1961 Gibson ES-335 Sunburst

Some guitars are simply cared for like the icons that they are. In 1961, a 335 was an expensive guitar-far beyond the means of the kids buying Strats and Telecasters. These were largely bought by adults who appreciated the value and the beauty of these guitars. The ES-335 was all about simplicity. If you wanted fancy and could afford it, there was always the ES-355 with its fancy inlays and bindings. To some, however, the dot inlay fingerboard was a little too simple seeing as it was the same configuration used on the lowest of the low end Gibsons. So, Gibson went to the small block inlays in early 62. And what does the modern collector want...? A dot neck. If you want a dot neck and you can't put together the cash for a 58-60, then there's nothing wrong with a 61 as long as you know what you're buying. A 61 is currently around half the price of a 59. The only significant difference between a 59 and a 61 is the neck profile. The 59 is medium to fat and the 61 is slim to slimmer. This one is all original except that I did swap out a brown case for a vintage correct black one. The brown one probably wasn't original anyway-only early 61's got brown cases. PAFs are sealed and never out of the guitar. Frets are original with at least 90% life left. All parts are original. There's one significant doink on the headstock-see photo. The rest is near mint. No checking or fading either. It has a nearly full set of tags and a letter from the second owner explaining how he got the guitar from the original owner. It's Americana at it's finest (corrupt preacher and jail time and tawdry doings). This is likely the finest 61 on the market-collector grade and a great player. The weight is under 8 lbs.