I am offering here a rare Gibson ES-347 S Ebony from 1989, a manufactured in Nashville, Tennessee (USA), premium semi-hollow electric guitar model featuring top, back, and sides made of maple with a solid maple center block, set three-piece maple neck with medium “C” neck profile and 42.9mm nut, bound ebony fingerboard with bold mother-of-pearl block inlays, two warm-sounding Gibson Bill Lawrence “The Original” HB-R / HB-L humbuckers with sophisticated electronics, including a factory-installed coil-split mini-switch as well as a high-quality Gibson Tune -o-Matic bridge with Gibson TP-6 Fine-Tuning Tailpiece in a beautiful ebony nitrocellulose high-gloss finish with black pickguard and multi-bound headstock in excellent collector’s condition, including brown Gibson Vintage luxury case and professional setup with 10-gauge Elixir strings.

In 1986, the Norlin Corporation sold its Gibson shares, thereby ending the “Norlin era,” and under new management, the focus returned to manufacturing quality. This fresh start was urgently needed and played a decisive role in saving Gibson from ruin.

This 1989 Gibson ES-347 S featured here is an outstanding example of the exceptional post-Norlin manufacturing quality at the Nashville plant. Building on the classic ES-335 semi-hollow design, the ES-347 S incorporates numerous ideas and aesthetic enhancements that were innovative for their time, making this model something truly special.

Built in the traditional style, the ES-347 S features a hollow maple body with a solid maple center block, which—under the deep black ebony high-gloss nitrocellulose finish, combined with the rich mother-of-pearl inlays on the bound ebony fingerboard—embodies the archetypal “Black Tuxedo” look of the Gibson Les Paul Custom. The gold hardware, including the factory-installed TP-6 Fine-Tuning Tailpiece, instantly lends the guitar a premium feel, and the distressed cream bindings convey an incredible vintage vibe that’s sure to win you over.

In terms of sound, two legendary Gibson The Original HB-R / HB-L humbucker pickups—developed by Bill Lawrence and featuring AlNiCo V magnets—deliver hot rock tones with outstanding dynamic articulation. In fact, the guitar is incredibly versatile sonically and can successfully reproduce everything from jazz and blues tones to charged rock leads and groovy funk riffs. The characteristic warm, mid-range tone is extremely versatile and makes the guitar an absolute all-rounder—and if that’s not enough, Gibson has factory-installed a coil-split mini-switch that also enables leaner singlecoil sounds.

A sound sample of this model can be found above at the end of the photo gallery.

Playability is very comfortable thanks to the medium-wide “C” neck profile and the 42.9mm nut width.

Technical Specifications:

• Origin: Nashville, TN, USA
• Year of Manufacture: 1989
• Construction: Semi-hollow with solid maple center block
• Top: Arched maple top with two F-holes
• Back/Sides: Maple
• Neck: Three-piece maple neck, set-in
• Neck Profile: Medium “C”
• Fingerboard: Ebony with mother-of-pearl block inlays, bound
• Fingerboard radius: 12"
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo
• Nut width: 42.9mm
• Headstock: Black Face with crown mother-of-pearl logo inlay, 5-layer binding
• Pickups: 2x Gibson Bill Lawrence “The Original” HB-R & HB-L humbuckers
• Electronics: 3-way switch, 2x volume & 2x tone controls; 1x coil-split mini switch
• Tuners: Gibson Crown Button Tuners
• Bridge: Gibson Tune-o-Matic with TP-6 fine-tuning tailpiece
• Hardware: Gold
• Bindings: Crème, 1-ply
• Pickguard: Black, 4-ply
• Finish: High-gloss black, nitrocellulose
• Scale length: 628mm
• Weight: 4.19kg
• Serial No.: 83039509
• Includes a brown vintage Gibson luxury case

The Gibson ES-347 S is now a rarity, especially in such condition.

This guitar is in excellent, completely unmodified original condition and is technically flawless. Visually, the instrument shows only occasional age-related superficial wear, which results in an authentic, fine vintage patina (see photos). The frets are in top condition.

The instrument has been professionally set up with 10-46 Elixir Optiweb strings, and I (a long-time guitar teacher) will ship it fully insured with DHL for €49.99 within Germany or for €119.99 within the EU. Worldwide shipping is available—individual shipping costs upon request.

All images shown are of the actual instrument for sale.