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1956 Gibson ES-350T, First Year PAFs

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Serial #: A-26505, orange oval label FON#: U1334 Body size at lower bout: 17". Scale length: 23 1/2" Nut Width: 1 10/16" Body depth: 2 1/4" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .90/.97

Materials: Arched figured maple body, solid 3 piece maple neck, with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard; mother of pearl fingerboard and peghead inlay; 3 ply body binding, bound neck and peghead.

Hardware: Original gold hardware includes twin Pat. Applied For humbucking pickups, loop style trapeze tailpiece with engraved crossbar, Kluson Deluxe single ring tuners, ABR-1 Tuneomatic 'no-wire compensated adjustable bridge, gold bell volume and tone knobs, 3 way toggle switch. Vintage correct aged wide bevel 5-ply pickguard.

Notes: It was a disc jockey convention in Nashville, and the year was 1955. Gibson, Inc. had a booth demonstrating their new offerings, and ace session guitarists Hank Garland and Billy Byrd were sampling the merchandise. Then, according to Garland, Gibson rep Clarence Havenga asked the fateful question: "What would you like in a guitar that we don't already have?" By the time the three had finished brainstorming, a new guitar was born, that would revolutionize the electric guitar world forever.

First, both the scale length was shortened, to create Gibson's fastest neck ever, specifically tailored to facilitate stretch chord voicings and lightning fast leads. Hank had been playing a custom Stromberg with a slimmer body depth, and asked Havenga to match it. And the legendary Byrdland had arrived.

So popular was this innovative design that Gibson rushed another new model into production within weeks. Christened the ES-350T, the new guitar retained the unique design of the Byrdland, but added a figured laminate maple body to reduce feedback, increase sustain and improve durability. After a pair of prototypes were built late in 1955, Gibson produced a small but historic run of ES-350T guitars in 1956, the first full year of production. The following year, the model became one of the very first fitted with the revolutionary Pat.Applied For. humbucking pickups. Prized by performers such as Chuck Berry and Danny Gatton the ES-350T became an icon of the brave new world of rock 'n roll. Only 150 of these beauties were finished in the handsome sunburst lacquer that first year for the coveted PAF pickups.

At just 6lb. 7oz. the guitar is happily lightweight and well balanced, with a warmly resonant fully hollow body. The sunburst finish is all original, wonderfully free of pick wear, and showing only light traces of buckle denting and a bit of thumbwear at the open position. All hardware and electronics are original as well, with the addition of a vintage correct aged wide bevel 5-ply pickguard. The original binding remains tight to the body, and the instrument has excellent neck angle and bridge height, with ample room for adjustment up or down.

The neck has a gentle C profile, very contemporary in feel, with smooth low action over fine original fretwork and a fresh high precision setup. The twin PAF pickups measure 7.65K at the neck and 7.72K at the bridge, with wonderfully smooth, rich response. The guitar remains fitted with all original pots, wiring harness, and shielding cans as well. The true nitro lacquer shows only a few traces of scattered checking, a few nicks on the headstock, and the typical tiny stress line across the jack. The fast scale length makes stretch voicings and fast runs a snap, and the guitar is an unusually versatile performer, equally at home with styles from bebop to rockabilly.

Complete with its original brown Lifton pink plush lined hardshell case, this gleaming guitar is a rare and exceptionally fine example of a landmark in the evolution of the modern electric guitar. One only: call now.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as required; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings (.012-.054). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

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