Brand: Gibson
Instrument Categories: Electric, Guitars, SOLD, Thinline
Here’s a fairly rare guitar, a Gibson ES-325 TDW, where the ‘TDW’ stands for Two Pickup, Double Cutaway, Walnut finish. The TDW does not appear anywhere on the guitar or its label, bur does appear on marketing materials, to distinguish it from the ES-325 TDC with Cherry finish or the TD in Tobacco Sunburst. This guitar was built between 1972 and 1978 and is an original example of Gibson’s Norlin era production – Gibson’s corporate parent between 1969 and 1986.
Using the same general type of construction as the ES-335 – a laminate body with a center block – the Gibson ES-325 TDW also exhibits a number of differences. The Maple center block is shorter, as in the new Gibson ES Les Paul, which makes the guitar more resonant, lighter, and makes wiring a breeze. As well, the controls are top-mounted on a D-shaped plastic plate, further simplifying wiring. Typical of many guitars of the period, not just Gibsons, the neck is fairly narrow at 1.581 inches (40.17mm) compared to the currently common 1.7 inches (43.1mm).
The neck is maple, with a large volute and a fairly shallow headstock angle – Gibson now advertises a headstock pitch of 17 degrees, and this is significantly less.
The pickups are mini-humbuckers with chrome covers, and a tune-o-matic bridge is used along with a standard trapeze tailpiece. Some models had much wider bridges and a stop tailpiece. Tuners are Gibson Kluson-style with metal tulip-shaped buttons.
This Gibson ES-325 likely dates to 1974, though serial numbers are not conclusive; the ’18xxxx’ series with the ‘MADE IN USA’ stamp below it points to 1970-1975, but in 1975 those elements started to appear on stickers instead of being stamped. This example is in clean and largely original condition and plays well.
The original black double-arched Faultless hard shell case is included.
- Model: ES-325 TDW
- Year: Current
- Finish Gloss Walnut Stain
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: 181488, likely built during 1974 in Kalamazoo Michigan
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 08/03/2024
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 7.30lbs 3.32kg
- Scale Length: 24.6in 625mm
- Nut Width: 1.581in 40.17mm
