1968 Gibson ES-335
As I've said on other pages, I used to go to the pawnbrokers' auctions in the '80s to see what I could pick up and possibly make some money on. There was always a bunch of dealers there, often ruining my plans by bidding aginst me, but on this fateful day there was another big auction on somewhere else so only one other dealer was there.
He didn't bid, no one else did either, and I got this for the starting price of $300! I had to spend $105 getting binding replaced and other repairs, but even in those days, under $500 for a 335 was bloody ridiculous. Today this guitar would be worth AU$4000-5000. I sold it in 1988 for a bargain price because I was about to go to the UK indefinitely and needed the money fast.
The pictures on the right are dated early 1986, but I think I had bought it a while before then. Serial number was 524375. I kept this guitar for several years and used it in a couple of bands and dozens, maybe 50 or so gigs.
Judging by the holes on the front it used to have a Bigsby, and the fine tuning tailpiece is another modification. The clear pick guard was a home made attempt. The photo below shows a standard black one.
Another modification was that a previous owner had flattened the fretboard. Apparently Larry Carlton flattened the fretboards on his 335s so that when you bent a string the note didn't die as it hit the centre of the fretboard. I don't know how true that is.
Playing with Naughty Rhythms at the Dee Why Hotel,
Sydney Australia November 1985
In late 2010 I finally bought another one - a 1966 model very similar to this one, but in better condition and with almost no modifications. Unfortunately I had to sell it shortly afterwards but then in 2016 I bought yet another one, a 1963 reissue made in 2005.
More Info
