Gibson celebrates itself again
Gibson, Gibson, Gibson... where do I begin? All you seem to do these days is make guitars that people either do not want, or re-make guitars people want but can't afford. Wait a second! This new 50th Anniversary tops out at just over $6000. That is almost affordable. Almost.
I do have a soft spot for the 335. It has beautiful lines, great sound and versatility. Not exactly value for money though.
Gibson recreates the 1960 Gibson ES-335TD
Gibson Guitar has announced the highly anticipated arrival of the 50th Anniversary 1960 Gibson ES-335TD. Back in the late 1950s, Gibson was boldly pushing the envelope on electric guitar design. The effort resulted in several models that were just too far ahead of their time to sink in with players of the day—the Flying V and Explorer being cases in point — and were gone from the catalogue by 1960. The ES-335 however was an instant classic, embraced by blues, rock, country and jazz players the world over. By 1960, this model was hitting its stride though it was certainly a year of transition for the iconic model.
In the beginning of 1960, the ES-335TDs were built to the same specs as the 1959 versions and were offered in only Natural and Sunburst finishes. By about midyear, neck specs began to change to a thinner and more elliptical feel and ultimately, production of the Natural ES-335TD would cease and the Cherry finish would take its place in the latter part of the year. It is this later version that many argue the 1960 ES-335TD’s features had settled into their optimum form. With a fast new neck profile, striking new “insert” or “reflector” tone and volume knobs, the ES-335TD still retained early-spec details such as the dot fingerboard inlays, a double cutaway profile, full-length maple centerblock, and nickel-plated hardware that players have long seen as indicative of the model’s zenith.
All these and more are brought back to life in the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 ES-335TD, a reincarnation of one of the most legendary semi-hollow electric guitar of all time, handcrafted by Gibson Custom’s Memphis division to celebrate the model’s “golden anniversary”. For this celebration, Gibson Custom is offering the later 1960 “fast neck profile” version, the most unique of the year, and is available in three finishes Antique Vintage Sunburst, Antique Faded Cherry or Antique Natural, all aged in Gibson’s acclaimed VOS (Vintage Original Specs) process, and loaded with period-correct hardware including “insert” volume and tone knobs, double band tuners and a pair of accurate PAF-style 57 Classic humbucking pickups. The Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 ES-335TD is equipped with pickups and electronics that accurately reflect the original units of the most desirable ES-335TDs ever made. A pair of ’57 Classic pickups capture that highly sought-after “PAF” style tone, noted for its unparalleled blend of warmth, richness and clarity, while quality CTS potentiometers with “bumblebee” tone caps and a Switchcraft selector and output jack translate the signal in pure vintage style
Additionally the neck features a holly head veneer, tortoise shell side dot material and has been completely re-tooled with accurate truss rod channel depth and profile based on scans by the Gibson Custom Shop Engineering Team. The Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 ES-335TD is the closest today’s player can come to obtaining the look, feel and tone of an original dot-neck 1960 ES-335TD.
The original ES-335TD (“TD” for “thinline, double-pickup”) was a huge hit simply because it addressed so many different guitarists’ needs in one new design. The arched top and f-holes appealed to jazz and dance-band players who were still attached to the look of traditional Gibson “jazz boxes”, but who appreciated advancements such as a thinline, double-cutaway body. The maple center block that ran from neck tenon to end pin reduced feedback and provided the sharper, snappier tone that rock and roll and country players demanded, and also enabled the use of Gibson’s solid new Tune-o-matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece pairing, which further aided tone and sustain. In one form or another the ES-335TD (and its siblings, the ES-345 and ES-355) would land in the hands of Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Larry Carlton, and countless other groundbreaking guitarists.
With its historically accurate tone woods, electronics, and hardware, the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 ES-335TD packs all the tonal versatility of the original, and proves once again why the design has remained a favorite of guitarists from every genre of music since its introduction half a century ago. All Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 ES-335TDs come with a silkscreened Gibson Custom Shop hard-shell case, a Certificate of Authenticity and a full complement of “how to” literature.
For more information, please visit www.gibson.com
Ahhh 1958 – I remember it well
Well, not really, but Gibson does. And with good reason. Many a Gibson lover's idea of the Holy Grail of guitars is a '58 Les Paul. It's been 50 years since that production run came out and to celebrate Gibson have released not a re-issue, but more of an "inspired by" series of 50th Anniversary models.
Gibson 50th Anniversary models
No pricing is available yet, nor is the actual availability. All I can say is that the Les Paul is making my knees weak.
From : Electric Guitar Review
Gibson ES-339
What else can I say? this is slightly old news but OH MY GOD!!!!! This is a 335 sized down to a Les Paul size guitar. It sounds fantastic. It looks fantastic. When I first heard of the shrunken 335 I was concerned on how it would actually look. Gibson have done a fantastic job of keeping the 335's aesthetic intact while making it a more manageable size for people not accustomed to the extra girth of the 335.
It's the feature guitar over at Gibson right now, so head on over and check it out. Make sure to check out the video as well.
Being the baby 335, the 339 comes with the same hardware, dual-cutaway body, and body & neck material as the 335. The guitar is also available in Caramel Burst and Antique Red.
And seeing as today is my birthday, this guitar is my birthday wish.
NOTE: Apologies to Cary at EGR - I accidently left a full paragraph of his article on this guitar in my post. Totally a bad thing to do and completely unintentional. I have since removed the offending paragraph. I hope he doesn't hate me too much.
