1960 1961 Gibson ES335 TDC DOT NECK w/ PAF’s Cherry Factory Bigsby

One of the best ES-335 we have ever played, the one nicknamed "Merlin", just found it's way back to our collection!!
 
Custom ordered in 1960 by a Mr. Antony Green, it was finished and delivered to him in 1961. It survived hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, was sold via Gruhn Guitars (http://guitars.com/inventory/eh6692-1960-gibson-es-335 EH6692, Gibson ES-335, 1960, original Bigsby and unopened PAF pickups, finish has been water damaged but is stable, refretted by Gruhn Guitars, 1970s HC ...SOLD) and came to us via Paris, France in 2015.
 
After owning it for some years I sold the guitar to fund another dream. Sold, but never forgotten...
 
But lo and behold, I coincidentally stumbled upon her late 2025 in a stunning high end guitar collection of a good friend of mine here in The Netherlands when dropping off a killer 1962 Stratocaster. I just could't believe my eyes when I saw my old 335. This guitar is the one that has been my benchmark ES (and Les Paul...) forever. So yes... I just had to buy her back at whatever the cost. Finally, after pestering him for months, early 2026 it finally happened. On the day of my birthday...!!
 
"Merlin" is a very light (even with the Bigsby) 3.9Kg super resonant ES-335 and a true bless to play. A mythical guitar for sure! The sustain and tone of this beautiful specimen is really fantastic; the sound is just beyond awesome... (Ask Matt Schofield who played this back in 2018 at a guitar clinic in The Hague, The Netherlands.) 

And except for a refret this beast is all original. The remnants of moist and water during hurricane Katrina are still clearly visible but it still is in remarkable condition with some honest playwear,  mojo, finish checking and spots were the bare wood comes through. But everything is stable and the wood is so dry and light it has a lovely open woody sound. 

The DOT neck has a 43mm nut width and it is not the usual slimmer neck profile you get on most early 60's ES guitars! It’s not like a chunky ’59 either but somewhere in between the two and it just is a really nice neck to hold on to. It measures 20mm on the 1st fret, 21,3mm on the 5th and 22,6mm on the 12th. The original unopened PAF humbuckers measure a lovely 7,41K Ohm in the neck and 7,88K in the bridge. It sounds open, gritty and rich and when pushed hard through a tube amp this thing sings and roars like you have never heard before. Once heard, you can never un-hear it. You just can't un-burn toast...

Another cool feature is that this was a factory custom ordered guitar. Whereas 99% of the Bigsby’d ES-335’s have stud holes - most of the times covered by a *custom made* cover plate - this one doesn't! Normally Gibson produced the ES guitars with studholes so they could sell them as either a stopbar tailpiece version or as a Bigsby’d 335 with *custom made* plaque. This not only means that it is super rare; it has also been built to the exact specification back in 1960 as it is today, resulting in one of the best balanced and sounding ES-335’s we have ever had the pleasure of playing... 
 
With its original finish, original unopened PAF’s, pots, wiring, electronics, plastics, Kluson D-169400 tuners, ABR-1 foundry mark bridge, B7 EX Short LP Bigsby with large philips handle screw, black pebble case with gold plush lining etc etc this is just a killer guitar! Pick it up and you’ll understand why this is on every pro guitar players top 5 instruments of choice. Oh yes, and it comes including CITES!