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DO BLONDS HAVE MORE FUN? Dave Belzer
Do blonds have more fun? Having dark hair
the L5, but not exclusively. The laminated wood
and a shorter scale length, making for faster
all of my life, I really can’t answer that one,
ES-300, ES-350, as well as the ES-5 were also
runs and easier access up and down the neck.
although I did date one blond back in my 20’s,
available in natural in the later 1940’s up until
and yes, she was fun, but that’s another story
they were discontinued during the early 1950’s,
Right around this time Gibson introduced the
for another magazine. The blonds that always
making way for the newer model ES-175SD
ES-225T. Described as a thin-bodied version
got my interest were the ones built by Gibson
and the ES-295. From their inceptions both
of the ES-295, it was originally available in
during the mid to later ‘50’s.
models were also offered in blond. The ES-295
sunburst, but by 1956, like its two pickup
only had a short stay and was dropped in 1958.
version that shortly followed, it could also be
As a rule, Gibson produced a lot fewer blond
Yet the affordable ES-175 and ES-175D has
had in a natural finish until its demise in 1959
or natural-finished guitars than their sunburst
stood the test of time, becoming the workhorse
which was brought on by the popularity of the
counterparts. As the production of fretted
of many of the finest jazz guitarists from the
Double Cutaway Thinline electrics of 1958-
instruments began to escalate in the later
1950’s until today.
1960.
very few models. As Ted McCarty recounts in
1955 was the beginning of an interesting
1958 is considered to be a very good year for
Gibson Electrics the Classic Years, “On natural
compromise between the traditional hollow
vintage because it birthed some of the most
instruments wood had to be more perfect in
bodies of the past and the growing popularity of
revered electric guitars we value today, the
appearance. I don’t know if it was actually any
heavier solid body guitars of the day. Thus, the
guitars we “Rock and Rollers “ grew up with.
better, but it couldn’t have any bare scratches
thin-line electric was born, possibly inspired by
or little imperfections.”
Hank Garland and Billy Byrd, both of which had
With the introduction of the PAF humbucker in
expressed to Gibson a desire for an L5 style
1957, the modernistic solid body Explorer and
Generally, during the ‘40’s and early ‘50’s,
guitar but with a thinner body. Gibson listened
Flying V in 1958, along with the new double
blond finishes were an option on higher end
and the result was the Byrdland. The Byrdland
cutaway thin line models ES-330, ES-335,
models, such as the carved top Super 400 and
was basically an L-5CES with a thinner body
ES-345and ES-355, Gibson was in high gear
‘50’s, blond finishes were applied to just a
in regards to innovation and
addressing current market
demands.
Gibson
was
still
refining
these newer models during
the latter part of 1958 into
early 1959. Neck pitch was
slightly corrected on the ES
line as well as the addition of
larger frets that made playing
easier,
especially
from
a
string bending aspect. The
ES thin line models, from
the lowest end ES-330 to
the upper end ES-355, were
available in both sunburst
and natural finishes. The
shipping records show only
50
ES-345’s
natural
12
Sep Oct 2016
CollectibleGuitar.com
shipped
between
in
1958-59