They’re popular guitars, if only through association with The Beatles.”, As they entered the '70s Norlin-era, it was clear the guitar production bore little resemblance to the golden era of the '50s and '60s. Vintage 25th Anniversary Series V75-SVB, V6H-SVB & V100-SVB review, What you need to know about Gibson 'Dreadnought' Jumbos. Although perhaps less susceptible to feedback at high volume than a full-depth electric archtop, the ES-330 was generally more prone to unwanted noise than a guitar with pickups mounted into a solid body or centre block - especially one fitted with noise-cancelling PAF humbuckers (introduced on some Gibson electric guitars from 1957). However, there is a center block so it's also like a ES-335. The new 2018 Gibson ES-330 meets two exciting Limited Release finishes, Dark Cherry and Olive Drab Green. The "dot neck" ES-330 of the early '60s is the most coveted thinline hollowbody electric guitar of all time, and Gibson Memphis re-creates it in the new 1961 ES-330TD Figured VOS. Following CMI’s acquisition of Epiphone in 1957, an Epiphone-branded version of the ES-330, the Casino, was produced at Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory from 1961 until 1969, when CMI was taken over by the Ecuadorian Company Ltd/ECL (renamed Norlin later in 1970). 2018 Gibson ES-330s With the latest MHS P-90 single-coil pickups – which offer hum-cancelling properties – the ES-330 is the best it’s ever been. These factors gave it a woodier, more midrange-forward voice that inspired jazz greats like Grant Green to adopt it as their instrument of choice. It's mainly a ES-330TC due to where the neck is set and the single pickup. “In general, a 330 is not able to be played as loud as a guitar with a centre block, and P-90s have a different sound to humbuckers. The nuts were 1 11/16-inches [wide] to begin with, but went considerably narrower in the mid-60s. Gibson were still owned by CMI, but the company had put in new management, and the management didn’t give a damn about guitars - they cared about cutting corners. The Gibson ES-330 is a fully hollow double cutaway, meaning it lacks the center wood block found on its semi-hollowbody counterpart, the ES-335. It came in two variants; the single-pickup ES330T, and the dual-pickup ES330TD. It’s hard to believe that 1970 is the year, I consider to be responsible for the worst crap in American guitar-making history! He hacked himself a new pickup cavity and installed a Gibson P.A.F. Guitar & Bass Pickups . Gibson introduced the all-new ES-335 in 1958, soon the more deluxe ES-355 arrived. 1960 was much better than 1970. Sign up below to get the latest from Guitarist, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Before anyone else asks... it is an ES-335. 1966 Gibson ES-330TDC (Electric Spanish, Thin, Double (Pickup), Cherry) The 1960 Gibson catalog says, "a wonderful instrument with truly magical tone." Speaking to Guitarist from his Nashville vintage guitar store, Gruhn Guitars, George is celebrating 50 years in the business this year. 330s feed back a lot quicker than 335s. I have wanterd a semi hollow guitar for years, but I don't favor humbucking pickups. The shorter neck was less appealing. Crafted with an array of features like a maple top, rosewood fretboard, four-knob control layout with three-way pickup selector, and a pair of hot P90 humbuckers, the Gibson '59 ES-330 Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar is a faithful rendition of a beloved classic. Yet the coil size of the P90s gives a fatter and sometimes more growly sound than Fender single coils produce. The Es 330 is light in weight and easy to handle. Released in 1959, the single P-90 pickup ES-330T and dual P-90 ES-330TD models represent decades of innovation as Gibson’s premier double-cutaway thinline hollowbody electric archtops. The same pickups were also available on Epiphone models (since Gibson was building Epiphone guitars in the 1950s) and the design is best remembered for its appearance on the hollow body Epiphone Casino of the mid to late 1960s. 1 Options Sign Up for Gibson News & Special Offers. The body is thicker than an usual ES guitar, more like a Gibson Midtown. There was a lot of change at that point. Original Gibson Guitar Wiring Schematics. Released in 1959, the single P-90 pickup ES-330T and dual P-90 ES-330TD models represent decades of innovation as Gibson’s premier double … Single coil pickups have a nice clear tone (described as chimey by many). In spite of the above 335 advantages, the Epiphone Casino and Gibson ES-330 are underrated guitars. