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1973 GIBSON 335TD NUT WIDTH

Andrew

New member
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
45
Hi all,

I am a full on Claptomaniac as I know many of you are) and my dream guitar is a Cherry Red Es-335 Block inlay.

I found a guy selling a 1973 335TD at a decent price so I thought I would reach out to him.
When I was researching this guitar I found out that the 1971-1975+ years are somewhat undesirable due to the fact that some have a skinny nut width.
The standard is 1 11-16" but these years have 1 9/16". Does anyone have any experience with these? I have a 2013 Les Paul Trad Pro and I feel that the nut is skinny as is. If this is supposed to be 1 11/16" then will I not notice a difference? I really dig my Eastman 335 clone but I've craving something with a beefier neck and a Gibson.


Here are some pics of the guitar:
00K0K_7sXvPXv7p2M_600x450.jpg

00d0d_gRvYpW6Ph6D_600x450.jpg
 

deytookerjaabs

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
Take the guitar on it's own.



The internet is full of folks who can do about one kinda thing on the instrument in only one kinda way and everything they touch has to be exactly right for them to wiggle their fingers. I'm glad I never got caught up in that stuff, having all these specific needs and such.


Don't listen to the white noise, take the guitar on it's own. If you like how it sounds/feels then buy it.


I currently have 3 ES guitars, two with the wider and one the thinner and I barrrrreeeeeeeeely notice. Same goes from switching from my new 'bird to my 60's non-reverse birds. Oh, and the two favorite neck profiles I have if I was forced to give a damn? A '68 ES340 and '67 'bird. Both semi chunky U profiles with the narrow nut, big but don't feel huge and artfully carved profiles at that.



Trust the guitar and your instincts, don't trust people with a vested interest in certain vintage or certain rock heroes or a certain place in time.


Really though, don't create pickiness out of thin air just because you heard about it....if you genuinely can't stand a hair thinner nut..fine, but to subject the rest of the world it is ...yuck!!
 

Progrocker111

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Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
Early 70s ES3x5s still have thinner nut, like the ones from late 60s. In fact, its the same width as on Fenders... No problem to me in fact. :hmm
 

fakejake

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Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
My main guitar is a 1970 335 which I absolutely love. While I agree that the smaller nutwidth is not an issue at all once you got used to it, in my opinion the neck feels hugely different from the years with a wider nutwith. The transition is not that easy, and it takes me some time to get used to when switching between by Les Paul and the 335.
 

wmachine

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
303
Personally, I tried several of the recent Memphis reissues, and haven't found one that sounded and felt anywhere close to my 1970 one. ymmv....

They are not all supposed to be like your '70. My understanding is the '69 reissue has the narrower nut, so it stands to reason that should be more similar to yours. Kinda makes sense to me.
 

fakejake

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Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
They are not all supposed to be like your '70. My understanding is the '69 reissue has the narrower nut, so it stands to reason that should be more similar to yours. Kinda makes sense to me.

I know, I meant the sound and overall feel of the guitar -except for the neck witdh.
I'd love to have an original '59 or '64 as well, but I cant offord one. Given the choice between a reissue with the wide nut or my '70 one, I prefer the latter. The narrow nut is not ideal, but the guitar it up with a beautiful woody, complex sound and a phantastic worn in feel that I have't found in a reissue yet.
 

Tommy Tourbus

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
871
Unless you spend all your time playing cowboy chords at the top of the neck near the nut it's nothing to be concerned about. If the guitar's exceptional in every other way don't let the nut width be a deal breaker
 

gnappi

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Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
17
It's a good thing that players who are so sensitive about git necks never first picked up violin or banjo, they would likely have wound up with a trumpet or drums :)

Even with large fingers all you have to do is see a vid of Robert Conti or Tal Farlow (both with LARGE hands) flying around the fingerboard and at least I feel sheepish complaining about a few thousandths +/- of neck dimensions :)
 

K_L

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
566
Unless you spend all your time playing cowboy chords at the top of the neck near the nut it's nothing to be concerned about. If the guitar's exceptional in every other way don't let the nut width be a deal breaker

I have a `69/`70 SG Std w/ a narrow nut & it has become a 'deal breaker' for me as I love to play some of AC/DC`s tunes which includes those 'open chords' [they`re not 'cowboy chords' if you`re playing AC/DC! Also Clapton played some 'open chords' w/ his `64 Fool SG in Cream so I do that too! And if you own a SG, you have to play some AC/DC occasionally!] It`s a great sounding SG but as it has aged, it`s also developed tuning problems due mainly, I believe, to the 'Maestro Lyre' tailpiece :( I would like to replace that with a 'stop tailpiece' but probably won`t. Just my humble opinion of course...
 

Joth

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Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
4
I got a cherry '74 earlier this year and have another feature to remark about. The 73-75 era has a structural difference in the body, and it is this: instead of a solid maple centreblock all along the body, there is a partial maple centreblock from the bottom end to below the bridge, it is hollow below the bridge pickup and between the pickups, and there is a mahogany block that forms the neck pickup area and the neck joint. I can't really say when this centreblock config started or ended.
The apparent result of this is a bit more resonant body, and a 'woodier' tone, it has its own voice in comparison to my '62 345(monowired), and it is certainly fun to play and sounds great.
It has the narrow 1 9/16 nut, which is not only narrow but also very small and shallow front to back under the first few frets, and the neck tapers heavily to a very thick baseballbatlike girth as it approaches the heel. I knew my way around this taper as my late 70s SG is very similar, and
I noticed a local 63 Firebird is very much like this as well, tiny at the nut, huge at the heel. I am more fumbly with open chords on these guitars compared to the wider nut guitars, but then again, its nice to have something to put your playing into a different zone for a while.
 

AA00475Bassman

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Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
Personally, I tried several of the recent Memphis reissues, and haven't found one that sounded and felt anywhere close to my 1970 one. ymmv....
Sorry to burst your bubble I owned several late 60's ES guitars , there's a reason I said owned !!

Age does not make a great guitar .

Its pointless to debate opinion , The market value of these guitars should be a indicator !
 

fakejake

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Joined
Sep 3, 2010
Messages
1,274
Sorry to burst your bubble I owned several late 60's ES guitars , there's a reason I said owned !!

Age does not make a great guitar .

It's cool, no bubble bursted! :saludeI said that I tried several reissues and that to me none of them was a match my current one. So I guess I'm just lucky I found one that I really like. :jim


Now I think thats a great excuse to post a picture of my No1: :peace2

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