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1960 Gibson ES-350T Stereo, Serial Number A32867

This 1960 Gibson ES-350T™ is an incredibly clean and unusual example, factory equipped with stereo wiring and a Varitone circuit. The ES-350T was already a distinctive guitar, combining a fully hollow 17-inch thinline body with a short 23.5-inch scale, and this rare Stereo Varitone configuration takes it somewhere else entirely. The original truss rod cover is engraved “Stereo,” while the orange label inside the body is factory stamped “Stereo Varitone.” Produced on February 26, 1960, with the 1959 Factory Order Number S3255 5 stamped in the treble-side f-hole, it retains predominantly late-1950s features and remains exceptionally original.

The original Sunburst finish has aged into a beautiful iced-tea color, with very light, even checking and only minor evidence of play. The maple itself is particularly attractive, with flame visible across the top and sides and a mix of blister and birdseye figure across the back. The headstock edges and corners remain very clean. A few small dings are present on the back of the neck around the 10th and 11th frets, along with a roughly 3/4" scrape in the clear coat between the crown inlay and truss rod cover. There is also a single stable split in the neck binding near the 2nd fret and very light finish cracking around the output jack, neither of which presents any structural concern.

The two-piece maple neck has a comfortable Medium C profile measuring .89" at the 1st fret and .99" at the 9th. The 1 5/8" nut width gives it the narrower feel associated with these guitars, but the generous neck depth keeps it substantial and comfortable in hand. The Brazilian rosewood fretboard is rich and dark, and the original frets are in excellent condition. The original Kluson® Deluxe single-line tuners remain in place and have been fitted with replacement single-ring Keystone buttons after the originals deteriorated.

Both original Patent Applied For humbucker™ pickups remain in place. The neck pickup uses the narrower pole-piece spacing we employed on the ES-350T, Byrdland, and several of our other high-end archtops of the period to better align with their narrower string spacing. The neck pickup measures 7.32k ohms and retains a partial but identifiable Patent Applied For decal. The solder securing the neck pickup cover shows evidence of disturbance, suggesting that the cover may have been removed at some point in the past, but the pickup itself remains correct and original to the guitar and functions fully as it should. The bridge pickup measures 7.26k ohms, retains most of its Patent Applied For decal, and its cover solder appears clean and undisturbed.

The original Stereo Varitone circuit remains completely intact and fully functional. Three of the four original Centralab® potentiometers remain enclosed in their original metal dust cans, while the exposed bridge tone pot carries a 1345946 date code from the 46th week of 1959 and retains its original ceramic disc capacitor. The original Switchcraft® selector switch and stereo output jack also remain in place. Most importantly, everything works as it should. Each of the six Varitone positions offers a clearly different voice, moving from the full, open sound of the bypass position through increasingly focused and filtered sounds. It's easy to think of the Varitone as simply an interesting period feature, but on this guitar it is genuinely fun to use, with a surprising amount of range available between the two pickups, their individual controls, and the six-position circuit.

The original gold hardware remains in very good condition with some expected plating wear. The original ABR-1 bridge has begun to lose its radius but remains installed, and an aged-to-match Gibson Custom Aged ABR-1 is included in the case should a future owner prefer to use it. The original engraved ES-350T trapeze tailpiece remains in place, and a vintage-correct amber Catalin switch tip replaces the original.

At 7.01 pounds, this is a loud, resonant guitar that is genuinely fun to play before you ever plug it in. The short scale, narrow nut, and full neck give it a feel unlike almost anything else in the Gibson line, while the two original Patent Applied For humbuckers and factory Stereo Varitone circuit make it equally individual once amplified. The humbuckers are clear and balanced, the Varitone adds far more than novelty, and the hollow body gives everything an immediacy that suits the guitar particularly well. It's a rare configuration, but more importantly, it's a really great guitar.

This guitar ships in a modern TKL® brown and pink hardshell case designed specifically for this ES-350T and also includes a non-original but era- and model-correct Lifton™ five-latch brown and pink hardshell case.

This instrument has received a professional setup and thorough inspection from Gibson Certified Vintage and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, new Limited Lifetime Warranty, and exclusive Gibson Certified Vintage accessories including a leather guitar strap, matching leather luggage tag, and vintage-style Gibson pick container.

To fully utilize the original stereo output circuit, we have included the following accessories:

1x 12' Mogami® Gold Stereo Guitar Cable (1/4" TRS to Dual 1/4" TS)
1x 3' Mogami Gold Instrument Cable
1x JHS Summing Amp Utility Pedal
1x Truetone 1 Spot® 9V Power Supply

The original design allows the guitar to be connected to a Gibson stereo amplifier using a 1/4" TRS cable or to two separate amplifiers using the included TRS to dual 1/4" TS stereo cable. For players wishing to use a traditional mono amplifier or pedalboard, the included JHS Summing Amp Utility Pedal actively combines the stereo signal into a mono output while preserving the guitar's full frequency response. Because the original stereo wiring pairs the pickups out of magnetic phase in the middle position, equal pickup volumes may still produce the thinner, "quacky" sound characteristic of these early stereo instruments. Slightly reducing the volume of either pickup restores a more in-phase character and unlocks a remarkably broad and expressive tonal palette.

Weight: 7.01 lb.
Neck depth: 1st fret: .89", 9th fret: .99"