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, The rise, fall and rediscovery of the Fender Jaguar, How to set up a Les Paul: 7 essential tips. Sonically, it’s quite a different beast, and when you combine that with the pickups, you’ve got a thoroughly different sound. Not to be confused with the Gibson ES Artist launched by Gibson in 1979; this ES Artist was an early model designed by the Gibson research and development team in Kalamazoo in 1977, the instruments themselves constructed by Gibson artist Chuck Burge. By 1940, Gibson had started fitting a new style of pickup to its ES-100, ES-125 and ES-150 guitars, as well as lap steels. It also didn’t have tulip-shaped buttons on the [Kluson Deluxe] tuners - it had cheaper tuners with white oval plastic buttons. All rights reserved. The thinline concept immediately proved popular and the range was quickly expanded to include the dual P-90-equipped ES-225TD in 1956 (‘D’ denotes ‘dual’ pickups). Initially introduced in 1959, the main features are thin-body Hollow Body construction, solid 1-piece mahogany necks with laminated maple bodies sporting 1 or 2 P-90 single coil pickups. With its deep lustrous red akin to Fender’s Candy Apple Red finish, it certainly disguised these issues, although it tends to be extremely photosensitive and can fade dramatically over time to a sickly shade of brown/green! Copyright © 2020 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. There is no centre block, and it has P-90s rather than humbuckers,” says George. Bath You’ll probably be familiar with the well known and iconic ES 335. The "dot neck" ES-330 of the early '60s is the most coveted thinline hollowbody electric guitar of all time, and Gibson Memphis re-creates it in the new 1961 ES-330TD Figured VOS. Gibson Les Paul (2 pick up) Gibson Les Paul Standard DC (2 pick up) ... Gibson ESB1250 Gibson ES -Byrdland-Crest-BKessel Gibson Explorer III Gibson Explorer Wiring During the mid 60s, the ES-330TD’s sunburst finish began to appear noticeably lighter, and by the late 60s, two new finishes were available: Walnut and Sparkling Burgundy. Recreating the glories of vintage single coils. Guitars from this ES line-up feature a laminate body design. This thing is amazing!! In 1959 the stereo-equipped ES-345 came along, as did the less costly ES-330 which came in dual (ES-330TD) and single-pickup (ES-330T) model with the same twin-cutaway outline and slim depth body as the other Gibson semis hollow bodies. It was first introduced in 1959. I think it would have been a more popular guitar if it had the same neck as a 335.”, The popularity of high-volume electric blues and rock ’n’ roll pointed towards solidbody and semi-acoustic designs. Hot hide glue for top brace, Franklin Titebond 50 for rim assembly. The ES-330’s lineage can be traced back to 1936 when Gibson released their first Electric Spanish (ES) archtop guitar, the ES-150, a jazzbox electrified with a ‘blade’ single-coil pickup (commonly referred to as a ‘Charlie Christian’ pickup). “They don’t sound any different from a 330, and they don’t play much different, but The Beatles association makes those somewhat popular, even today. The following description is taken from the 1970 Gibson thinline catalog. Please refresh the page and try again. As per all double-cutaway electrics of the time, the ES-330’s single-bound body is constructed from laminated maple with a pressed arched top sporting two f-holes, and although comparisons are inevitable - primarily based on body shape/dimensions (being 19-inches long, 16-inches wide and 11⁄4-inches deep) - there are some major differences that set the ES-330 a world apart. ... 