GIBSON ES 355 mono, 1960

A gorgeous 355 in the rare mono non- Varitone version, with two PAFs, long pickguard, built between 1959 and 1960. It has a 1959 Factory Order Number (S1144 18) and a February 1960 serial number on the orange oval label. The guitar has all the sought-after '59 specs, including the legendary neck profile.
It is equipped with the classic gold-plated Bigsby B-7, a standard 355 feature in the late 50s and early 60s guitars. Maple body, one-piece mahogany neck, ebony fretboard with mother-of-pearl inlays, multi-ply binding on body and headstock. Tune-o-matic ABR-1 bridge with no saddle-retaining wire, Grover Rotomatic Pat. Pend. tuning machines.
The pickups are two perfect PAFs (Patent Applied For), both original and great sounding, with gold covers never dissoldered. The long pickguard isn't the typical bound tortoise plastic type but a 5-ply laminated instead, like the 335 and 345 models of the same years.
The beautiful cherry red finish is strong and unfaded. It shows a lot of checking but is in overall good conditons, except for an area under the player's right arm where checking and playing wear have caused some damage to the finish: that's what happens, when a guitar has been constantly used for the first 47 years of its life! This detail is clearly shown in a close-up picture.
The other little flaw (this one too is shown in a detailed picture) is a replaced Grover tuner. For some time, it was replaced with a Kluson-style machine, which has left a mark in the finish and a little screw-hole that the Grover cannot hide. Our luthier will carefully plug the hole and touch-up the area with a very light hand-sanding, and I think that the result will be excellent.
The gold-plated parts are in good shape, although they show the wear you'd expect from a nearly 50 year-old guitar.
Original hardshell case, brown with purple lining, very solid and beautiful, with perfect handle and hinges.
An exceptional guitar: the PAF thinlines are among the most sought-after models in the vintage world!

Please open one picture at a time:

355a - 355b - in case1 - in case2 - body1 - body2 - body3 - back - body back - headstock - logo - knobs - bridge - bridge2 - bracket - paf1 - paf2 - paf3 - paf4 - ring - selector -  neckjoint - tuners - tuner2 - wear - label - FON - checking1 - checking2 - checking3 - case