Vintage ES-335 family: L to R 1958, 59, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 64

[MikeSlub]

 

[jb_abides]

Exit stage left.

 

[seafood]

So great!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Midnight Blues]

All about the Blocks for me Mike, they're lovely!

 

[Cliff Gress]

View attachment 21542

I read somewhere that more blondes were produced than cherries. Of course, I can't remember the source. Anyone know numbers?

 

[Cliff Gress]

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[wernerg]

Mike, is the thickness of the '58 top noticeably different from that of subsequent years? My question goes back to our offline chat about 345 "First Rack" guitars, that allegedly have thinner tops, and it has been argued that this aligns with earlier 335's

 

[MikeSlub]

Mike, is the thickness of the '58 top noticeably different from that of subsequent years? My question goes back to our offline chat about 345 "First Rack" guitars, that allegedly have thinner tops, and it has been argued that this aligns with earlier 335's

Don't know Werner - will check it out.

 

[poor man's burst]

I read somewhere that more blondes were produced than cherries. Of course, I can't remember the source. Anyone know numbers?

Could you be more specific about which years or production you are refering to?

 

[MikeSlub]

I read somewhere that more blondes were produced than cherries. Of course, I can't remember the source. Anyone know numbers?

Haven't heard that for the vintage years of 1958-64, and just based on what I've seen it doesn't appear that it could possibly be true. Way more cherry tops out there!

 

[Cliff Gress]

Could you be more specific about which years or production you are refering to?

The vintage years as Mike put it above.

 

[Cliff Gress]

Haven't heard that for the vintage years of 1958-64, and just based on what I've seen it doesn't appear that it could possibly be true. Way more cherry tops out there!

I believe you Mike and was struck by the same thought when the article said there were more blondes produced; that can't be right. I'll have to look for that article/source.

 

[brandtkronholm]

Blonde ES guitars had higher production numbers than cherry ES guitars up to 1960. After 1960 cherry ES guitars began to outnumber the blondes by a huge margin. Here's a link to production numbers: Thin-line Electric Production numbers
[n=Natural/Blonde, c=Cherry]

 

[poor man's burst]

From 1958 to 1960 Gibson produced ES-335 in Sunburst (ES-335TD) and Natural (ES-335TDN), as ususal with their non-solidbody guitars. In late 1959, Cherry (ES-335TDC) replaced Natural. 21 ES-335TDC were issued in 1960 and 420 in 1961, which is more than twice the total amount of 209 ES-335TDN produced during the first 3 years. Natural were produced again much later. Same with ES-345, albeit from 1959. Only 50 ES-345N were produced in 1959 and 1960. ES-355 were only produced in Cherry red. As often with Gibson, exceptions exist (Keith Richards's black ES-355 and white ES-345, a natural ES-355, a sunburst ES-355, a few black ES-335 and ES-345.

 

[garywright]

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