1969/70 Epiphone Casino Pickups Full Wiring Harness Dogear P-90 Gibson ES-330. Guitar Humbuckers . Also, in 1965, Gibson changed the headstock pitch from a 17 to 14-degree angle across all their electrics in order to make them less susceptible to breakage - an increasingly common problem associated with Gibson guitars. By 1946, a revised ES range consisted of the ES-125, ES-150 and ES-300, with Gibson’s first regular production Venetian/rounded cutaway electric model, the ES-350 Premier, making its debut in 1947. Nickel hardware, Kluson white oval … You’ve got a hollowbody versus a semi-hollowbody; the semi-hollow ES-335 responds much more like a solidbody guitar because it’s got a solid centre, whereas a 330 is a fully hollow guitar. The 1959 Historic ES-330 in Vintage Burst, with countless period correct details such as Maple construction Mickey Mouse cutaways, Mahogany neck, Rosewood board with nylon nut, MHS P-90 pickups with vintage style no logo potentiometers, quartered Adirondack Spruce bracing, V.O.S. Following Ted McCarty’s departure from Gibson in mid-1966, ES-330TD sales steadily declined throughout the late 60s as the era of hard rock unfolded and, by 1972, the model was discontinued. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to our, A gorgeous thinline with spectacular figured maple top, back and rims. They’re wound with reverse polarity to be hum-cancelling. 1955 Gibson ES-225 introduction specs: Much like a slightly fancier 1960's ES-125TC with different tailpiece. A lot of guitars are [made] better now than they were made 50 years ago. Mahogany Headblock & Tailblock, Quartered Adirondack Spruce brace. “The necks went much shallower in ’60, and by mid ’65 they were narrower. During this period, the electric guitar was beginning to find its voice as a lead instrument, while cutting-edge players such as Charlie Christian increasingly stepped away from the shadows of the rhythm section and into the limelight of centre stage. He was streamlining operations and cutting costs. It's a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at eBay.com. Les Paul Models SG Models ES-Style Models Basses Designer Models. The P-90 loaded, Tune-o-matic-bridge/trapeze-tailpiece-equipped ES-330 electric archtops arrived somewhat in the shadow of their semi-acoustic, dual-PAF-humbucker-toting ES-335/345/355 double-cutaway siblings. In 1965, the ES-330TD’s hardware - including Tune-o-matic bridge, trapeze tailpiece and ‘dog-ear’ P-90 pickup covers - changed appearance for a final time with the introduction of chrome- plating as a harder wearing alternative to nickel-plating. In 1952, Gibson unveiled their first solidbody electric guitar, the Les Paul Model (Goldtop) and the range soon widened to include the Junior, TV and Custom in 1954, followed by the Special in 1955. Vintage Early 1960's Gibson Melody Maker Pickguard 1961 1962 Single Pickup. The 330 is a double cut[away], but it’s not going to be very much different.”. “Otherwise, cosmetically, it’s very much like a 335, with the exception the 330 did not have the crown-shaped inlay on the peghead - it just had the pearl Gibson logo [inlay]. ... You are bidding on a Vintage Pickguard from a Classic Gibson ES-330 Hollow Body Electric Guitar! (The “D” was used to denote a double pickup model.) double-coil pickup from a 1961 Gibson ES-335. Instead of humbuckers, the ES-330 TD is equipped with two single-coil P-90 pickups. © “The 330 has the same body dimensions as the 335, but it was not anywhere near as popular and it was cheaper. The earliest 330s feature black-plastic ‘dog-ear’ P-90 pickup covers that were, in late ’62, superseded by nickel-plated metal covers. Not sure if you can see it, but there is a center block: Over the years it has been played by the likes of BB King, Noel Gallagher and Eric Clapton to name just a few. P-90 - Single Coil with Soapbar Cover Pickup ... $24.99. However, I know that the single coil 330 pickups don’t physically fit in the 335 humbucker spaces. The 335 semi hollow body therefore heavier and humbucker pickups and for some reason much more money. I bought the Cherry finished model, they still have a brown one. Body is stamped steel with plastic oval button, Multi ply black ES-330H with 45� bevel (V.O.S. As Versatile says the Beatles used the Eppi Casino which is almost the same guitar as the Gibson ES330. It joins the body at the 16th fret, rather than the 19th-fret join of the 335. However, World War 2 temporarily halted further advancements at Gibson as far as electric guitars go and production stopped over the next couple of years. The single pickup version was phased out in 1963, but the ES-330TD remained in production until 1972. These are great, versatile pickups with all the midrange you’d expect: they’re medium output, but a touch of overdrive will give some real raunch. 