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Here is a 1965 Gibson ES-330TD in Cherry finish. Includes the original hardshell case. 1960s Gibson ES-330s are, in my opinion, one of the best bang-for-your-buck vintage guitars you can buy. As expensive as most '50s and '60s guitars have gotten in recent years (not just Gibsons), these are still a pretty incredible value. There is actually not a huge disparity in price between a real deal '60s ES-330 and a new Custom Shop reissue, and in my experience, as great as the reissues are, it's hard to even compare the two. I'm not a vintage purist by any means, but I do think that, with semi-hollow and hollow electric guitars (as well as acoustics), time does something magical for the feel and tone. I've played and owned lots of vintage ES-330s, ranging from '59 to '68, along with a handful of Custom Shop reissues, and simply put, the vintage ones are just more inspiring. Besides the obvious allure of their physical appearance, their acoustic projection is unmatched. The pickups are more musical and less brash, and the pots have a much more friendly taper that really give you great usable tones throughout the entire sweep. A nice Brazilian rosewood fretboard is something that I think most would agree is preferable, and the quality of the wood is without a doubt of a much higher caliber. All this to say (coming from someone who is usually not biased towards vintage guitars), every single vintage ES-330 I've had the pleasure of playing has thoroughly impressed me, and this one is sure to impress you, too!

This is a fantastic, clean example that is free of cracks, breaks or repairs. The finish is still quite vibrant, and doesn't show much fading, considering its age. It has a beautiful, chocolatey Brazilian rosewood fretboard that's smooth to the touch and free of pitting (fingernail wear). This guitar is nice and light, weighing in at just 5.95 lb, and very well balanced, making it a joy to play standing or sitting down. I've always enjoyed the neck profiles on mid-'60s ES-330s, but THIS one is really incredible. It's slim (but not flat, or too thin) around the first couple frets, and quickly starts filling out into more of a substantial C-shape as you move up the neck. It has a full, fairly-chunky feel by the 12th fret, but not too rounded, or "clubby". It has just the right amount of shoulder, and feels great in the hand wherever you're fretting. The pickups in this guitar are superb as well. It's common to add a thin shim underneath the bridge pickup on dual P90 guitars like this (with pickups that don't have height-adjustment screws) in order to balance the output/volume, since the neck pickup will always put out a slightly stronger signal. This guitar, however, sounds more balanced than others I've come across. Jangly, articulate, punchy, harmonically-rich and 3-D are the descriptors that come to mind. It sounds amazing through a good amp set clean or on the edge of breakup, of course, but it can rock, too! Finally, it's set up with '10s for low-medium action, and plays great. The truss rod and bridge both have ample room for adjustment, should you ever want or need to tweak the neck relief or string height. Here are the highlights:

• Original finish. No cracks, breaks or repairs.
• Great cosmetic (and functional) condition.
• 5.95 lb.
• Neck depth measurements of .81" and .99" @ the 1st and 12th frets. The profile feels like a medium-full C shape overall.
• 1 9/16" nut width, standard for most of 1965.
• The fret width feels comparable to modern medium-jumbos.
• Fantastic playability, set up with '10s for low-medium action.

Condition: This guitar is in great shape, showing some typical aging and honest use, although nothing too notable or unexpected of a 61-year-old guitar. It's doing quite well for itself, I'd say! It's all original besides the nut and pickguard. The guard is a nice, appropriate looking replacement. The original is included, although the edges have curled up a bit, which happens to all of them to varying degrees. This one isn't too bad, though, and it's not cracked. The nut is a very convincing replacement, in both shape and feel. The slots are in good shape, too. The frets seem to have been dressed recently, because they hardly show any visible wear. They feel great to play and bend on, and might have enough height for another level and crown at some point later on down the road. I'd describe their height as medium; they don't feel or look low to me. As for the rest of the guitar, it shows light scratches/scuffs and some minor indentations/impressions here are there, as well as light finish checking visible in some areas. There are some more moderate, deeper finish checking lines on the bass side waist area (shown in last 3 photos). Just to clarify, these are just in the finish, and not actual cracks. There are some light marks around the edges of the headstock, and the "e" tuner shaft is bent a bit (but functions just fine). One corner of the first inlay is lifting up just a little on the bass side, but not enough that I notice when I'm playing. This is very common, and doesn't affect the playability around that fret (unless you're very heavy-handed when fretting, I suppose). It might be good to wick in a couple drops of thinned super glue and gently clamp it down for a bit, which would only take a few minutes for a qualified repairperson. I suppose it's also worth adding that this guitar has a strap button right under the neck heel on the back, which has been there for ages, and was probably done upon the original purchase or shortly after. If you look around, almost every single one of these guitars has this in the same exact place, and in fact you'd probably have a very hard time finding one that doesn't! It's common enough to give the impression that they left Gibson that way, but they originally only had the single strap button at the bottom/tail end of the body. Lastly, the handle on the case is a high quality replacement. It doesn't look out of place at all, it just doesn't show quite as much age as the rest of the case (which, in fairness, is in very good shape).

As I said at the top of this section, there really isn't anything that is abnormal or stands out to me. It's all honest wear you'd expect from a vintage guitar that has been played, but appreciated and well cared for. No severe scrapes or dings, and no cracks, finish repairs, structural issues, etc. I'd call it a fairly clean example compared to most that didn't live under the bed!

*Note - Upon receiving the guitar, please let it acclimate to room temperature before opening the case and removing it. It's especially important with nitro-finished guitars to prevent lacquer checking/cracking. As always, when a guitar is being shipped to an area with a different climate, it's best to let it settle in for a few days before having any necessary setup adjustments made (if any) by a qualified tech to fit your personal preference.

Please message me with any questions or concerns before submitting offers and/or payment and I will be happy to help. This guitar will be packaged extremely well using a heavy duty box and plenty of packing material to ensure it's safety during transit. It will also be insured for the full value. Signature required upon delivery. Sold as-is, no returns. Thank you!