Condition and Details
This guitar was crafted by Gibson in their Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in 1961. It has construction typical of an ES-330 model, with double rounded cutaways, fully hollow thin line construction, and body finished in Gibson's easily recognizable Cherry Red nitrocellulose lacquer. The mahogany neck sports a bound rosewood fretboard with white celluloid dot inlays. This model features a trapeze tailpiece and Gibson's ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge, as well as two P-90 pickups with black plastic "dog ear" covers. The guitar has chrome strap buttons that appear to be original, and the floating pickguard constructed from black 4-ply ABS plastic appears original as well. There is an original black 2-ply truss rod cover and the guitar's 5/16" acorn truss rod nut is turning smoothly without significant resistance. This instrument does not appear to have been re-fretted, but the frets have certainly been worked at some point throughout its lifespan. The work completed is adequate quality, however this is subjective given the significant divots and play wear present on the frets. Its is our opinion that the longevity and playability of the instrument would be improved with a re-fret.
Cosmetically and structurally, the guitar is in great condition for its age, and excellent care has been taken to preserve its quality. The finish possesses a lovely patina of small chips, nicks, and dings typical of an extremely well cared for vintage instrument that has been played but not abused. There is evidence of finish checking but is subtle and not out of place. The Cherry Red finish is still incredibly vibrant except for the back of the neck and headstock where it has faded significantly. This is common as it is a frequently touched area. The Tune-o-matic bridge (stamped Gibson ABR-1) and trapeze tailpiece are original and in very good, functional condition showing some signs of pitting and corrosion.
Electronics
The P-90 pickups, potentiometers, capacitors, and wiring appear to be original and unmodified and are in functioning condition as well. The volume control knob for the bridge pickup has lost its silver dome label, but all other plastics are in excellent condition with minor signs of wear.
What's Un-original
One element of this guitar that is not factory stock are the tuning machines. Es-330TD models from this period featured Kluson "Gibson Deluxe" tuning machines with a "double line, double ring" construction, featuring a white plastic oval tuning keys with push in bushings. The tuning machines on this guitar are Grover Rotomatics. Unfortunately, due to the mounting design of the Grover Rotomatics, the original bushings were drilled out allowing room for the top nut of the machine. This means that original tuners or period correct style machines cannot easily be remounted without the use of a conversion bushing. Fortunately, the original mounting holes for the correct tuning machines are still present. The Kluson Deluxe tuners from this era were often regarded (rightly or wrongly) as inferior to many other tuners produced in the following years. They were also credited as a cause of Gibson guitars' known struggles with tuning stability. It is safe to assume that these tuning machines were purchased and installed as an upgrade by the instrument's owner at the time.
Original Case
This instrument includes the original upgraded hardshell case in very good condition. Gibson offered a semi-rigid case, more akin to a chipboard case, or a hardshell case with yellow interior at this time. The case's handle and latches are all functioning and stable, and wear-and-tear on the exterior is primarily cosmetic, not structural. The neck pocket is functional, and the original yellow velvet interior is in excellent condition.
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