1957 Gibson ES-225t with a single pickup. Thankfully, things have slowly improved since then.”. During this time, Gibson’s owners CMI continuously pushed Ted McCarty for new electric-guitar designs, and in July 1955, the first thinlines were unveiled at the NAMM show in Chicago. Product Registration Customer Service Repair and Restoration Report Counterfeits Serial Number FAQ Gibson Guitar Specs (2015-2019) Dealer Resource Center Locate A or Best Offer. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Rather than having a semi-solidbody, the ES-330 was fully hollow, similar to the original 1955 thinlines like the ES-350T and ES-225. While transparent natural-style finishes, such as Walnut were popular during the late '60s, the opaque Sparkling Burgundy metallic finish was used to hide flaws in the wood created by moisture during the lamination process. $750.00. It is an amazing guitar - it even came with a hard shell case. Eddie assembled his original B&W copy of a Strat using a pre-routed ash body and maple neck purchased from Charvel. Initial sales of Gibson’s novel Electric Spanish guitar range proved encouraging. By the end of the war, Gibson was under new ownership, having been acquired by distributors Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) in 1944, and with a fresh injection of cash, production of the ES range recommenced in earnest, albeit with some major design alterations and enhancements. Designed with historic hollow-body features at heart, this guitar incorporates modern enhancements like an ABR-1 bridge with titanium saddles, and a hand-wired MTC Plus control assembly paired to our MHS P-90 pickups with hum-canceling capabilities. Although the Casino ultimately gained a great deal more publicity than the ES-330 as a preferred guitar of The Beatles (McCartney, Lennon and Harrison all acquired Casinos), there is little difference with regards to basic design features between the two instruments. Smooth/ Hi Gloss 90 Sheen Lacquer - Finished in V.O.S. Historic Specs throughout such as hide glue, rolled neck binding, period-correct plastics, a tubeless truss rod, the iconic "Mickey Mouse ears" body shape, Adirondack spruce bracing, '50s-style MHS P-90 pickups, upgraded wiring and tone pots deliver the closest thing to owning an extremely rare figured 1961 ES-330. “I started in January 1970. in 1965, Gibson changed the headstock pitch from a 17 to 14-degree angle across all their electrics in order to make them less susceptible to breakage, Also, the 330’s inlays changed from dots to small blocks in ’62, like the 335. The ever-increasing popularity of high-volume electric blues and rock ’n’ roll prompted a more practical solution for guitarists that pointed towards solidbody and semi-acoustic designs, and so ES-330s took more of a back seat in terms of appeal. When it was first introduced, the ES-330 stood apart from it Gibson brethren because of its fully-hollow construction and single-coil P-90 pickups. There was a problem. With a short 231⁄2-inch scale length both the Byrdland and ES-350T measured 21⁄4-inches deep. “The ES-335 came out in 1958 (it was developed in ’57, but they didn’t ship any until ’58), and the ES-330 was not released until ’59,” veteran guitar dealer and guitar author George Gruhn tells us. Frankly, I’m not sure why Gibson made a shorter neck for the 330, but they did. You will receive a verification email shortly. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. At the time, this was deemed a more cost-effective and practical solution (as opposed to the solid construction of the pre-war ES range) and set the standard for future ES production. Such was the unprecedented success of the electric guitar generally that Gibson’s newly appointed president, Ted McCarty, expanded the idea to include not only a further two ES models in 1949 - the Florentine/pointed cutaway ES-175 and triple pickup ES-5 - but also electrified versions of their flagship Super 400 and L-5 archtops, the Super 400CES and L-5CES (released in 1951). Fast & Free shipping on many items! “It was a different-sounding guitar. However, the 243⁄4-inch scale-length