Gibson ES-350TN (second variant) 1957 Natural

One of the first examples of a PAF ES-350TN
1957 Gibson ES-350TN (second variant).
This stunningly beautiful 17-inch-wide, 2 1/4 inch deep, single Venetian cutway, thinline archtop guitar weighs just 6.20 lbs. Book-matched highly-flamed laminated maple top, laminated maple back (also highly flamed) and sides. Two-piece flamed maple neck with center mahogany strip with that wonderful thick '57 profile, a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches and a short scale length of 23 1/2 inches. Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 22 original thin frets and inlaid pearl split-parallelogram position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl crown inlay. Two-layer (black on white) plastic truss-rod cover with two screws. Orange oval label inside the bass f-hole, the model "ES-350T" in black ink and the serial number is stamped in black. Inside the treble f-hole the FON (factory order number) is stamped in black. The body is triple-bound on the top and back, the f-holes are single-bound, the headstock and fretboard are single-bound. Individual single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners with single-ring Keystone plastic buttons (stamped on the underside "2356766 / Pat Appld."). Two original and perfectly matched PAF pickups with outputs of 7.60k and 7.59k. Black plastic pickup rings stamped on the underside "MR 491 / M-69 7" and MR 490 / M-69 8" respectively. Five-layer (black over white) plastic pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) on lower treble bout plus three-way selector switch on treble horn. Gold plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic non-retainer bridge with metal saddles on rosewood base and specific wire-loop tailpiece with "ES-350" on cross-bar. All hardware gold-plated. There is an added, period correct strap button on the heel. Apart from some playing wear to the first eight original frets and some very minor tarnishing to the gold-plated hardware this guitar is one of the prettiest examples of these wonderful '50s Rock'n'Roll specials that we have ever seen. The top, back and neck display remarkable flame. This is the best example of one of the very first PAF, blond ES-350s that we have handled! Complete with the original Gibson hang-tag, an original eight-page 1957 Gibson price-list (showing the ES-350TN price of $425 + $52.50 for the 'Faultless' case), the original? black leather guitar strap, and a Gibson string box containing the original? strings. Housed in its original Gibson 'five-latch' brown hardshell case with pink plush lining (9.00).(#2016)