NGD: 1969 Gibson ES-345 in Cherry!

[Jahn]

Here's a little mystery, it could be a '66 or a '68, I sent these pics off to Gibson to make certain, but I'm leaning towards '68!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture038.jpg

Some distinguishing characteristics that might help with dating - witch hat knobs, nylon saddles on the bridge, gold ring on varitone, short pickguard, trapeze tailpiece:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture041.jpg

Separated "b" and "o" in "Gibson" and the inlay crest is in the middle of the headstock, not closer to the top:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture042.jpg

This one is a stumper, it has the earlier Kluson Deluxe Tuners, not the later Gibson Deluxe tuners:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture043.jpg

3-piece Mahogany neck, not a one piece.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture045.jpg

Orange label with matching serial number:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture046.jpg

Not sure if the "121301" inked in black in the other F-hole means anything. Oh and the pickups, the soul of the guitar, are the patent number sticker humbuckers, they sound like Glorious Rage through my AC10 Twin:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture053.jpg

Take a look at the slot in the bridge hole where access to the pots and varitone is. Varitone is removed, lower vol and tone knobs disconnected, other vol and tone knobs are now a Master Volume and Master Tone. As direct a Mono signal as you can get from pickups to jack now. Looks like a short tenon, no long tenon tongue in the treble pickup hole.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/Picture052.jpg

Just a closeup of the neck pickup:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/hb1.jpg

And the bridge pickup. Looks like a little metal curl bit is magnetized to one of the bottom of the poles, I forgot to pluck that off before putting the pickup back in. Oh well!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/hb2.jpg

I know the hardcase isn't original - anyone can help me date this case?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/case1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/case2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/jahn0603/Gibson%20ES-345/case3.jpg

Refret was done by Jim Mouradian - flawless work, no railroad ties on the edge of the neck binding at all, smooth sailing all the way up the fretboard. Here's an article on his work:

http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/articles/2009/02/19/ax_masters/

That should do it, what do you think all? Strung her up with .11s after the pics, man - I missed the controllable feedback of a semihollow for sure!

[R13D]

I'm thinkin '68, but whatever it is,very sweet! Congrats!

[jackaroo]

Knobs are 68

Never have I ever even heard of a multi piece neck from 66

I'm 99% sure that's a 68...they overlap serial #'s those yrs if memory serves. I've got a pair of 66 335s. We should hang and compare sometime.

Congrats. Nice guitar. Now sell me your J45!

[Jahn]

Great, thanks Jack, that's the way I'm definitely leaning. Heck, I updated my sig to say '68 already! The case might be from the early 70's methinks, who knows. And the J45's tied tight to the saddle over here!

[jackaroo]

speaking of saddles...you still got the plastic ones eh?

[Jahn]

Yep, believe it or not they do the job quite nicely. Can't say I'm not tempted by putting some brass on there tho!

Wow, I found a '68 ES-345 playing a '66 Vibrolux Reverb through some Killer Joe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gEd4IsjXs&fmt=18

I think I'll just let that stand as representative of this axe, since my '68 ES-345/
'66 Pro Reverb tandem has to suffer with me playing though the changes!

[HelloKittyHawk!]

I've got an early-eighties ('83, I think) 335 Dot. It came with a case identical to yours. Very nice 345, by the way.

[Jahn]

Early 80's? I'm cool with that, thanks for pegging the case! That was the last mystery I think. Other than "I wonder where that monster varitone inductor box is now?" I've heard that the ES-345 can get pretty heavy, but without that hardware it's darn light! Found a pic of what that varitone would have brought to the table - a whole pound, yikes.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/swlabr/VaritoneCurcuit.jpg

[dougk]

Thats like my dream guitar. Honestly. I'd probably trade off most of my collection for it.

Bravo... wish I was you!

[WahmBoomAh]

I had a 72 or 73 Les Paul Signature that had a case that looked exactly like that ....same logo and felt color .

[Jahn]

Hmm so it could still be an early 70's case? nice.

[gkoelling]

Nice!

Play it in good health.

[RickC]

I've heard that the ES-345 can get pretty heavy, but without that hardware it's darn light! Found a pic of what that varitone would have brought to the table - a whole pound, yikes.


My '70 is 8 lbs 2 oz *with* the varitione; if I take that sucka out, it might float away!

:eek:

ps nice score!

[weezy]

:love: It's beautiful - congratulations! Wow.

[Jura]

lovely!
that "121301" is a FON (factory order number), on the other hand, I've never seen such high FON..

[jzilla]

HOTNESS

[FunkPunk]

Nice one !! Knobs are 68 not 66 for sure

[reddgeetarzan]

No dot on the "i" and the 3 piece neck tell me its a later '69/very early '70.

What are the pot date codes? That'll clue ya for sure. Tuners could have been changed out very easily, but its hard to change out the pots/pup's on these, so there is usually some clue as to if its been done or not.

Nice guitar!!!!


Case is definitely early/mid 80's

[Jahn]

That's just what the Gibson guy emailed me- the serial number is either 66 or 69 not 68. But to be sure looking at the pots is key - I'll get a dentist mirror and fish out some digits soon! Man what a history detectives moment we're having here!

[Jahn]

Only 213 cherry ES-345 made in '69, cool. Glad this one made it out of the summer of love in good shape!

[otaypanky]

Yowza! Sweet ;)

[jackaroo]

the summer of love was 1967

[Old Tele man]

...looks like the 'natural' 1968 ES-345TDN/SVT I bought from Ernie Ball Guitars in Tarzana, CA, back in mid-1968.

[Jahn]

darn i can't even get the year of the hippie right either. well the no dot over the "i" in "Gibson" probably seals it as 1969 for sure, so I'll change the sig and thread name. Whee!