THINLINE AND SEMI-HOLLOW GUITARS
76-8737 Rickenbacker (new) 370/12 Maple Glo, #0837533 with hard shell case.
Per the Ric web site: the Model 370/12 electric twelve string, with its distinctive ringing sound, epitomizes the quintessential rock sound of the sixties created by Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. Like its cousin, the 360/12, the Model 370/12 employs only premium Maple and Rosewood, features a carefully carved semi-hollow body, premier quality tuners and of course, a third Rickenbacker pickup. Truly these deluxe features, coupled with over 60 years of hand-crafted excellence, encapsulate the essence of the "Rickenbacker Mystique." Our price is $2581 or at our cash discount price $2503.
76-8749 Rickenbacker (new) 620JG, #0838519, with hard shell case.
This instrument features the famous 'Cresting Wave' Maple cutaway body based on an innovative design from the 1950's. A Rosewood fingerboard is punctuated beautifully with triangular pearloid inlay markers, while the maple double bound neck and body are solid through and through. The 620 is electronically engineered to the exacting standards of the 300 series, complete with Rickenbacker's own high gain pickups and stereo output. Successfully retaining the balance from the original specifications, the 620 is another fine example of Rickenbacker quality workmanship. Our price is $1509 or at our cash discount price $1463.
76-8226 Collings (new) I-35 Standard six-string semi-hollow guitar, #I358367, sunburst, with hard shell case.
The I-35 is one of Collings’ finest electric guitars. Made from all solid woods (unlike most other semi-hollow body guitars) this one is fashioned from premium grade flamed maple and has a fully carved top connected to a semi-hollow mahogany body. It features grained ivoroid top binding, a high gloss lacquer finish, the top is finished in a beautiful tobacco sunburst color, twin custom humbucking pickups by Jason Lollar, a Tone-Pro bridge and tailpiece, gold high-hat knobs and crème plastic pickup rings, a 22-fret unbound mahogany neck, a rosewood fingerboard, 6 mother-of-pearl dotmarker fingerboard inlays of diminishing size, a 24 7/8"scale length, a polished ebony peghead veneer with a colorful mother-of-pearl script Collings logo, an asymmetrical peghead, a three-way toggle just north of the control knobs, six Sperzel USA brand sealed back tuners with vintage style ivoroid buttons, and a TKL hard shell case. Nothing, however, prepares you for the sound or the playability, both of which are simply elephantestical. $4825 at our Discount Price and $4680 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8193 Rickenbacker (new) 325C58MG in Maple-Glo, serial #0833486 with hard shell case.
Per the Ric web site, today’s 325C58 is an exact replica of the 1958 model 325, just as John Lennon first purchased in Hamburg. This hollow-body guitar is sculpted from solid Alder, and this one is finished in natural Mapleglo finish. Featuring gold nameplate and pickguard, gold-on-brown knobs, an elongated jack plate, and Kauffman Vibrola, the 325C58 precisely replicates every detail of the 1958 Model 325. $3166 at our Discount Price or $3071 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8003 Rickenbacker (new) 360 JG, in JetGlo (black) glossy finish, #0824525, with hard shell case.
The Rickenbacker List Price is $2,499. Please call or email for our discounted price.
78-7364 Gibson (used, 1959) ES-355 TDSV, #A-32367 with a Factory Order Number of S1143-18, cherry finish, in very good plus condition with original hard shell case.
