![]() ![]() Gibson guitar collectors begin categorizing a certain model by the year it was made because it helps identify the general specifications it will have. The value of a vintage Gibson ES-335 from the 1950s or 1960s depends heavily on the exact year it was made, color, tailpiece, condition, and originality. ![]() The guitar sounded fantastic if you work with the volume knobs to dial in the perfect amount of phase cancellation. The bridge pickup had all the typical features I look for including undisturbed solder, PAF sticker, and brass Phillips head screws. The anomaly was that the neck pickup never had a PATENT APPLIED FOR sticker and also had slot screws. ![]() ![]() When I took them out to inspect, I noticed that all the solder was original on the pickups, leads, and potentiometers. I purchased it from its original owner who didn't even know that the pickups were out of phase from each other. The most interesting feature of this 1960 Gibson ES-335 was its neck pickup. You can check out more about Gibson serial numbers here: Les Paul Serial Number Lookup. It has all 1960 era features including the A prefix serial number and long pickguard so that's why I've called it a 1960. The serial number of this ES-335 began with A-35xxx which likely indicates that it wasn't completed until early 1961. This Gibson ES-335 1960 has a FON prefix "R" to indicate 1960, followed by a batch number and rack position number. At the model's introduction in 1958, Gibson used both a FON with letter prefix to indicate the year production started, but also a serial number with a A prefix which was applied to the orange label when the guitar was finished. Gibson ES-335 serial number schemes changed a few times from the late 1950s, 1960s, and into the 1970s. Or if you're curious about how much I would value your Gibson ES-335 then you can contact me here: Sell a Gibson. If you've inherited a Gibson ES-335 and are looking for what year it was made then check out Gibson ES-335 serial numbers. I'm always on the hunt for the nicest examples of late 1950s and early 1960s Gibson ES-335 guitars. 1960 is the last year that Gibson used both a FON (factory order number) and a serial number in the ES-335 model. As a Gibson guitar collector, this is exactly the Gibson ES-335 that I'm looking for with early features such as the long pickguard that extends to the bridge, stop bar tailpiece mounted to the top, and nickel finished hardware. This Gibson ES-335 1960 in original Sunburst finish with stop bar tailpiece came through the shop a few years ago and is a great example of the model. ![]()
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March 2023
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