My ES-335 isn't a desrible dot neck either good thing too since, for mine it's too late to "leave it at home."

It's a '66 ES-335TD Walnut finish. According to Gibson their shipping records say it was shipped to the original stocking/selling dealer in PA in '68, where it sat until I bought it new in Oct '69. It went everywhere I went: Taiwan, Viet Nam, Thailand, and on one of the supply sortie's I crew supplemented out of U-Tapao Thailand into Phnom Penh during the siege there by the Khmer Rouge (now that was just so I could say it was in Cambodia at one time!), Philippines, a lot of the U.S. and a quick out and back to Brussels. It now resides in the high desert of New Mexico where my wife will probably sell it in a garage sell for $100 when I die, along with all my amps, synths, guns, slide rules ….. (but I won’t care at that point).

It is still in very good to excellent shape despite its having been in numerous uncontroled environments (hot humid, hot very, very, very humid, cold dry, cold very, very dry, hot and very dry). One exception, hairline finish cracks front and back caused by its MAIDEN MACAIR charter flight to Taiwan, in as it turns out a poorly temp/pressure controlled cargo bay. I was sick when I opened the case in Taipai, had I had my firearms well...).

It has original everything expect strings and bridge. It had nylon saddles in the tune-o-matic bridge, I have always liked that softer tone but string breakage all these years was driving me nuts. I have always been heavy handed and do really heavy string bends/vibrato so about 10 years ago I swapped out with another tune-o-matic bridge with Graphtech saddles, premature string breakage solved and tone unchanged (I still have original bridge).

FYI: Only reason I list any dates is the Walnut finish. The Blue book, and other sources, say walnut wasn't available until 1969. However, all other indicators say it was '66 mfg (i.e., SN 8556xx, oval orange sticker [but sans "Union Made" says indictaes it was a '59-'64??], and other "markers" all indicate mfg prior to '69. Finally, the fact that Gibson is the one who claims (I have the email) it was shipped in 1968, not me, seems to be at odds with when a Walnut finish was or was not supposedly available. I still have my original dated receipt. Just shows things in the mid-'60s at Gibson were somewhat uncontrolled on the production floor.

Larry

Last edited by Larry Kehl; 12/01/13 03:38 PM.
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