1966 Gibson Barney Kessel Regular sunburst

Excellent condition, 8/10, Made in USA, including non original grey hardcase, this model was available 1961-1974, all original parts including 2pc Patent sticker humbuckers and the silver top knobs, some wear on the original frets, fun fact is that the serial on the headstock is 409xxx and on the label inside the body it is 408xxx which may be due to a factory worker that forgot his/her glasses that day?, more info: In 1961 Gibson produced two similar Barney Kessel models. This large hollow body electric instrument featured two chrome plated humbucking pickups each with their own volume and tone controls, double Florentine cutaway. It was bound all around the body and neck. A rosewood base held a tune-o-matic bridge in place, so the bridge was not mounted directly to the body. The strings were anchored by a trapeze tailpiece. Between the struts of the tailpiece was an unfinished rosewood block with a nameplate that bore Barney Kessels name. The bound neck had a rosewood fretboard with either parallel position markers. The bound 3 on a side headstock was Gibsons standard shape and finished in high gloss black with a crown inlay. The guitars spruce body was finished in cherry sunburst. The pickup throw switch was on the lower cutaway bout. The Gibson Barney Kessel (19611974) is a signature model guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Company. The guitar was a signature model for the popular Jazz musician Barney Kessel. The guitar was not popular and in 1974 Gibson discontinued production. History In 1960 Barney Kessel was a popular guitar player and the Gibson Guitar Company pursued him; wanting to put his name on a jazz guitar signature model. The Barney Kessel artist model was released in 1961 and was produced until 1974.[1] The guitar was available in two versions: a regular model and a Custom model.[2] When the guitar debuted in 1961 the Barney Kessel regular retailed for $395 and Barney Kessel custom retailed $560.[3] Specifications The guitar was a hollow-body intended for Jazz music. The body featured a double cutaway design.[1] The guitar had a spruce top, maple sides and back, two Humbucker pickups, a mahogany neck and a Brazilian rosewood fretboard with double-parallelogram inlays on the regular version and bowtie inlays on the Custom model.[2] The custom was considered to be the deluxe version and it had more elaborate inlays and gold plated metal parts.[3] Both the regular and custom models featured a wooden badge fitted in the trapeze tailpiece which had Barney Kessel's name engraved on it. The bridge was wooden and constructed from rosewood.[2] Reception The Barney Kessel artist model did not sell well. The shipping numbers show that 1968 was the best year for sales of the guitar (371). By 1974 Gibson stopped producing the guitar because jazz was no longer popular and Gibson's relationship with Kessel was strained. At times Barney Kessel played the model with a piece of tape covering the Gibson logo on the headstock. Over the years many of the Barney Kessel guitars have been stripped for parts, since individual parts are worth more than selling the guitar whole.[1] Gibson produced 1117 Barney Kessel Regular, and 740 Barney Kessel during the twelve years. Sales in the 1970s were far less than the 1960s.[3]