My '68 Gibson ES345

Jaykay69 · 2009-11-12T23:11:11+00:00

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

My '68 Gibson ES345

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?

aubs1

Wow, now that is a stunning Gibby !!!! 8)

AlanRatcliffe

Jaykay69 wrote: 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?

Not a problem as they each operate on a different pickup with a completely different tonality anyway. I just presumed they were both dead.

Jaykay69

I was told only the one is broken, obviously somebody already had a look inside but that was long ago! I used my absolute best surgical skills with a small mirror and dentist tool wrapped with soft cloth to avoid any damage and had a look via the F-hole. What i could see seemed to be very old and looked like the original parts. I guess only once a specialist had a look at it i will know excactly what is broken and needs replacement. Might be something small like you said.
Believe me i was quite tempted a few times already to pull the harness out but the thought of getting it all back seemed to sway my judgement to stick with probably the best thing to do and that is not to touch it!

Bob-Dubery

Jaykay69 wrote: 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.

I got a look at a "blue book" whilst I was at McGibbon's today. Prices for 345s change from early 60s to late 60s, and the cusp year is 1965. Thereafter you're looking at more like $5000 for a 345 in very good condition. $3000 in "low" condition.

Jaykay69

Thanks for the info. Agree, $3000-$5000 would be the "quick sale" value and waiting for the right collector to come along maybe $7000 + but for now that is the last thing on my mind!
Had a look and there is some awesome ready made harnesses available ranging from $200-$500... Anyone know if there is someone in SA doing this kind of thing or selling them. Feel free to reply or pm me should you know someone local you would recommend or know.
The more i research the more i favour dropping in aftermarket hardware, and taking out the Varitone harness and keep it aside till the day we part company.

Reinhard

Bob's estimate is spot on. A collector is not going to pay 7K, if he can get it for 4-5K. And in this economic environment even 5K is pushing it.

You could probably get a pre-wired harness from RS Guitarworks, they sell some nice upgrades. If you have the current one repaired, you can use a split cable and send the signal to two amps like they were meant to on the stereo. Make sure you get a good guitar tech to do it like others have said and be prepared to pay quite a bit, they charge by the hour and this is a long and frustrating process. I had it done 2 years back and it cost me a lot, I ended up paying the guy with a set of Gibson pickups and some cash. I got the components from RS. Good luck, I hope you get this great guitar in playable condition!

Jaykay69

Reinhard i completely agree and yes, now would not be a great time to sell but 345's still get sold for a lot more than book value. Obviously year, condition, colour etc. all make some more valuable but i believe there are some guys not affected by the economic downturn with lots of spare cash!
I am not trying to hype up mine or saying it is worth a lot but just that when i sell it ,IF i ever sell it ,it must be worth it for me. Maybe a good safeguard mechanism to never sell it..

I bought it with the knowledge that it is worth something and spend a few ZAR (confidential info.. ? ) more than i wanted ,but seeing and holding this beauty i know it was well worth it.

For now i have decided to leave the original harness untouched. Already mailed some people to try and get hold of a replacement part for the Varitone switch, looking to get an original one, only then will i consider replacing the broken one. I know it is looking for a needle in a haystack but anything is possible. There must be a harness laying around somewhere.
I have the original split lead as well. (I added a link with more pics where you can see the stereo lead.)

And yes, i believe you when you say pay a bit , but in the end i believe it will be worth it. The new ready made harnesses seem to be quite easy to install...one even runs the pickup wire all the way to the pickup cavities in case you want to change pickups....so there is no need to open up anything else!

Now i just need to find a friend in the states coming over for Xmas to bring me a small gift!

Will check out RS Guitarworks as well.
Thanks for the info.

Reinhard

My 335 has a 68 harness in, no idea what the previous owner paid though, but my experience with the RS kits have been very good. I think I have a wiring kit lying around for my SG.
Just a tip, insure the 345 against ANYthing that could happen to it, you don't want some SOB stealing the guitar and you are out all the cash.
This guy can do a valuation for you, that you can submit to your insurance company andreas@guitarexperience.co.za . I think he charged me R150 in the past per guitar. Just send some pics, back, front, serial etc. I'm in the process of getting a valuation for my ES to get it insured.

Vintage-Guitar

Nice and Clean ? Keep it original.