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1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

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  • #31
    Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

    I just looked at the pix. Man, that thing is super clean, and the finish is rare (no way it's a factory 3TSB with a faded outer layer – that didn't happen, and the guitar is so otherwise clean that it obviously hasn't had to UV exposure necessary for finish fading). Its condition actually would give me pause about treating it like any old guitar, especially since it has such an interesting and rare finish. I play my '68 without pause, but it's nowhere near as clean. If your guitar wasn't a 3rd-generation family heirloom, I'd recommend selling it to a hardcore collector and using the money to buy a more "player grade" one. But since it is, just be super careful with it. Quite the find.

    That said, 330s from that period aren't as valuable as some people are making them out to be. They are not from Gibson's most collectible period, and most find the 330 far less "usable" than the 335 (you can't account for people's poor taste). Additionally, if going for a hollowbody with P90s, most collectors tend to favor the Epiphone version of the same guitar, the Casino, because of The Beatles and Stones connections (Lennon/McCartney/Richards couldn't afford the Gibson versions when they bought theirs). 330s of that period are something like C to D grade guitars in terms of collectibility. Still "valuable," but not crazy valuable like some other '60s Gibsons.
    Last edited by ItsaBass; 11-16-2019, 03:56 PM.
    Originally posted by LesStrat
    Yogi Berra was correct.
    Originally posted by JOLLY
    I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

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    • #32
      Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

      Originally posted by ItsaBass View Post
      I just looked at the pix. Man, that thing is super clean, and the finish is rare (no way it's a factory 3TSB with a faded outer layer – that didn't happen, and the guitar is so otherwise clean that it obviously hasn't had to UV exposure necessary for finish fading). Its condition actually would give me pause about treating it like any old guitar, especially since it has such an interesting and rare finish. .
      Any idea what that color is?
      Originally Posted by IanBallard
      Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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      • #33
        Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

        I'm not very sentimental about guitars anymore, and there probably is someone out there whose dream guitar that is. My '62 SG/LP sort of fits this bill. It's a cool old guitar that should be out getting worked. My kids don't give a crap about guitars, so ultimately I'm going to swap it with someone who will play and love it for something I'll play and love.
        “I can play the hell out of a riff. The rest of it’s all bulls**t anyway,” Gary Holt

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        • #34
          Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

          You know, that is a really sweet guitar. So, i was initially thinking "i'd play the piss out of it"

          Then, i started thinking, i have several high end guitars i rarely touch for the reason of keeping them safe. Really, i'd be a hypocrite if i said i'd play it regularly.

          I think it's a personal type of decision. I can see the arguments on both sides of the aisle. Whether you play it or not, i'd treat it well. It looks amazing.

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          • #35
            Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

            Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
            Any idea what that color is?
            It looks like a cherry sunburst to me. Basically, a 3TSB without the 3rd (outer) color.
            Originally posted by LesStrat
            Yogi Berra was correct.
            Originally posted by JOLLY
            I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

            Comment


            • #36
              Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

              Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
              Any idea what that color is?
              P.S. I did some quick hunting online, and it looks like it wasn't actually rare at all, but the norm circa '65-'66. Rare in the grand scheme of all things 330, but seems to have been the standard color those years.
              Originally posted by LesStrat
              Yogi Berra was correct.
              Originally posted by JOLLY
              I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

              Comment


              • #37
                Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

                Thanks guys for all of the advice. I figured I'd give a quick update on this.

                So, I brought it to my guitar teacher and he said it was in amazing shape and that even being away so long he didn't think it needed a setup and he thinks it'd be better just to play it rather then messing with the saddles. So they cleaned it up and put a new set of strings on it and I actually ended up giving it back to my dad. I guess seeing me play it rekindled his interest and it actually made him want to play again! So I gave him my small marshall amp and he is now practicing during his more boring retiree days. I'm actually so happy. It feels like we are now back into it together .

                My wife and I are going to be saving for a house for the next 2 years so I will not be able to make any gear purchases for the foreseeable future. With that said, she has noticed that for the past 6 months or so I've been putting a good 2-3 hours a day into practicing so she allowed me one splurge before our plan went into effect. My dream guitar has always been a wolfgang (of which I did get the MIC version), but I didn't want to keep playing and once they stopped production feel like I settled for the knockoff. I couldn't even get to try one though because no shops stock them, so I tried a les paul at my local shop, liked it, and purchased it. But... I felt remorse. So I ended up bringing it back and finally bought the guitar of my dreams. Needless to say, I'm satisfied, and am loving life .





                Comment


                • #38
                  Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

                  The color is "iced tea burst". Gibson will refer to it as "lightburst". Same color as Larry Carlton's 335. The 335 was bursted on the back as well, but the 330's backs were often left plain walnut. I'd guess cherry red models are more prevalent. Necks in this era run narrow, 1-9/16", or less. The 335 had three individual tuners per side, my 330 were three on a single plate.

                  And though Casinos look the same, the is a difference in the body construction. One is 3-ply, one 5-ply (can't remember which.) I'm told that it makes a difference; the Casinos seem to be preferred.

                  Cool guitar.

                  Bill
                  Last edited by Boogie Bill; 11-18-2019, 02:22 PM.
                  When you've had budget guitars for a number of years, you may find that your old instrument is holding you back. A quality guitar can inspire you to write great songs, improve your understanding of the Gdim chord while in the Lydian Mode, cure the heartbreak of cystic acne--and help you find true love in the process.

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                  • #39
                    Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

                    It always amazes me, the wealth of information people on this forum have. Ha, i can hardly remember the model names/nums of half of my guitars and people on here remember specific colors of dif years. Wish i knew half the info people on here know. If i did, i might even be useful lol.
                    Last edited by Open lane; 11-19-2019, 04:01 PM.

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                    • #40
                      Re: 1966 Gibson ES-335, too old to play?

                      Originally posted by chillytouch View Post
                      Thanks guys for all of the advice. I figured I'd give a quick update on this.

                      So, I brought it to my guitar teacher and he said it was in amazing shape and that even being away so long he didn't think it needed a setup and he thinks it'd be better just to play it rather then messing with the saddles. So they cleaned it up and put a new set of strings on it and I actually ended up giving it back to my dad. I guess seeing me play it rekindled his interest and it actually made him want to play again! So I gave him my small marshall amp and he is now practicing during his more boring retiree days. I'm actually so happy. It feels like we are now back into it together .

                      My wife and I are going to be saving for a house for the next 2 years so I will not be able to make any gear purchases for the foreseeable future. With that said, she has noticed that for the past 6 months or so I've been putting a good 2-3 hours a day into practicing so she allowed me one splurge before our plan went into effect. My dream guitar has always been a wolfgang (of which I did get the MIC version), but I didn't want to keep playing and once they stopped production feel like I settled for the knockoff. I couldn't even get to try one though because no shops stock them, so I tried a les paul at my local shop, liked it, and purchased it. But... I felt remorse. So I ended up bringing it back and finally bought the guitar of my dreams. Needless to say, I'm satisfied, and am loving life .





                      https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T-n...w?usp=drivesdk
                      Happy ending to a nice story. Enjoy!

                      Comment

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