My '68 Gibson ES345

Jaykay69

Ok, here we go....as promised in introduce yourself.

MIKA-the-better-one

oooh nice. you posted this at 11:11:11pm skills

Jaykay69

[deleted]

Very Nice ?

A bit of history? Have you always had it?

Jaykay69

Sorry, no real history, bought it about five years ago from an elderly gentleman. The only owner as far as i could gather. Took me a long time to convince him to part with this beauty!

Jaykay69

Ps. original subject had a typo... not 69 but 68!!! Should be in bed sleeping....

Reinhard

That is gorgeous, I am green with envy! How is the neck profile on the 68 ?

If you ever decide to part with that guitar, please let me know!

PeteM

Aaaaah yes - a beautiful beast.

Bob-Dubery

Way cool.

Is it all original?

andrewjbryson

Spectacularrrrrrrrrrrr

CDee

Great looking guitar! ?

FatBoy

*Drool* she be very purdy man!

guitarboy2828

Dang.... ???

Jaykay69

Hello again. Sorry for the late reply but things were hectic in my part of the world and there is just no time to log on!

Reinhard i think the way Gibson described it...slim , fast , low action neck would describe it best. I am not the best player but the only time i played on it i could feel what they described! Although, i prefer a wider neck ( not the smallest fingers) the action "supersoft" compared to my Hohner L 75 Professional and Aria Pro II. But i guess it will be harsh to compare them to the 345...

Bob, everything is still original BUT there is something wrong with the Varitone selector. When i bought it i was told that the one "chip" on the varitone switch was broken, therefore it only works on the "1" setting.
I have no technical knowledge but googled a lot of sites and forums regarding the matter with a lot of "bypassing", "ripping the harness out and replacing it" discussions etc.
However to me it makes more sense to keep the original intact..working or not. Someone commented on one site that his buyer prefered the Es 345 working with new hardware inside and having the old harness should he then want to sell it.

I suppose there will be all kinds of opinions on that matter so i want to hear from you guys what i should do.. your humble opinions!!!

Also suggestions as to the best Vintage technicians in SA would be appreciated! Anybody in Durban?

AlanRatcliffe

From a player's perspective, I wouldn't worry too much about the Varitone as long as it works in bypass. Most people don't like the effect they have.

If you do want to fix it, first have the wiring checked out - it could be something as simple as a loose wire. If it is the chip, it's just six resistors and five caps so it can easily be faked with individual components. I have schematics if your repair guy wants.

If you want the actual replacement chip, I have heard of guys getting them either directly from Gibson (they reissued the 345 a while back) or a Store called Classic Ax in Nashville. The 345 is a very desirable guitar and relatively few were made, so it might be worth the effort to chase down the proper thing (although the newer replacements are encapsulated in plastic rather than the ceramic casing of the originals). BTW, is yours the mono or the stereo 345?

Bob-Dubery

Jaykay69 wrote:
I suppose there will be all kinds of opinions on that matter so i want to hear from you guys what i should do.. your humble opinions!!!

From the photos it looks to be in very good condition. The guitar almost certainly has value as a collectible piece and could have some value as part of your estate one day. so tread carefully unless you REALLY don't care about it's value. Gruhn's have 60s 345s going for $12500 to $18000 - but in that market year of manufacture, condition and authenticity are significant in determining the price. And typically collectible guitars fetch less in SA than they would overseas as that market is not as strong here.

You may want to get it valued - that might help you make up your mind. Is there a vintage guitar dealer in Durban? I'd also get it valued before I got any repair work done. If it's a valuable piece you might want to get picky about who works on it - a cowboy could knock a lot off of the value of the instrument. A serious vintage guitar dealer would probably be able to recommend a repair person.

Jaykay69

Morning guys!

Alan, it is the Stereo version. Thanks for the reply. Yes i believe the replacement for that part is blue plastic coated instead of the ceramic coated original version. I completely agree with not letting anyone work on it... Unfortunately i live up on the north coast so not really in touch with guitar shops etc. I would rather have someone in JHB or Cape Town who knows his stuff work on it than trying a cheaper option to have it fixed. And because it is not a priority for me to have it in a playable condition i am still undecided whether to have "NEW" parts put in or leave it as it is... Original but not fully working.

Bob it is not my plan to sell it soon but you know what they say.. if the price is right.... who knows! I am sure there is somebody out there who will appreciate this baby a whole lot more than me but for know that privilege is mine!
Yes the values you gave is spot on but more the early 60 models with the stop tailpiece instead of the trapezium from '65(i stand corrected) onwards. However only 560 TD's were shipped in 68 and this is one of the few left in such pristine condition. And yes, should the day arrive i will most definetely try the American, Japanese or European markets to sell.

Jaykay69

A link to more pics.

http://s973.photobucket.com/albums/ae216/JayKay69photos/

AlanRatcliffe

it is the Stereo version

Bear in mind you'll need two chips then...

Jaykay69

The thought crossed my mind, having one old one and the new one might not be the ideal situation.. unless the specs are exact. But with the ageing of the one would it be a big issue if just the newer one is fitted?