Gibson · ES-345 · 1959 to the early 1980s
Gibson added the ES-345 in 1959 as the middle child between the plain 335 and the gilded 355. It's the same semi-hollow body with fancier dress, including gold hardware, split parallelogram inlays and more binding, plus two features the 335 lacked. The stereo wiring sends each pickup to its own amp through a Y cable, and the six-position Varitone runs the signal through chokes and capacitors for a set of preset notches. Few players warmed to either, which is why so many 345s have been converted to mono with the Varitone pulled, and why they long sold for less than the same year's 335. Freddie King and Chuck Berry played them, Steve Howe used one on Close to the Edge, Bob Weir made one his main guitar in the early 1970s, and Marty McFly played one in Back to the Future. Under the dress it's a 335, and 345s kept PAFs and early Patent Number pickups later. Try the Varitone before you dismiss it, and if you convert one, keep the original harness with the guitar.
Serials work like the ES-335's, with an A prefix on the orange label through 1960. The 1959–60 guitars have a long pickguard that was shortened in 1961, a trapeze tailpiece replaced the stop tail from 1964, and 345s kept PAFs and early Patent Number pickups later than 335s did.
Varitone capacitors can drift and make the bypass setting sound honky, and many 345s have been rewired to mono with the Varitone removed or bypassed. The 335's issues apply too, from sagging ABR-1 bridges and crumbling tuner tips to filled holes from added or removed hardware.
Buying guide
For a player, we'd buy a 1968 from a US dealer, like kcvintageguitars' at $8,999 delivered, or a 1970–75 guitar from a Japanese dealer at $4,758–5,590 if the year matters less to you. About 31 are listed and the $7,275–18,200 band is mostly 1965–68 guitars, while 1964s ask $22,080–24,000 (the lowest is titled headstock repair) and a 1975 titled all original in gold flake asks $10,969 against $4,758–4,992 for plain 1975s. Gibson fakes with copied serials are common, so check the features agree with the claimed year, where an A-prefix label serial and a long pickguard mean 1959–60, a stop tail means 1964 or before, and filled stud holes or a missing Varitone mean changes, since many 345s were converted to mono. Skip music-outlet-shop's three 1959s, whose photos show a stripped, refinished body and neck with no hardware, treat the cherry 1967 with Bigsby from three Japanese dealers as one guitar, and pass on the zero-feedback sellers.
$4,758.00delivered
The cheapest complete 345 here, a 1975 at $4,758 delivered from Japan, with no originality claim. Ask whether the Varitone and stereo wiring are still there and for photos of the pickup solder, and expect import duty.
Gibson 1975 ES-345TD
$8,999.00delivered
The lowest-priced 1960s 345 on the page, a 1968 from a US dealer at $8,999 delivered, under the middle of the band. The title is cut off after "w Original", so ask what's original and whether a case comes with it.
1968 Gibson ES-345 Cherry Semi-Hollow Body / Vintage Electric Guitar w Original
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$4,758.00delivered
$4,758.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$4,758.00
Good buy
1975, no originality claim. Ships from Japan.
Seller: spp-international
99.3% positive
Used$8,999.00delivered
$8,999.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$8,999.00
Good buy
1968 cherry, title cut off at "w Original". In the US.
Seller: kcvintageguitars
100% positive
Used$10,999.00delivered
$10,999.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$10,999.00
Our take
1968 stereo, titled factory Bigsby. In the US.
Seller: notwhoopigoldberg
100% positive
Used$20,245.00est. delivered
$19,995.00 + $250.00 shipping
Buy It Now$19,995.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled 1959, factory restored in 1969. Ask what was redone.
Seller: raretoyzz
100% positive
Used$22,079.99est. delivered
$21,999.99 + $80.00 shipping
Buy It Now$21,999.99
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
1964 with OHSC, titled headstock repair. In the US.
Seller: diabloguitars
100% positive
Used$12,941.00delivered
$12,941.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$12,941.00
Check the seller
Same cherry 1967 with Bigsby as two other Japanese dealers list. Ships from Japan.
Seller: spp-international
99.3% positive
For parts$17,008.00est. delivered
$16,508.00 + $500.00 shipping
Buy It Now$16,508.00
Check the seller
Photo shows a stripped, refinished body and neck with no hardware or pickups. Ships from Germany.
Seller: music-outlet-shop
100% positive
Used$155,683.33delivered
$155,683.33 · free shipping
Buy It Now$155,683.33
Priced high
Titled 1959 with PAFs, the top ask. Ships from Japan.
Seller: dimeback-516
99.5% positive
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