SOLD - Gibson 1964 ES-345 TDC Cherry Custom Ebony Board PAF Bigsby

SOLD!

Who buys vintage guitars?  We do!

Call 530-570-1525 or email sales@maharsvintageguitars.com to sell your vintage guitar, bass, amplifier, etc - one piece or a collection!  We are always ready to buy instruments, amps and effects from Fender, Gibson, Martin, Epiphone, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, Marshall, Vox and just about anything else related to musical instruments.   You can also click here for more info on selling us vintage instruments, amps, parts, etc.  

This one is a winner!  You get PAF tone, a factory Bigsby, a custom-ordered ebony fretboard, and one of the best playing guitars we've had in the shop at a killer price thanks to the nearly invisible headstock repair.

The Gibson ES-345 occupied the middle position in Gibson's thinline semi-hollow hierarchy — above the ES-335 in appointments and electronics, below the ES-355 in cosmetics and trim. Where the ES-335 was stripped-down and straightforward, and the ES-355 was fully luxurious, the ES-345 offered stereo output, the six-position Varitone tone selector, gold hardware, and split parallelogram inlays in a more working-musician-oriented package. Introduced in spring 1959 with PAF humbuckers as standard equipment, the 345 was Gibson's most technologically ambitious production guitar — a semi-hollow instrument designed to exploit the new stereo vinyl format that was reshaping recorded music in the late 1950s.

This 1964 example was custom-ordered with two specifications that elevate it significantly above standard ES-345 production. The first is the ebony fingerboard. The ES-345 came standard with a rosewood fingerboard — ebony was the province of the ES-355, the top of the thinline line. The second is the pickup complement. By 1964 Gibson had largely transitioned from the Patent Applied For humbucker to the Patent Number sticker pickup at the bridge — the PAF era was winding down. This guitar carries a genuine PAF in the neck position alongside a Patent Number sticker in the bridge, a configuration consistent with Gibson using remaining PAF stock on custom orders in this period. An original PAF in any 1964 guitar is a huge bonus.

The stereo Varitone circuit is intact and original — the six-position rotary switch running the pickup signal through choke-based frequency-scoop networks to produce the range of tonal colors that players variously describe as focused, nasal, or scooped depending on position and application. The stereo wiring separates the bridge and neck pickup signals through the tip/ring/sleeve output jack, allowing true stereo amplification with each pickup routed independently. The original Gibson Y cable required for this operation is included — a genuinely rare accessory that is almost always missing from these instruments decades after manufacture.

The included BMF Effects ES-Box pedal provides a practical modern solution for players who want to operate the guitar in mono, stereo, or with pickup blending without permanent modification to the original wiring. Use of a stereo 1/4" cable between the guitar and the pedal allows use of the guitar as you would an ES-335, Les Paul or SG, but with the varitone switch in play.  A custom TRS to mono 1/4" cable is also included to connect the guitar directly to an amp.  This method does get you an out-of-phase situation when you're in the middle pickup position with both volume knobs at 10.

Using the included pedal is the way to go.  The guitar sounds outrageously good!

ABR-1 Tune-o-Matic bridge with Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, one-piece mahogany neck in the rounded C profile at .828" at the first fret and .982" at the twelfth, original gold hardware throughout, original pots, original split parallelogram inlays. Action is set at 2/32" on both strings at the twelfth fret - it plays effortlessly!  The original frets are in great shape.  The neck is straight and there is room in the truss rod for future neck relief adjustments. Original hardshell case included.  The pickguard appears to be original, however I would have expected it to show some degradation - pickguards on these guitars typically offgas and deteriorate.  If it is a replacement, it is a perfect one.

About the pedal: "The BMF Effects ES Box is a specialized, high-quality buffer pedal designed to convert stereo, high-impedance signals from instruments like the Gibson ES-345 into a single, buffered mono output.  It features summing circuitry that allows players to use vintage-style stereo guitars with standard mono pedalboards and amplifiers, ensuring signal integrity and preventing high-frequency loss."

We buy, sell, and take trades.

Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site
Fender electric guitars - vintage & used
Gibson electric guitars - vintage & used
The largest vintage & used guitar amplifier selection in Northern California
Vintage & Used Effects Pedals

SPECS:

• Color: Cherry
• Weight: 9lbs 6.5oz
  
• Top: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
• Body: 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
  
• Body Date/Code: 
• Neck: 1-piece Mahogany
  
• Neck Profile: Rounded C
  
• Fretboard: Ebony
  
• Inlays: Split Parallelogram
  
• Frets: Original
  
• Fret Count: 22
  
• Nut: 
  
• Nut width: 1-5/8"
  
• Radius: 12"
  
• Scale: 2475"
  
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .828"
• Neck thickness at 12th Fret: .982"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Overall length: 41 3/8"
  
• Lower bout: 16"
  
• Waist: 9 1/4"
  
• Upper bout: 11 1/4"
  
• Body depth/thickness outside edge: 1 3/4"
  
• String gauge: .010-.046"
• Hardware Color: Gold
• Pickguard: Original
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: Gibson Patent Sticker
  
• Original?: Yes
• Neck Pickup/Brand: Gibson PAF!
  
• Original?: Yes
  
• Bridge: Original ABR-1  w/ Bigsby 
• Tuners: Original
• Knobs: Original
  
• Switch: 3 Way + Varitone
• Pots/: Original
• Case: OHSC
  
• Accessories Included: Original Gibson Y cable, custom TRS to Mono cable, BMF Effects ES-Box Mono/Stereo Pedal

Shipping policy:

There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site.  Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for Eastern states - customers from any state that is more than a 3 day UPS ground shipment from our shop will get their shipment via UPS 3 day air.  Otherwise, ground shipping will be used.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.