Gibson ES-335 - Years With The Best Quality Control

[AlsoRan]

I tried three Memphis ones but gave up on Memphis. Everything about the Nashville guitars is outstanding & wqorth every penny. I think Gibson ( Nashville ) is turning out some of the best built & best looking guitars since the early 60's.

Can you try to explain what was wrong with the Memphis ones? Tone? Playability? Condition? Workmanship?

From what you are saying, it appears if I buy a Memphis 335, I may have overpaid since they might be inferior. In that case, I might as well get one of the knock-offs of the 335 as others have suggested.

[Drupoet]

The new Memphis 335's are stiff & don't play or feel as nice as the Nashville reissues & the Memphis workmanship can't compare with Nashville quality. You may get one out of 10 that is really good but ALL Nashville 335 are great & worth the extra money. Memphis: saddles not cut true to center , the finish is not vibrant & rich , it feels dead . Depends what your looking for....a good guitar or a great killer guitar !! If you went & bought a real 63 block Gibson ES-335 it would be $20 to $25,000. You can get the Nashville reissue for somewhere around 5 grand. I was told that Gibson scaled back on their workforce and the top men work in Nashville & don't want to move to Memphis ( western Tennessee ) not sure if that's true but I have spent much time there & Nashville would be the TOWN to be in. Perhaps you should wait till you have the money & get the best......For me I would not buy any knock off or Memphis made Gibson 335.

[AlsoRan]

Thanks for your feedback. I don't take your points lightly and will keep them in mind as I do my research.

I can tell the difference between "live" feeling and "dead" feeling guitars, so it may come down to what many on the forum suggest, and that is make sure I play it before I am fully committed.

[jazzrat]

Let me say that buying a 335 keeper has been tough, but finally, finally, I've got a keeper....and it's Memphis made.
It is however not a run-of-the-mill "Dot". It's a 2008 "Fat Neck". Long tenon(but different than Historics) and a fat neck, .092 at the first fret.
Plays great, sounds great. The body according to spec is a little smaller and thinner. It's also under 8 pounds, pretty much my dream 335.
If you could find one of these to play I think you could get a good percentage of the Historic vibe for much less $$$.

[Patrick2]

Thanks for your feedback. I don't take your points lightly and will keep them in mind as I do my research.

I can tell the difference between "live" feeling and "dead" feeling guitars, so it may come down to what many on the forum suggest, and that is make sure I play it before I am fully committed.

AlsoRan> Any and all comments that you might hear in response to such a vague question as you pose in your OP, should be taken with a grain of salt. Most especially ones such as "One out of ten made at Memphis might be really good but ALL Nashville 335s are great and worth the money". Apologies to Drupoet for calling out his comment. But, any accuracy of such a broad statement is totally impossible unless the one making the statement has played all, or almost all of the 335s coming out of each location.

Your question of "What years do you think have the best chance for good quality control . . . . " can best be answered with this reply . . . "the ones made between the years of 1958 and 2014".

Over the years, I've owned an original 1959 long guard dot neck, an original 1963 block inlay, a 1982 blond, a 2001 Custom Shop Reissue 1959 dot neck, Two 1967 cherry red trapeze tail piece, and two walnut brown late '70s and I currently own a Nashville Custom Shop '63 Reissue. I've also played what must be close to 25 or 30 others at various times. Some of the ones that I found to be absolute killer guitars . . others that played them thought . . not as much so. Some of the ones I found to be total turds . . others found to be absolute winners.


If you're serious about buying and owning that "oh so special" Gibson ES335 . . and provenance and/or historical correctness are unimportant to you . . then, make it a point to play any and all ES335s that you come in contact with, regardless of where or when they were made. Be guided only by your own wants and needs from an ES335. When you stumble across the right one for you . . . you'll know it. Then, if it came out of the "dreaded" Memphis plant . . what are you gonna do . . pass on it? Or, if one that came out of the "dreaded" Norlin era speaks to you . . would you pass on it? Don't be misguided by any comments that the craftsmen (and women) at Nashville's Custom Shop are "The Gods" of lutherie and craftsmanship and all others are of a lesser skill set. That's total and pure unadulterated bull shit. Some/most of Nashville's crew are among the best trained and the most talented guitar builders anywhere and there's no denying that. However, just as the comment about some in Nashville don't want to relocate to Memphis is probably true . . so to is it probable that there are people at Memphis whose skills and talents are worthy of Nashville, but they don't want to relocate to Nashville.

I've play but two ES335s that came out of Memphis. I would be thrilled with owning either of them.

