Released in 1961, the Gibson Barney Kessel was the signature model of renowned Jazz Guitarist and Session Musician, Barney Kessel. Kessel was a very popular performer during the period and Gibson were keen to steal him away from his contract with Kay. The striking design features dual Florentine cutaway and and a spruce top matched to a full depth archtop body and utilizing Gibson’s new humbucking pickups. The guitar remained a part of the catalog until 1974.  

This guitar is in great condition. The two-tone sunburst accentuates the gentle undulation of the maple grain so well.. This guitar has certainly seen its fair share of use but there is no sign of breaks or excessive damage. The finish has worn in just a few small places.

The neck too is slightly worn, the finish has gone along both sides. The original frets have plenty of life left in them and the fretboard is in excellent shape though here there are signs of wear. The headstock and tuners are in good condition though there is a little bit of tuner rot on the low e tuner. This seems stable.

Plastics and hardware are in good shape with the inevitable tarnishing. 

Electrically everything looks to be correct with solder joints undisturbed. The PAF pickups do not seem to have had their covers removed.

The guitar comes with a superb hardshell case which although unlikely to be original, fits the guitar real well and really looks the part.

This guitar has a bright timbre acoustically that complements the pair of PAFs so well, giving you an articulated tone that you wont get from other archtops. The spruce top too is a bonus.  

Something a  little different for the collection? Look no further…