Offered for sale:
Vintage circa 1963 Gibson ES-120T serial number 123060.
This guitar is in good condition. The neck angle and frets are good, the pickup and controls are fully functional.
Cosmetically there is extensive finish checking, marks and nicks abounding, the finish on the back of the neck is deteriorating, there is some wear through on the back. You certainly can feel it and I suppose you can sand it smooth but I wouldn’t. It doesn’t feel bad or distracting. In fact, it reminds me of the Dean Zelinsky’s patented Z-Glide Neck. It “puts some air between you and your guitar”.
The pickguard has a crack that has been repaired and reinforced. The knobs are non-original ‘50s style bells and the volume pot is dated 1966. The tuners are non-original Ping replacements. This instrument exudes patina, soul, tone and feel.
The ES-120T was an entry level thinline electric acoustic available from late 1961 until 1970. Built at Gibson's Kalamazoo plant, it was first included in the September 1961 price list, at $149.50. It was the least expensive electric acoustic guitar available from Gibson, and was comparable in price to the solid body Melody Maker D.
To keep costs down Gibson didn’t scrimp on construction, fit or finish. They mainly put a Melody Maker pickup, along with volume & tone controls and output jack on one pick guard assembly. No routing. No time-consuming snaking wires thru “f” holes.
And a Melody Maker pickup never sound so good as it does in the neck position of this thinline. In total 8895 ES-120Ts were produced, with 1965 the peak year.
The 1970 Gibson Thinline catalogue states:
ES-120 T Good looks, fine performance and low price. These are the qualities that have made this electric Spanish guitar a favorite with amateur musicians. Features an exclusive, patented finger rest pickup.
FEATURES:
Arched maple top and back, mahogany rims. Slim, fast, low action neck joins body at the 14th fret. Mahogany neck, adjustable truss rod. Rosewood fingerboard, pearloid dot inlays. Adjustable rosewood bridge, chrome-plated trapeze tailpiece. Powerful pickup mounted off the body in finger rest. Individual tone and volume controls. Cord jack mounted on finger rest. 16 ¼" wide, 20 ¼" long, 1 ¾" thin; 24 ¾" scale, 20 frets.
Hard-shell case included.
“We carefully inspect every instrument when we buy it and bring it up to our standards before we offer it for sale. We also do a full set up before we ship. If you decide to purchase this guitar, please let us know what gauge strings you prefer.”
GUITAR SPECS:
Model: ES-120T
Finish: Sunburst
Year: c1963
Body Material: Arched maple top and back, mahogany rims
Body Type: Hollow Body
Fretboard Material: Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany
Scale Length: 24.75"
Number of frets: 20
Bridge: Adjustable rosewood
Tuners: Non-original Ping
Width at Nut: 1 11/16”
Radius: 10”
Pickup: Gibson EU-380 “Melody Maker”
Controls: Volume, tone
Weight: 5.2 lbs.
*Please note: we do our best giving descriptions of used pieces. We have found it impossible to describe every mark on an instrument or amp that is not in the "mint" category. Also, what's important to you may not be important to someone else. For example, you may say, "I don't care what it looks like as long as it plays or sounds well." Another person may say, "Body cosmetics are very important to me so tell me about every scratch, nick and blemish." So, please ask the questions that are most important to you. If you ask they will be answered. They are free and there's no limit. Additional photos can also be made available.
This is a specific item that is also being offered for sale in our brick & mortar location. It is possible that it has just been sold. Please ask if it is still available before purchasing.
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