of the ES-225T and ES-225TD were just 13⁄4-inches deep and it’s these thinline dimensions that would soon become part of the template for Gibson’s revolutionary double cutaway thinline range - including the ES-330, ES-335, ES-345, ES-355 and Trini Lopez Standard models. Originally introduced in 1959, The Gibson ES-330 is back with its magical, mystical blend of fully hollowbody construction, trapeze tailpiece, and biting P-90 single coil pickups that make each note sparkling clear with a tons of midrange punch. ). Though similar in appearance to the popular Gibson ES-335 guitar, the ES-330 is quite different: the 330 is a fully hollow thinline guitar, not a semi-hollow guitar with a center block. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, He cut a custom pickguard, tapped in Gibson Jumbo frets, and attached a whammy bridge pulled from a ’58 Strat. As regards the finishes, you don’t really see cherry much until ’60 [when cherry substituted natural alongside sunburst finishes]. The Gibson ES-330 looks like an ES-335 but is actually a thinline full hollow body guitar. The single pickup is installed halfway between the neck and the bridge. In ’61, a model similar to the Gibson ES-330 showed up in the Epiphone line as the Casino. The wood, construction, and headstock pitch all contribute greatly to the tone, aiding this guitar�s exceptional sustain and depth, and yielding a resonance that can be felt right through the body, 4.2850 cm / 1.687" @ nut, “I’ve been in business for over 50 years,” says George. Structurally, the Casino was the same as the ES-330, with a thinline, double-cutaway hollow body. The ES-330 shared the same body dimensions as the ES-335, ES-345, and ES-355, but had a very different interior construction. In 1938, the ES-150 was followed up by a less-expensive alternative, the ES-100 (renamed the ES-125 in 1941), and in 1939, the top-of-the-range ES-250 appeared (soon replaced, in 1940, by the ES-300). “There were economic and managerial changes. We use cookies to understand how you use our site, give you an awesome experience, and deliver our services. Gibson Brands, Inc. respects your right to privacy. Single Coil Pickups. An ES-125TDC is a thin[line], cutaway, double pickup (two P-90s) guitar; why is there any difference expected between the sound of that and a 330? Is there a pickup that mimicks the 330 pickup sound, that fits in the 335? It also retained the trapeze tailpiece and tune-o-matic bridge arrangement of the final ES-225 models. The pickup was a single coil P90 unit rather than the humbucker of the other models. This item is used and in good cosmetic condition considering its age: There is chipping and scratching but overall the pickguard is in nice shape. Evidently, the 1950s were a period of great innovation at Gibson as new musical styles and tastes emerged, and, for the first time in the company’s history, in 1954 the total number of electric guitars shipped exceeded that of acoustics. 5.6718 cm / 2.233" @ end of board. The P90s make a great blueie sound. The new ES-330 was available in double- and single-pickup versions, with the single pickup placed dead centre, making later upgrades a challenge. It's pretty interesting, I wonder how it will sound or play once I finish it. It was more accountant types.”, As they entered the Norlin-era of the '70s, it was clear Gibson’s guitar production bore little resemblance to the Kalamazoo factory’s golden era of the 50s and 60s. Natural is very rare and certainly more desirable now.”. The pickups are drop-in replacements for any standard Gibson P-90 Dog Ear-sized routing. It was no longer run by people who truly had their heart in it. Designed by Walt Fuller with alnico magnets, everything was housed under a compact rectangular metal cover with a height adjustment/mounting screw at each end. "Built with the same body shape as the ES-335T, but not the same semi-solid construction, the ES-330T/TD were originally introduced in 1959 as a replacement for the single cutaway ES-225T/TD. Released in 1959, the single P-90 pickup ES-330T and dual P-90 ES-330TD models represent decades of innovation as Gibson’s premier double … Fully hollow thinline ES-330 body with figured maple veneers, VOS Dark Vintage Natural in nitrocellulose lacquer. Although the 330 went to a longer 19th-fret neck like the 335 in ’68, the original shorter neck gave [players] less access to the upper registers. 