Up for sale, a 1969 Gibson Super 400 CES in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with a 1950s Lifton hardshell case. This well-kept Super 400 CES is 100% original save for a custom pickguard and a carved bone nut, featuring the original pair of patent sticker T-Top humbuckers and Kluson Sealfast tuners.

The largest Gibson archtop ever produced with an impressive 18" lower bout width, this Super 400 CES has significant visual variety in its hand-picked tonewoods. The guitar boasts a fine grained carved and bookmatched Sitka spruce top, an absolutely stunning bubble maple back, deeply figured curly maple rims, and tight, straight tiger flame figuring along the three-piece maple neck.

Currently strung with flatwound 12s, this Gibson offers singing, articulate tones with a breadth and depth befitting the Super's dimensions and tonewood complement. There's enough top end zing and sparkling snap on the bridge pickup for spirited, up-tempo lead work, while the neck pickup is smooth glass, sweet enough to sit perfectly in a small combo while retaining the articulation necessary for dense chording. This Super 400 CES weighs 8lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with low action and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Flame maple
• Shape: Slender C, measuring .810” 1st fret, .960” 9th fret
• Fretboard: Ebony, mother of pearl split-block inlay
• Frets: Medium jumbo, leveled/crowned, faint wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-5
• Scale Length: 25 1/2”
• Nut: 1 9/16”, bone (modern)
• Tuners: Kluson Sealfast
• Serialization: Six-digit stamp dates to ‘69

Body Specs:

• Wood: Carved spruce, maple
• Pickups: T-Top humbucker x2, patent number stickers on baseplates, untouched solder on covers
• Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
• Hardware: Patent # ABR-1 bridge with nylon saddles and rosewood base, elevated trapeze tailpiece, bound rosewood pickguard with mother of pearl fish inlay (replacement)
• Plastics: With hat knobs, cream switch tip
• Factory Markings: “Natural” finish stamp at bass-side f hole

In addition to the custom bound rosewood “fish” pickguard, a second vintage spec multi-ply bound tortoise pickguard is also included, crafted by Fox Guitars.

The gloss Natural nitro lacquer finish exhibits some ambering of the clear coat, highlighting the varied figuring across the maple, particularly on the deeply dimensional bubble maple back. The finish exhibits checking on top, and cosmetic wear on this guitar is limited to faint buckle rash central to the back and some minor nicks and finish scratches consistent with careful use. The nitro gloss on the neck profile is notably clean, with light palm wear central to the carve behind frets 5-7.

The brown Lifton hardshell case is a notable inclusion, significantly predating the guitar and hailing from the late 1950s, featuring pink plush interior, functional latches and a replacement handle.