From the last year of manufacture we have a rare Gibson ES-330 TC  from 1963.

Introduced in 1959 as the successor to the ES-225, the ES-330 bridged the gap between the new centre block thinline guitars and Gibson’s iconic archtops, becoming a firm favorite with players such as BB King and Grant Green.

The finish has kept that deep colour both front and back. There is a patch of wear or more than likely some liquid spill on the lower bout  that stretches onto the side and around to the back a little. The finish has faded and worn through in both places. It is difficult to know what this could be but the structural integrity of the body has not been compromised. The colour really accentuates the grain pattern of the maple. 

The neck is in great shape showing no signs of faded and only a few very minor knockshe neck which has a few minor dings. The fretboard is excellent and the frets have plenty of life left in them. You will notice that there are no additional strap buttons which is quite a rarity.

The plastics are in great shape with only very slight warping of the pickguard. The hardware shows signs of corrosion.

Electronically the guitar has zero issues with the solder joints being untouched and the pickup is correct with original windings.

The guitar comes with a later hardshell case

Acoustically this guitar has a pleasantly warm tone that certainly tips the hat to Gibson’s archtop heritage. Plugged in positioning of the single pickup seems to give you the best of both worlds, not too trebly and not too dark. The neck is the slimmer profile of the early 60s and is very comfortable, a complete delight to play.

If 330T’s are your thing and why would they not be, don’t let this one get away.