0 bids. I know what a ES-330 is - I used to own a Casino. Developed in collaboration with guitarists Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, the L-5-inspired Byrdland sat at the top of the pecking order next to the mid-priced laminate body ES-350T (‘T’ denotes ‘thinline’), while the ES-225T was offered as a less fancy alternative. $14.90 shipping. “Interestingly, the Casino is really similar to the 330,” agrees George. When Stan Rendell came in as president after Ted McCarty, he changed a lot of things because he was busy saving money. Also, the 330 has two single-coil P-90 pickups, in contrast with the two humbuckers on the 335. Tonal, Resonant, and/or Technical Effect: The sound waves resonate within the hollow airspace of the Maple veneered Body, around the F-holes, and throughout the solid glue joints. Gibson ES-225 Thinline Fully Hollow Electric Archtop Available: 1955 to 1959 Collectibility Rating: one pickup models: C, two pickup models: C (the models preceeding the ES-125tc and ES-125tdc). The Gibson ES-330 is a thinline hollow-body electric guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Ending Nov 30 at 2:20PM PST 5d 8h. These single cutaway hollowbody electric archtops were something of a compromise between Gibson’s 3 3/8-inch-deep ES archtops and their slim solidbody electric guitars. Despite the fundamental differences between 330s and 335s, there are other similarities between the two, aside from body dimensions. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. I have an ES 335, but I wanted to put some ES 330 pickups in it, because I love the single coil sound of the ES 330. BA1 1UA. Those with a designation of ES-330T only have one pickup. Thank you for signing up to Guitarist. ES-330TD Easy to hold and play, the beautifully styled ES-330TDW produces clear, distinctive tones. Subscribe. Available for purchase is (1) P-90 black Dogear pickup cover that will fit Gibson, some imports and most other guitars that came with P-90 pickups.This is the same size molded plastic cover as the original that will fit over a Gibson P-90 pickup if you're restoring a vintage guitar or building a new one. Our Gibson ES 339 review will give you all the information you need to know to help you decide if this guitar is for you. The Antiquity P-90 Dog Ear uses two specially-calibrated Alnico 2 bar magnets with a custom coil wind that delivers the vintage growl of a late 1950s Gibson ES-330 neck pickup. “They went through the same profile changes you see on a 335,” says George, in reference to both instruments’ rosewood fingerboard mahogany necks. “When Ted left, they cheapened things,” recalls George. Back then, the move from dots to blocks would have been considered an upgrade. In late 1948, the ES-300 and ES-350 were augmented with dual P-90s - Gibson’s classic single-coil pickup - thus marking another step forward for the company’s ES range. Great deals on Gibson Es 330. Also in contrast to the 335, the 330 was built with P-90 pickups as opposed to humbuckers, and with a neck joint at the 17th instead of 19th fret. Sought after for decades, now available to the Left-Handed market! The single cutaway hollowbody electric archtops were something of a compromise between Gibson’s 3 3/8-inch-deep ES archtops and their slim solidbody electric guitars. As time went on, many of the changes to the ES-330 mirrored those of the ES-335. Recreating the glories of vintage single coils. The 1950s were a period of great innovation at Gibson as new musical styles and tastes emerged. Dog-ear P-90 pickups were commonly mounted on Gibson's hollow-body guitars like the ES-330 and occasionally on solid-body models like the Les Paul Junior. Besides the double pickup version (ES-330 TD), there is also a single pickup version (ES-330 T). With the single-pickup ES-330T being discontinued in 1962, it was left to the dual- pickup ES-330TD to carry the 330 flag. A year later, Gibson introduced a stepped-down model with the same body shape but with a fully hollow body and single-coil pickups, called the ES-330. The sound of a 330 is not especially any different to the sound of say an ES-125TDC. Receive news and offers from our other brands?