Vintage Gibson ES-335TD - Wine Red - 1978 OHSC

A beautiful, Kalamazoo-built Gibson ES-335TD finished in wine red lacquer and accompanied by its original Gibson blue-lined hardshell case.

The 1978 Gibson ES-335TD (Thinline Dual-Pickup) stands out as a fascinating piece of Gibson history. Built during the peak of the Norlin era, this model has a distinct technical DNA and visual vibe that separates it entirely from the golden-era 1950s or 60s dot-necks.

Construction & Tonewoods

• The Neck: By 1978, Gibson had fully embraced three-piece maple necks instead of the traditional mahogany. This makes the neck incredibly stable and rigid, adding a bright, snappier attack to the guitar's overall voice. You will also find the signature volute—a carved lump of wood behind the nut designed to reinforce the headstock joint against breaks.
• The Body: Laminated maple top, back, and sides with a solid maple center block. The body contours during this period feature slightly tighter, more squared-off "mickey mouse ears" cutaways compared to earlier decades.
• The Fretboard: Rosewood with pearloid small block inlays, a classic aesthetic shift from the early dots.

2. Electronics & The "Coil-Tap" Switch

The late 70s models are famous for a unique electronics layout. Alongside the standard dual volume and tone controls, 1978 models feature a factory coil-tap toggle switch located on the treble-side lower horn.

• This allows you to split the humbuckers for single-coil-like clarity, offering thin, biting tones that were highly popular during the late 70s session-player boom.
• The pickups are typically "Tarback" (Super Humbuckers) or standard stamped-patnum humbuckers, known for being clear, articulate, and slightly higher output than vintage PAFs.

3. Hardware Shifts

• Trapeze Tailpiece: Unlike the early stopbar tailpieces, standard '78 TD models shipped with a chrome trapeze tailpiece, which yields a slightly woodier, more acoustic resonance and less aggressive string tension.

Features:

• Original wine red finish
• Non original Grover Tuners
• replaced bridge
• was refretted
• Original Gibson orange ES-335TD label
• Original Gibson hardshell case (OHSC)

A wonderful vintage player’s ES-335 that combines classic Kalamazoo craftsmanship with tasteful, functional upgrades, making it equally at home on stage, in the studio, or in a collection.

Serial Number: 70108024