1/16

1982 Gibson ES-347TD, Serial Number 82092500

This 1982 Gibson ES-347™ is an exceptionally clean, beautifully preserved example of one of our more interesting semi-hollow electric guitars from the period. Finished in Tobacco Sunburst, it combines the shape and construction of the ES-335™ family with an ebony fingerboard, brass nut, gold hardware, TP-6 tailpiece, high-output Series VII humbuckers™, and coil-tap electronics. At more than 40 years old, this one has the feel of a genuine time-capsule instrument.

Introduced in 1978, the ES-347 took our established semi-hollow platform in a distinctly more contemporary direction. A three-piece maple neck, bound ebony fingerboard with pearl block inlays, gold hardware, brass nut, TP-6 fine-tuning tailpiece, and high-output humbucking pickups gave the model an identity all its own, while a coil-tap switch added another useful range of sounds. The result sits comfortably among our more elaborately appointed ES models while remaining very much a product of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

There simply isn’t much condition wear to report on this guitar. The Tobacco Sunburst finish is beautifully preserved, with virtually no checking and only minor evidence of careful use. The most noticeable wear is a small amount along the edges of the peghead, consistent with having rested in a guitar hanger. The gold hardware is similarly clean, with none of the meaningful tarnishing or plating wear so commonly encountered on instruments of this age. The figured laminated maple top has a particularly attractive, blistered character that moves nicely across the body as the light changes.

The three-piece maple neck has a SlimTaper™ profile measuring .79” at the first fret and .97” at the 12th. Its bound ebony fingerboard carries mother-of-pearl block inlays and 22 medium-jumbo frets, while the original brass nut remains in place. It is a distinctly different feel from one of our late-1950s semi-hollow guitars: sleek, solid, and very much representative of where the ES™ line had gone by the early 1980s.

The hardware and electronics are original throughout, including the gold Gibson-branded Schaller M6 tuners, Top Adjust Tune-O-Matic™ bridge with brass saddles, TP-6 tailpiece, five-ply black and white pickguard, black Speed knobs, and Posi-Lok™ strap buttons. Even the gold plating remains very well preserved.

The Series VII humbucking pickups are closely matched, measuring 15.36k ohms in the neck position and 15.39k ohms at the bridge. The untouched wiring harness features CTS® potentiometers bearing partially visible 1377xxx codes, ceramic disc capacitors, and original Switchcraft® components. The coil-tap switch gives the high-output Series VII pickups another side entirely, adding brighter, leaner sounds to the fuller humbucking voices available from the standard two-volume, two-tone control layout.

The guitar includes its original five-latch black and red hardshell case, and what remains inside helps complete the time-capsule feel. The original warranty card is still present, along with its envelope and case keys. Also included are period materials associated with the guitar’s purchase, including a newspaper clipping inquiry and a period dealer advertisement. Taken together with the condition of the instrument itself, it is an unusually complete snapshot of this guitar and its early history.

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 picks and pick container.

Weight: 9.49 lb.
Neck Depth: 1st Fret: .79", 12th Fret: .97"