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NVGD! First Rack 1959 ES-345T!

RAB

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Mar 17, 2005
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2,122
Hi friendly LPF folk! Our favorite day, NVGD that is! In this case a First Rack 1959 ES-345T, Serial Number A29822, shipped from the Kalamazoo factory on April 30, 1959. Its the second "First Rack" 345 I've owned and has all the early features. Thanks OK Guitars for providing me this killer axe! Huge neck, thin top, short leg bridge pickup, smaller choke route, black Varitone ring, etc. Has a pair of hot PAFs. Neck is a zebra, 8.4 k ohms, bridge is a rare reverse zebra, 8.2 k ohms. Perfect fret job by Gruhn. Charlie G. converted it for me to mono using a custom Creamtone wiring harness. Sounds GOOD! Original wiring harness and tuners (with mummified buttons) in the original brown case...The first First Rack 345 I had (A29663) was darn near mint so I hated to play it out. This one is in nice condition but not so clean I won't play the heck out of it. Take it easy, RAB

Photos in a sec...
 

RAB

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2mqjb7p.jpg
 

RAB

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Mercy! Great score!!!

Thanks Charlie, I've been kicking myself for years for being a complete idiot and trading my first First Rack 345 for a '61 dot 335 which was inferior in all respects! I've now righted the situation thanks to Charlie G....the only way I'll off this guitar is if I find an even nicer First Rack! :hank RAB
 

RAB

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Any other early 345 fans out there? With the mono conversion it gets you close to ‘59 dotneck 335 sound without the BIG pricetag! :peace2
 

RAB

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Very nice, I'm very happy for you, RAB :jim

Thanks J.D. yes, filling a void since A29663 left...no full sized humbucker thinline has matched it since then except for now. My mini-PAF ‘62 Riviera is a great instrument in its own right but of course a very different sound. This First Rack 345 truly lives up to the “Burst Killer” moniker! :dude:
 

RAB

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A lot lighter than a PAF Les Paul Standard too after the mono conversion! :jim
 

wmachine

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Mar 17, 2016
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Any other early 345 fans out there? With the mono conversion it gets you close to ‘59 dotneck 335 sound without the BIG pricetag! :peace2
I'm a big fan, but rather than dive into the deep end of the pool, I bought a 2016 345 '64 TDC Maestro. Big scratch to the itch.

2btbgJiUJhDxUJDWQhKkNYVQvljs0jd3p9goAzYcBaTNdCHGHsB1ZFBzLG-lFgyyIKmTqvQP8pkP3jV8p1p3FWbRttd3vKixNrnEu6HnaAbm7G5DPLkv3NBjW_ydqP2Pup2FSSKVCQL650ah3V-5MmqLcVyIMiLjjJiamGzej7_z42uSaqoFAlQMJaBSACCuv4KbGs4ap7FMseOpcxrLlzvYKW4ZSDHqyoO_ul7bygFVxBpreYDppODgq-ayXT5yFzenL8dQ674Ln_KA4KTYW5H7Bobl9OmKjzGTRzVzXO4V57XY2mAAk5tun7popq1XuDKh2nzX4MtOq8varoQhscV8O92LIXCLvogjcKJ_HoMzGm6f2jMZz4iMGKx7qeem8VHWYWQ5wJcoAxl4JAwCUQ4iDJmdvfboo09exa9gPx5Ch24LGlVv226030QPBKhHYqHB2O_7QuO2Lm3qD_Cn14NQbGi5h_4ZJZqLL6CSYG0fe_igKrG8qo_FTx50jFaPezabpQFrsJly3iXefqEFgARgivRKX9cCTqxSFdqK4kq_-mq_-eMiVj4yjPvcYD0JL63fiZeFSlYHNaAmp19qxh6ca-RmLNBiS08rJ5lSIM3HxutTeXorCEJRyXcetIM7l3qg_mzVBnr0WkELzx7vacZbR6zk_mkj=w1363-h766-no
 

mdubya

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Mar 31, 2010
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1,020
:wow :XRE:XRE:XRE

That is beautiful.

This was used as inspiration to play my '59 335 RI all day yesterday. Will be diving back in again, today. :yah

Could we see more of the neck, front and back?
 

RAB

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Mar 17, 2005
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2,122
optjky.jpg


keeping the original Klusons with shrunken buttons in the case along with the factory wiring harness. Have repro Klusons on the guitar and they work well!
 
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