[PTChristopher2]

To pile on the seemingly-random commentary:

I was a beginning tech/luthier during the arguably most septic period of the so-called Norlin era, and getting stuck with warranty accountability for some real turds. But, there were also some really fine guitars made during that same period. I mean superb, inexplicably well-made, great wood, clean workmanship, no silly rounded fret ends and flat nibs, stable in changeable seasonal conditions, etc..

I am with the "1958 to 2014" range as the best suggestion. There have been what many feel are statistical dark periods at Gibson, but ruling out any guitar based on its birth year is possibly ignoring "your" guitar.

(I absolutely loathe the sticky goo they use for lacquer these days/years - while many fine[r than I] players find it just fine.)

Chris

[Drupoet]

Your question of "What years do you think have the best chance for good quality control . . . . " can best be answered with this reply . . . "the ones made between the years of 1958 and 2014".

Gibson guitars made in the 1970's (when Norlin took over) are the worst ever made (there may be some that are good) & I believe Gibson worked real hard to bring it all back in the 80's up till now. I teach guitar out of a big music store in New York & talk with many players as well as the head of the guitar dept. and everyone I have spoken with agrees that Nashville guitars are superior to Memphis. That's not to say Memphis guitars are bad.......it means Nashville 335's are great. I have played both ...you can't play all of them but for what its worth I am very glad I spent the extra money on my Nashville 335 63 reissue.....they are alot more money.
You pay your money & take your choice.
I do not wish to offend any owners of Memphis 335's.....make music , enjoy them.

[Mark M.]

It's generally best to play any guitar before buying. It seems especially true of 335's. They seem to have quite a bit of variance in weight and resonance. That said, I really like the later model Memphis built 335's.

Mine is light (relative to lots of other newer 335's I have played) and very resonant when played unplugged. It sounds great, and I'm very happy with it. Since it was used, I got it for considerably less than the price listed on the link, but it still had the protective sticker on the pickguard! It was literally "as new", and the workmanship is flawless.

[Drupoet]

I also have a 2013 Gibson Nashville ES-335 reissue block sunburst plain top and it's one on the best guitars I have ever played..........a true masterpiece.

[Hjalmiz]

Well i had (stolen) a greate -73 335 and played several awesome 335s from the -70s. There where Some "modern" variations on them in the late 70s that Was a bit off though. And ofcourse some not so good Guitars comes along now and then from every decade. Anyways , i have a -13 Historic -63 block that is a very good guitar. Except for the strange burstbuckers thats on it. Dont get stuck in the hole Gibson quality circus bull*hi**. Play a few and get the one u like. If you want a Gibson get one ! Dont get a Eastman or a herritage or whatever people seem to sudgest everytime they hear the name Gibson. Its not the same. Maybe nice but not the same. Good luck/ H

[Drupoet]

I took the Burstbuckers out of my 2013 ES-335 63 block Nashville reissue & put in a set of T hroBak SLE-101 MXV pickups: neck= 7.6k , & bridge= 8.1k – nickel covers-vintage wiring & vintage baseplates .
What a difference...they sound great. The Nashville 63 reissue 335 is an awesome guitar...why they put Burstbuckers in ....thats Gibson. They also advertise on their website that the 63 block 335 reissue in sunburst come with gold/silver top knobs......mine came with black knobs. We spoke to customer service to try & get the gold/silver knobs....3 months later Gibson sent the gold/silver knobs & they don't fit. We finally just bought a set of gold/gold knobs & they look so much better then the black.

[Hjalmiz]

Oh cool, dont think i can get those trobacks where i live. Are they american? Think in gonna go with duncan antiquitys. I like them and use them in My other guitar. Anyways Gibson are wierd about specs , but they always been like that. Mine came with the right knobs though

[hcstergzzaj]

What do you think? Used older model or brand new?

My ES335-TD (S/N° 81700034) is from June 18, 1980. She's been built at the old Kalamazoo Michigan factory, and it was the 34th instrument recorded that day.

It's a lefty model, which has flamed maple neck in 3 laminations under a brown coating. When I bought it in early 1981 (2nd hand), she was fitted with a Gibson fine-tuning-screws stop bar. I installed the Bigsby B7 and made a "custom made" plate (some of you will argue that's a crime). You will also notice that it is a coil-tap tar-back pickups and "non-mickey ears" horns model. The case is original.



The luthier that refretted her for the 2nd time in 2015 (he already did it fro the 1st time in 1991) told me that it's a premium quality instrument. Fact is, I never had any problem on her and she sounds great in any occasion. That is, she's been made in 1980, and i am not sure at all that it was the best production years at Gibson... So used can be also a viable alternative - but I think that it's a case-by-case basis.

A+!