Gibson newbie: opinions needed on a 1968' 335!

[Grog]

Nice! Congrats! You will enjoy it for years to come.......

 

[GotTheSilver]

Congrats! :salude. We need better pics of that beauty!

 

[crashbelt]

Congratulations that's a great looking 68.

I have a 68 Trini which sounds just as good as my 64 and 59 335s, just a little brighter and a bit more raunchy. They're all great and all keepers!

I notice the change in neck width and string spacing for about 2 minutes after which its makes no difference once I've adjusted to it. I don't get the big deal about 1 11/16" vs 1 9/16". My 53 blackguard is very slightly narrower than my Trini and no-one complains about blackguards!!

Play the hell out of that guitar............

 

[ultrasun]

Thanks guys! I'm so thrilled. It sounds great. Definitely nright, but on the good side fo bright. The dynamics on that kind of guitar are so impressive.
Recently saw pictures of a Gretsch Broadkaster 7609... Looks similar to the 335. Had I knew before, I might have tried to play one. But anyway, the 335 was the first guitar in that genre, so I'm a happy player. I''l try and post more pics.

 

[marshall1987]

Congratulations! You picked up a nice vintage ES-335. :dude:

Your post touched upon the thorny subject of vintage guitar pricing, in Europe I believe.

The 2020 vintage guitar market, especially for '50s and '60s Gibson electrics, seems to be taking inspiration from the classic children's film "Alice in Wonderland". :spabout

Asking prices are way up in the stratosphere. Reverb listings and prices are ridiculously high. Many sellers list overpriced guitars which just sit there for months and months, sometimes years. And you can't go by the completed guitar sales data.....many sales are negotiated and completed "off-line" over the phone, for much less. :hmm

I don't know much about the European vintage guitar market in 2020, but in the U.S, a 1967/'68 Gibson ES-335 TDC w/ Bigsby, OHSC, in very good, original condition, is a $4,000 to $4,800 guitar. In collectable grade, "minty" condition, a 1968 ES-335 is possibly a $5,000 - $5,500 guitar. The Bigsby and narrow nut-width (1-9/16") impact the value significantly. Advice don't overpay.

 

[ultrasun]

Congratulations! You picked up a nice vintage ES-335. :dude:

Your post touched upon the thorny subject of vintage guitar pricing, in Europe I believe.

I don't know much about the European vintage guitar market in 2020, but in the U.S, a 1967/'68 Gibson ES-335 TDC w/ Bigsby, OHSC, in very good, original condition, is a $4,000 to $4,800 guitar. In collectable grade, "minty" condition, a 1968 ES-335 is possibly a $5,000 - $5,500 guitar. The Bigsby and narrow nut-width (1-9/16") impact the value significantly. Advice don't overpay.

Yes, that's a moot point. Prices are crazy, and there might be a new world crisis with covid, and the market is over flooded with "new" guitars and reissues. Vintage guitars are becoming rarer, which could play both ways: price increase, or so-many-good-new-guitars-now, why bother with an old one?
The thing is, it takes time to find the guitar that imposes itself on you -that's the one!- and you don't wanna take a chance and say "it's too expensive, I'll wait for the next one"... cos you might not find it!
Most guitars in Europe are at last 1k more expensive than in the US. If you add shipping + tax, it's not that much of a difference. And you get to play the guitar first, rather than buying overseas with your fingers crossed.
The guitar I bought was probably overpriced, but I craved for a 335 for a long time, and I don't think I will ever sell it. Some day it will probably be worth what I paid for it...