Old Guy Guitar memory..

[parts]

I ordered this beautiful guitar sometime 1966-7 and have had it since delivery. I wasn't sure the exact date..as the day I got it I was just knocked out to own this.
Emailed Jon Sutherland at Gibson as I saw he might help with the shipping date. Yesterday 1/25/2014 I emailed Jon.


..received this today..

Hi

Thanks for the email. In the Gibson Shipping Ledger Archives, the serial number 858xxx shows an ES-355TDSV model in Walnut finish, shipped from the Kalamazoo factory on 1-25-1967. Unfortunately, the shipping totals do not have separate totals for the finishes on this model. However, this would indeed be an early 355 in Walnut, as it wasn’t a standard option shown on the price list until 1968! I have attached information on the model for your viewing. Thanks again, and I hope this helps!!

Yes..it left the factory 47 years to the date I inquired about the shipping date. Weird.. I waited all these years and days to inquire about it..on the same date it left the factory.. As we were not far from Kalamazoo it would have arrived that day most likely.

I ordered it just before my 18 birthday..and now at 65 remember exactly the truck delivering the guitars. It was not a cold day in Chicago..sort of unseasonable warm. So today I am playing it again..sort of our anniversary.. Trying to think what I might have played on it then..

Weird memory stuff..

 

[sixesandsevens]

Awesome. I think it's great to hear a strong good memory story.

Happy OGD!

 

[Colt14jr]

Awesome indeed! Great story!

 

[73Fender]

Beautiful and a nice story. I knew someone with a 335 in that finish back in the day, always loved it.

 

[Phildog]

That's an awesome story man. And a beautiful guitar!

 

[XKnight]

That's a beauty and it's very cool that you have kept it all these years.

 

[stratman89]

Thanks for sharing a very cool story of a beautiful guitar!

 

[scott520]

great story for a great guitar!

 

[schundog]

That is an awesome story. Thanks for sharing. I have toured the factory at 225 Parsons Street, Kalamazoo, MI. It is now the home of Heritage Guitars, Inc, with some of the same employees that worked there when that guitar was made now running the place, now in their 70s. Enjoy it for many more years!

 

[Shane Sanders]

Very cool!

 

[specialidiot]

That's a fantastic story- thanks for sharing!

 

[Kmaz]

Looks like you took good care of it!

 

[sleepingtiger]

Cool story, but the bridge must be a replacement, right? I don't think they used the "harmonica" bridge until the mid 70's. Just curious.

Tony

 

[kracdown]

crazy! and very cool guitar.

 

[Gearaddict]

Sweet guitar and great story. I'm sure it broke the bank way back when. If I would have bought one of these when I was still a kid, I would have been the next John Lennon. What a gorgeous guitar.

 

[lowyaw]

sweet )

 

[Flogger59]

Cool story, but the bridge must be a replacement, right? I don't think they used the "harmonica" bridge until the mid 70's. Just curious.

Tony

The TP6 tailpiece, too. The gold plating on the pickups is stunningly intact.

 

[mattoo31287]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!