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Images from the Everist Gallery
NMM 6762. Electric guitar by Gibson, Inc., Kalamazoo, ca. 1968.
Custom-made ES-355TD. No serial number.
Ex coll.: Billy Grammer. Board of Trustees, 1999.
Note: Click on any image below to see a larger image.
Thin Series ("thinline") Gibson electric guitars were introduced in 1955 to revitalize the market for electric arch-top guitars, which, by that point, were competing for market share with solid-body electric instruments. The Thin Series had hollow bodies, but with a much more slender profile, reducing the bulk and weight associated with older electric arch-tops. When it appeared that the market would accept the Thin Series, Gibson further narrowed the ribs and installed a block of wood under the top, reducing the feedback problems that plagued hollow-body guitars. The semi-hollow ES-355TD was first introduced in 1958; the original production run was discontinued in 1982.
Front and Back Views of Body
Fretboard and Peghead
Neck Heel and Controls
Bridge and Bottom of Guitar
Customizations Made for Billy Grammer
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Master Volume Knob
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Custom Armrest
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Bigsby Tailpiece |
Grammer's Inlaid Initials |
This Thin Series ES-355TD was custom-made to the specifications of Billy Grammer, a Grand Ole Opry star. It is made with a master volume knob, an armrest, a Bigsby tailpiece, a metallic blue finish, no sound holes, and BG inlaid behind the first fret. Grammer is also known for his namesake, the acoustic guitar company, Grammer Guitars, which he founded with the Gower family in Nashville.
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National Music Museum
The University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
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