Gibson ES-335TD Cherry (1968)

This '68 ES-335 has all the tonal heft and midrange punch to go toe to toe with a Les Paul

1968 Gibson ES-335TD in original Cherry finish just into the shop!

As far as late 60s Gibsons go, the electrics built later in '67 and into '68 seem to have some of the best neck carves of the decade. In some ways, they mimic the shape and taper of the legendary late 50s necks, albeit with a narrow nut width.

That's the standout in this 335. Aside from having an amazing sounding set of original Patent # T-Top humbuckers and a woody acoustic "knock" reminiscent of some old LPs, the neck on this guitar is a true highlight.

This guitar has led quite the life judging by the amount of sweat and grime it was covered in when we first got our hands on it. We're generally reluctant to put vintage guitars through the bath, but a spa treatment was sort of a necessity in this case. It benefited from a deep cleaning, and shows off a nice Cherry Red finish throughout, along with some nice natural lacquer checking and play wear from working those bar circuits in the 70s and 80s. No joke about this guitar having some LP-esque tone in it, too. This one really tried hard to be a Les Paul! And even with the sort of solidbody response it has, it benefits from a touch of that semi-hollow air to give it a little more dynamic response and nuance like a nice vintage 335 typically does.

As expected, the original frets were torched when we got the guitar. We refretted it and it's back to being the hardworking 335 it clearly was for decades before it found its way to us. We even left the old Marvel decal on the treble side horn as a way of celebrating the guitar's vibey history. It was Grover'ed some time ago, and we couldn't deny how well they paired with the guitar and the overall vibe.

If you want a super clean guitar, keep on scrolling! But if you want a 335 built for speed and ready for the next gig or tour, look no further.

Paired with a modern 2000s era black Gibson hardshell case.