Your thoughts on this ES-300?

[Hogtown Fatty]

Hi everyone,
Been on the hunt for a clean, ideally blonde, ES-300, and this one has popped up semi-local to me, about an hours drive. The price is pretty much at the very high-end of what these are going for, if not beyond, but being local and in such fine condition has me strongly considering it.
A few things I wondered if I could get your thoughts on:
The owner mentioned there's no sticker inside either f-hole, but it is stamped 349 20. Is it common for there to be no sticker inside during this era?
Secondly, I don't think I've seen any with the "Made in USA" stamped on the back of the stock like this one- is it possible it was for export models (we're in Canada, though I don't know the instrument spent its entire life here)?
Lastly, maybe hard to tell from the closeup photo, but what are your thoughts on the frets? Look to be original? Owner mentioned there being a possibility of a fret dress, but no refret to his knowledge (he's only owned it ten years however).
Just trying to be thorough as it's not an insignificant amount of money for this model, which isn't the hottest/most desirable Gibby box of the era, but one that really speaks to me, which is why I'm considering it, even at the price. Comes with original pink/brown case btw.
Thanks in advance!
Photos here: Imgur: The magic of the Internet

[Steve Z]

Nice!

The “made in USA” tiny letter stamp was done on guitars being shipped out of the US during that period.

Vintage Guitars Info - Gibson collecting vintage gibson guitars (Scroll down the page for info)

• • Exported instruments to Canada or overseas prior to 1970 where often marked "MADE IN THE U.S.A." in very small lettering and all on one line. Note this is a different stamp than the one used from 1970 and later that said "MADE IN U.S.A." on two lines, with no "the" and in same size type as the stamp-on serial number. This is sometimes stamped on the back of the peghead (where a serial number would be on 1961 and later Gibsons). Also it's sometimes seen on the top edge of the peghead.

Hard to see in the pictures about the frets being original… at least on my phone. A properly done refresh would not be a problem in my opinion.

[Gitterbug]

Kosher or not quite, it looks stellar.

[Hogtown Fatty]

Nice!

The “made in USA” tiny letter stamp was done on guitars being shipped out of the US during that period.

Vintage Guitars Info - Gibson collecting vintage gibson guitars (Scroll down the page for info)



Hard to see in the pictures about the frets being original… at least on my phone. A properly done refresh would not be a problem in my opinion.

Thanks for this! Glad to know it belongs there.

I've also answered my own question re: lack of label inside, seems the post-war ones most often didn't come with one, as mentioned here:
1949 Gibson ES-300
Though I wonder when they started doing labels, as I have seen a couple double-pickup ones with a white label!

[ThatRhythmMan]

The pic doesn’t have enough resolution in my opinion to get an idea of fret originality. Fret nibs were tiny during that era. Often you need to look for other things. At first glance they seem like they could be a little large. For what it’s worth I’m one of those people who thinks an expertly done refret shouldn’t have any adverse affect on value.


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[nevershouldhavesoldit]

The pic doesn’t have enough resolution in my opinion to get an idea of fret originality. Fret nibs were tiny during that era. Often you need to look for other things. At first glance they seem like they could be a little large. For what it’s worth I’m one of those people who thinks an expertly done refret shouldn’t have any adverse affect on value.

Agreed - the pics aren’t high enough resolution to see the frets that clearly. But I think there’s a strong hint of a proper original little nib on the 1st fret in the pic of the nut and first 5. Unfortunately, enlarging the image blurs it - but I don’t see that suggestion of a slight bulge on the other frets. The second fret looks a bit thinner and seems a bit different from both 1 and 3 in its general appearance, metallic hue, and crown contour.

I agree that playability and intonation are far more important than original frets. And for an instrument in great condition thanks to ongoing maintenance and replacement of deteriorated parts, fret work shouldn’t affect value. Market value may be a bit below the top if the rest of the instrument is truly both original and perfect, but that’s becoming a true unicorn.

[wintermoon]

That guitar looks about mint, not even a nick on the the corners of the back of the headstock

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

That guitar looks about mint, not even a nick on the the corners of the back of the headstock

It is beautiful for sure. Those are even the correct knobs IIRC (no numbers).

[floatingpickup]

I have played the guitar. The owner is a friend of mine. He is an honest guy and will certainly be disclosing everything that he knows about the guitar. It has been a while since I have seen the guitar, but I remember being very impressed with the condition. I wasn’t sure about the lack of a label or the “Made in the USA” stamp, but other members have provided some helpful comments on those issues. Like others here, I wouldn’t be concerned with the originality of the frets if it plays well. I hope this works out. It’s a very nice guitar that is ready for a new home.
Keith

[deacon Mark]

Buy this guitar it looks beautiful and you cannot go wrong. I would depending on the price that one pickup is exactly what I am after in a non carved guitar.