Vintage Vibes | 1946 Gibson ES-300N

VINTAGE VIBES: 1946 Gibson ES-300N

Nathaniel leaves his big honker in the rearview mirror and tries out this more modest 1946 Gibson ES-300N. Big, beautiful, and brilliant, this top-of-the-line archtop is the perfect vehicle for a comfortable cruise to the Savoy and back.

Nathaniel Murphy Describes the 1946 Gibson ES-300N

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During its reign from 1940 to 1952, this ES-300 was considered to be one of the top-of-the-line electric Gibson archtops. As with many Gibson models, it was actually the same price as the model number itself. So you could have got this for three hundred dollars back in the day. The first incarnation of this ES-300 featured an incredibly long pick up that stretched from the fretboard top all the way to the bridge. And it is so big, in fact, it earned the nickname the big honker.

It's been a lot of fun to play this guitar. I was initially drawn to the looks of it. I think it looks beautiful. You can see it by the discoloration that it used to have the scratchplate at some point, but there’s a great finish on it. Lots of checking and wear and tear. The neck feels comfortable. The whole thing feels comfortable, and it sounds great as well, so make sure you can check out. 

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