In the spring of 1958 Gibson changed the course of Western Music again by introducing the famous ES-335 thinline (semi-hollow) double cutaway which took the world by storm (whatever that means). Some people would find it interesting to know that in the first year Gibson shipped 267 ES-335s in sunburst and 50 in natural, just 317 guitars, which has a lot to do with why they are so valuable. The next year, 1959, Gibson shipped 592 ES-335s and in 1960 in all three colors they shipped 514. The first year for the ES-355, fancier by far with an ebony fingerboard inlaid with real mother of pearl and gold-plated hardware was 1958. In 1958 Gibson shipped 10 ES-355s (total) and in 1959 Gibson shipped 177. In 1960 they shipped 315. This is not a lot of guitars. In fact it is WAY less than the number of ES-335s made in the same period (1,423 ES-335 in the first 3 years, 502 ES-355 in the first 3 years). But let us eschew the statistical and talk about this instrument. The Gibson ES-355 of this time came with two Gibson original "Patent Applied For"sticker humbucking pickups. This guitar has its original pickups - each of them called "Zebra" because it has one white coil and one black coil. At some point in the history of this example the gold-plated metal covers were removed and then resoldered back on. The truss rod cover screws are presently slothead, they should be Phillips. In addition, on this guitar, the nut was, in the past, replaced. Our world-class workshop has replaced the nut with an appropriate nut which is stained to the right vintage color, set it and executed a professional restringing.The first year ES-355 (1958) was monaural but in the second year (this year) Gibson introduced stereo electronics which separates the two pickups and requires a "Y-cable" to be played in mono through a single amplifier. This was connected to a Vari-Tone control on the face, located between the Bigsby and the four black high-hat control knobs in the lower treble bout. This Vari-Tone control has the pointed nose (not unlike my Uncle Mendy). The pickguard is tortoise shell color celluloid at its center and bordered with four plies of black and white. The pickguard extends below the bridge (correct for this year and done this way until early 1961). The top is bordered in 6 plies and the back in 2 plies. The crème bound ebony fingerboard is inlaid with 10 mother of pearl block markers; the black bell-shaped truss rod cover is bordered in white and does not (at this time) say "Stereo." The polished ebony headplate bears the now yellowed "Gibson" pearl inlaid block logo and the five-piece "split-diamond" headstock decoration. Tuners show gold wear but show the "Grover Pat. Pend. USA" legend expected for this time; tailpiece shows less plating wear than do the pickup covers and tune-o-matic bridge. Although the Gibson catalog of its time said that this had single-ply binding on the f-holes, neither this ES-355 nor the 1962 example we also have in stock has this feature. This happens, transitions occur. This neck joints the body at the 19th fret. Although the orange oval label states "ES-355" there is a tiny letter "T" after the serial number; then - to the right of the label, rubber stamped into the wood on the back, is the word "Stereo." This guitar epitomizes the beauty, vintage authenticity and induplicable sound quality that one can find only in an actual 1959 example. It blows the mind. NOW ON SALE. WAS $21,650, but NOW ON SALE for $20,615 or at our cash discount price $19,995.
78-7626 Rickenbacker (used, 2008) Model 330FG, FireGlo, #08-01489, near mint condition with original hard shell case (and some Rickenbacker materials but no warranty of course).
Rickenbacker says: “Careful acoustic research has resulted in the full, rich and warm sound of this popular model. Two single coil pickups on a full-size body are accented by a traditionally shaped sound hole. The 24-fret Rosewood fingerboard is punctuated by dot inlay fret markers, with full double cutaways permitting access to all the frets. Standard output is monaural through a single jack plate.” This is a large bodied guitar, measuring 39 ½” in length, 15” in width and 1 ½” in depth, it has a 24 ¾” scale length; the nut width is 1.63” and at the 12th fret it measures 1.931 (for you statistics fans). The crown radius is 10”; it has a body and neck of maple, a rosewood unbound fingerboard. It weighs approximately 8 pounds. The nickel –plated tailpiece takes the form of the letter “R,” the bridge is 6-saddle style, the neck is set-in. It hosts twin high-gain pickups and the output is mono. Schaller sealed-back tuners with small metal buttons occupy the back of the five-piece headstock, and the neck is a sturdy 3-piece construction. A tailpin is provided at the bass horn and at the bottom. The FireGlo finish is a sensuous deep red, to yellow-orange. This gorgeous art-deco guitar will set your playing on fire. $1442 or, at our cash discount price, $1399.
78-7556 Taylor® (used, 2005) T5-C1 model acoustic-electric thinline, with flame maple sunburst top #20051025511 housed in both an original hard shell case and (additionally) a Taylor black gigbag.
This is the thinline chambered electric guitar with the acoustic feel, having a high-tech triple pickup system including the gold-plated slightly diagonal electric pickup in the bridge position, a pickup under the bottom of the fretboard and a pickup in the bridge, with the three rotary controls reminiscent of the Taylor Expressions System and a five-position slider control on the upper bass side. The tuners are gold-plated sealed-backs bearing the Taylor logo, the bridge is a standard acoustic bridge, carved of ebony, with six ebony bridge pins; the top is bordered in 5 plies of black and white with ivoroid binding the top side; the strap pins are gold-plated; the ebony crème bound fingerboard hosts 8 floral pearl inlays. Taylor says: The acoustic and electric words have merged. Plug in to your electric or acoustic amp and experience the new world of the Taylor T5 Thinline Fiveway™. Position 1: Acoustic Tones (closest to the neck). Position 2: Neck Humbucker (warm and round). Position 3: Bridge Humbucker (retro twang to killer crunch – start here for high gain). Position 4: Neck + Bridge/Parallel – ‘50s Hollowbody. Position 5: Neck + Bridge/Series – Fat & Punchy. The condition is solidly excellent showing almost no signs of normal use and wear (just a few indications that it was, in fact, held and played). It comes with the faux alligator hard shell case and, as well, a very fine Taylor T-5 logo black zipper gigbag. $2191 or, at our cash discount price, $2125.
78-7557 Taylor® (used, 2007) T-5C-Koa #20061220513 in near mint condition with original faux alligator hard shell plush lined case.
