Finish: Gold

∙ Cosmetic Notes: Light swirls on front and back with a few dings; very little body checking; two small finish cracks near the pots, shown in photos; excellent age checking on the back of the neck; fret wear in the lower positions with plenty of life left, level and crown left to the new owner's preference; significant chip on the corner of the back of the headstock, shown in photos; no neck breaks or repairs

∙ Case: Hardshell case included, not the original

Shipping

Local 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.