Gibson ES-335 TDC Dot Neck Thinline Cherry, 1961

Introduced in 1958, the Gibson ES-335 was one of the most significant guitar innovations and examples like this 1961 dot neck model are rare. Aimed at jazz players needing to play on ever-louder stages, the ES-335 had to provide arch-top tonality with feedback resistance.

This wonderful example dates to 1961 and was built at the historic Kalamazoo, Michigan Gibson plant. It is a TDC model – Thin body, Dual pickup, Cherry finish. It has its original PAF pickups, and only the ‘long’ pickguard is a replacement. The label is partly damaged, with the top ‘Style’ missing. Part of the typical word ‘Guitar’ is visible; the serial number, however, is clear.

The finish on the Gibson ES-335 TDC is in good condition overall, as expected for a 57 year old. The body has retained its cherry colour well, with some fade to the neck.

This is a very nice guitar to play; the neck is fairly slim but not skinny. And it sounds great.

As a setup note, have a look at the stop tailpiece. You’ll notice that the strings run through it ‘backwards’, and loop over the top. This is done to allow a moderate amount of breakover or downbearing at the saddle, without having the tailpiece raised far from the body. This approach was apparently used by Duane Allman.