This guitar is pretty much near mint but for one tiny ding in the treble bout, shows a small hint of fret wear, a ding on the back of the neck. The koa is radiant (and wonderful), yielding glowing, nearly spiritual inner illumination. Its six tuners are gold-plated Taylor logo sealed-backs, the fingerboard is ebony with 8 flying ghosts and a termination in a French curve. This guitar has a gold-plated humbucking pickup in the bridge position but it also has two other pickups hidden – one under the fretboard and one under the saddle. It has the three controls reminiscent of the Expressions system in the upper treble bout and a five-position slider control on the upper bass bout that varies the pickup combination, which changes the sound of the guitar in exciting ways. More fun than you may have thought it possible to have in the vertical orientation. $2366 or, at our cash discount price, $2295.
78-7358 Gibson (used, 1961) ES-355 semi-hollow body electric, #25939, cherry finish, Mono, with hard shell case.
Since this remarkable instrument is fashioned in the original Mono (considered a plus) configuration it has no Stereo Varitone control, but it does have the sideways vibrato. The gold-plating on its metal parts - including the Grover tuners -- shows normal wear, and the finish does the same. The four screws on the base of the pickup plate for the neck pickup are flathead screws and not Phillips (oh no!). The f-holes are not bound and according to historical records they are normally thought to be bound but this was obviously made this way by Gibson – so much for historical records. Pickups: The bridge pickup is a labeled “Patent Applied For” with its sticker intact; the neck pickup is also a “Patent Applied For” but without a sticker and its pickup covers was, in the past, removed and re-attached. The bridge pickup is, in our opinion, transitional from late 1961 to early 1962. The volume potentiometer is the only one we could remove to read and it shows a Pot Code of 134-6028 which means it was made in the 28th week of 1960, which is correct for a 1961 guitar. There is black electrical tape added aftermarket around the three-way toggle to prevent the ground wires from touching the pickup “hot” wires. Our workshop has performed a much needed refret on this instrument and it presently plays like Dorothy Hammill on Strawberry Jello®. Those pickups are absolutely amazing – the sound and playability of this venerable and vibrant semi-hollow will infuse you with blissful euphoria. $23,198 or at our cash discount price $22,500
78-7294 Gibson (used, 1996) Country Gentleman, in wine red finish, #91446444, in excellent condition with original brown Gibson hard shell case.
This single cutaway thin-body, which sports a nifty oblong four-ply bound tortoise armrest in the lower bass bout, measures 15 ¾ in body width at the lower bout, 41 ¾" in total length, with a long scale of 25.4" and a comfortable nut width of 1 ¾". The headplate is black, unbound, with the Gibson postwar script logo and Gibson flower or flattened frog; the white bordered bell-shaped truss rod cover is etched "Chet Atkins" in white script and is held firmly in place by two stout round head gold-plated Phillips screws. Its Gibson-logo tuners are gold plated, sealed-back, and each tulip button has a built-in winder. The fingerboard is black with 8 thumbprint markers along the bass edge starting from fret #3; the top is bound in off-white and decorated with six-plies of black and white purfling; the back and tortoise celluloid pickguard in four-plies and the sides in one-ply white. Twin humbucking pickups are inset within black plastic surrounds; the ebony base bridge bears twin inlaid bowties or flowers plus a gold-plated tune-o-matic bridge top, the gold plated Bigsby Patent No. tailpiece with the sturdy long tremolo arm. Three black and clear cylinder knobs inhabit the lower treble bout and a master volume positions itself in the upper treble cutaway while a three-position switch has made its home in the upper bass bout. The Gibson Chet Atkins has always been a well-liked semi-hollow with a wide body, made while Mr. Atkins was an endorsee of the Gibson Company. It is highly regarded among players. $2160 or, at our cash discount price $2095.
78-7332 Vernon Reid’s personal Gibson (used, 1960) ES-345TD semi-hollow, vintage sunburst, A-34730, with a stop tailpiece and newer hard shell case.
It doesn’t say this on the label, but this started out as a TDSV meaning it had Stereo Varitone. Although this guitar has been converted (as so many are) to mono it retains the Varitone control. This guitar has a three-way switch and an original Varitone potentiometer with replaced wiring. Inside the body the volume and tone pots and their associated wiring have been replaced; the tuners are newer large-back gold-plated Schallers while the footprints from the Klusons remain; the nut is replaced. Both pickups are the revered original “Patent Applied For” humbucking originals with their covers removed and lost. The choke coils are missing from the Varitone control electronics. The guitar shows chips around the headstock; the top of the white bordered “Stereo” legend truss rod cover is missing its plastic circle to hold the top screw. The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is inlaid in 9 positions with pearloid split blocks. The white-black-white bordered elevated pickguard remains; there is wear on the bridge and tailpiece; a small area of worn-to-the-wood on the bass edge of the pickguard between the pickups; scratches, dings, mars, nicks chips and finish checking overall, finish wear on back of neck. The accompanying note, signed by Grammy ® award winning Mr. Reid, says: “I used this Gibson 1960 ES-345, #A34730, on the cut “Love Rears Its Ugly Head” on the second Living Color Album, Time’s Up. All of the clean rhythm and wah-wah parts were played on this instrument. It was originally acquired from Norm’s Rare Guitars in Los Angeles County in 1990.” When in solidly excellent condition with original case this year and model will sell in the range of $22,000 to $25,000; we would say that this instrument is in very good condition with some changes, and are offering it to you, with its illustrious provenance, for $19,585 at our discount price, or at our cash discount price, $18,995.
