#5837 – Gibson Memphis Custom ES335 ’63 Reissue’ – Vintage Sunburst – Used/2008

Effectively the ES335 has been part and parcel of the Gibson price list longer than any other electric guitar – Since it first appeared in 1958, it has been part of an uninterrupted production run and always ranks highly within Gibson’s best selling models – Be it part of the sound of 60’s Pop, blues, jazz, funk, soul, Indie, Brit Pop, Rock or jazz/fusion, a 335 has always been happy  working, so effectively, within so many different genres of music – Whilst the shape and style of the 335 is unmistakable, it has undergone a few tweaks over the years – Some more subtle than others – It started off life with dot inlays, but around the early/mid 60’s, block inlays became the norm, until 1982 – Whilst you can find the odd model that has been factory fitted with a Bigsby, it started off life as a stop tail model – But the trapeze model came along in the 60’s and again stayed with us until 1982 – Cherry and sunburst have always been popular finishes, whilst natural has come and gone through out different eras – Either way, the 335 has earned its place within popular music – So time for me to update you with a host of info with regard to this Gibson Memphis Custom ES335 block inlay – A used model from 2008 with a classic vintage sunburst finish :-

• The internal red label confirms it was built in the Memphis Custom facility  Includes a deluxe ‘Custom’ labelled black
• The COA/Wallet again confirms its ‘Custom’ nature  – Also includes the relevant warranty card/check list
• Whole guitar weighs 9lbs and 2oz
• Not built as an exact 63/64 block inlay replica, as per many Nashville Replicas, the overall vibe of this 335 has been influenced by the 63/64 model, made popular by Clapton during his Cream days
• ABR-1 vintage style bridge mounted on the ‘skinny’ vintage style posts
• Grover Rotomatic machine heads with hexagonal nuts
• Top hat control knobs with gold insert discs – Note knob pointer washers
• One piece mahogany neck
• More of a wide/slim 60’s C profile – Not skinny – Measures .811″ around the top nut end, then gently fattens out to .914″ around the 12th fret
• Fitted with a pair of Classic 57 PAF flavoured humbuckers – They measure either just over or just under 8K
• Nickel hardware
• Maple centre block
• Model number on Certificate + warranty card indicates ESDPVS NH1
• Condition wise :- Clean without coming across as mint – Nothing untoward – You’ll find the odd slight ‘skin deep’ graze on the front and rear of the nitro gloss finish – More of a graze than any ding or dint – Subtle hint of ‘buckle graze, again only to the top surface of the finish – No fret wear – Usual hint of tarnish to the nickel hardware
• Re-strung + set-up with 10-46 gauge strings and a nice easy action that responds to a light touch

Playability :- All guitars that I offer for sale spend a while on my work bench – Partly for me to evaluate a host of info as listed above – But also in order for me to re-string and set-up to get the best out of how each guitar should perform and handle – At this point I was slightly disappointed with this 335, as it was good but not outstanding – I could have let it go and I dare say for many players it would have been fine – But equally I knew it could and should be better – The issue was a touch of fret buzz on 2/3 strings, around 3/4 frets – A quick visit to a good local guitar tech revealed a couple of high frets – So a quick dress and tidy up and all is now well – Glad I carried out this fret dress as the guitar now performs as I was hoping it would – Easy fluid action that responds to a light touch – The C neck profile is more on the slim side as far as Gibson goes – Not skinny – A 60’s wide/slim character

Tonal character :- Chances are it is down to the maple centre block in the body – But this 335 has more of a ‘hollow body’ character to its voice – Almost more ‘woody’ and certainly hits that ‘growl’ and feedback much earlier, as per a 330/Casino etc – That might not be ideal for a D Grohl style player who wants to load the amp with plenty of gain – But for a blues based player it sounds wonderful, with a growl within its mid range that adds so much character – As such it probably works better with less gain, than OTT saturation – Probably more Muddy Waters and early Clapton, as against Foo Fighters – Loads of clarity that suits the strum style of Indie based players, who want to drop into more simplistic melodic lead lines as when – For jazz based players think Kenny Burrell and you are on home turf – It certainly doesn’t sound like many 335’s I’ve sold and played – That might be a good thing, depending on your taste – Add some gain on the amp and here remember less is more, and the volume pots provide you with plenty of control and emotion – As such the pots can be rolled off in order to clean up the sound, as you move from 10- towards 6 or 7 – As such 6/7 is a great place to set up base camp, then move towards 10, as and when you need more bite, edge and gain with a hint of attitude – Overall a very nice 335 with plenty of character

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Guitars4You is not another corporate high street guitar store - My selection of premium grade guitars is about quality not quantity. Every guitar has been selected, inspected and approved by me, with particular attention to the set-up and playing performance. Every sale, phone call, email and mail order transaction is handled by me. A journey that is now over 40 years old, has fuelled my knowledge, experience, love, devotion and passion for exceptionally fine guitars.