78-7389 (and 78-7388) Hofner (new) John Lennon (Authorized) Club 40 guitar, #HCG40J02223, with hard shell case.
Each of these close-to-exact replicas are one of a limited run of only 120 guitars, total. For each guitar, the Hofner List is $4800 and your cost is only $3959 or at our cash discount price $3840.
78-7104 Rickenbacker (used, 1995) Model 360MG, C8-8943, all blonde in near mint condition with original hard shell case.
Per the manufacturer’s Web site: “This guitar broke all the rules of traditional styling when it appeared amid the 'British' sound of the 1960's. Subtly updated through the years, this Deluxe hollow body with its special contour around the entire body perimeter, is still perhaps the most comfortable guitar of all. The bound body and Rosewood fingerboard, inlayed with triangular pearloid markers, provide an exceptionally attractive appearance. Stereo output is standard.” This is a semi-acoustic guitar bearing 24 frets, having a 24 ¾” scale length, a neck width at the nut of 1.63”, a neck width at the 12th fret of 1.931”, the fretboard is radiused. The body and neck are maple, the fingerboard be rosewood. The weight is approximately 8 pounds. The overall length is 39.75%, overall width is 15”, depth is a mere 1 ½”. It has crème colored neck binding, said neck being inlaid with pearloid triangles. The nickel-plated tailpiece displays the stylized “R,” the bridge is a six-saddle job with a nickel-plated cover plate; tuners are Hi-Gain single coils with nickel-plated surrounds (very industrial looking) and the output is either mono or stereo (but for stereo you’d need to buy an accessory called a Rik-O-Sound Box). Tuners are Schallers with metal buttons. The single soundhole is “shark’s tooth” and the pickguard is a bi-leveled white construction that houses the five rotary knobs and the black-capped three-way toggle. The truss rod cover is 6” long and pointed and bears the large, stylized “Rickenbacker” underlined black raised logo and a “Made in USA” caption. This style guitar is in huge demand, short supply (the waiting time for a new one is 18 to 24 months!) and sounds exactly the way you want your sound to be heard, playing either at home or in ensemble. $1,648 or, at our cash discount price, $1,599.
15-5916 Gretsch (new) G6122-1962 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, #JT06095303, with hard shell case.
Guess What? Chet Atkins endorsement is back at Gretsch where it started out in the first place in the 1950s! That’s amazing. This is an homage to a guitar used by George Harrison, with the double (independent) mutes between the ebony and gold plated smooth, rounded two-piece adjustable bridge and the lower Filter’Tron gold plated pickup. The guitar is equipped with the Gretsch Bigsby tremolo tailpiece, three rotary knobs, three 3-way toggles (Lord knows what _they_ do), a gold pickguard, large-striped-back Grover brand deluxe tuners with gold-plated stair step metal buttons, the gold-plated “Chet Atkins Country Gentleman” plaque held in place by four small Phillips head screws on the white-bordered black peghead with the T-top Gretsch pearloid logo. Fingerboard is white bound ebony with 8 thumb-nail inlays along the bass edge starting from fret 1. It has Zero fret, two-ply top and back binding and a large leatherette pad that fastens onto the back with a morbidly wide 15 ¼” diameter to protect our back from our belt buckle and also to increase the coolness factor by at least 6 times. If you’re only going to own one semi-hollow body guitar and you are an inveterate Beatles fan, this would be the one to own. The Gretsch List is $3325 and the Gretsch MAP is $2660.
15-5918 Gretsch (new) Model G6120 Chet Atkins Hollowbody, JT-06073561, with hard shell plush lined case.
The Gretsch List is $3075 and the Gretsch MAP is $2460.
15-5965 Gretsch (new) Model G6120DC, Chet Atkins Hollowbody – JT-06116489, with hard shell case.
The Gretsch List is $3575 and the Gretsch MAP is $2324. You know what to do with that telephone. Thank you. That number is 718 981 8585.
If you would like more information on MANDOLIN BROTHERS' products and services, please write, phone, fax or email to mandolin@mandoweb.com.
