These Gibson 1958 ES-335 Reissue models are available in three colours and come with Murphy Lab Ageing to complete the look.
1958 ES-335 Reissue
The Gibson 1958 ES-335 Reissue is the latest Murphy Lab-aged guitar based on the late ’50s ‘Electric Spanish’ models. It uses the typical construction from that era, which includes a three-ply maple/poplar/maple semi-hollow construction with a maple centre block. This is how they made them in the 1950s, so Gibson’s Custom Shop mimics this to the letter. The aged finishes will undoubtedly divide opinion, but many buyers love that worn-in look so that they will appeal to that market.
58 Profile
The necks are mahogany with an Indian rosewood fretboard and have the correct 1958 neck profile. The originals would have been Brazilian rosewood, but that is no longer available, so Gibson has used the next best thing. The fretboard has 22 vintage narrow-tall frets and a set of nitrocellulose dot inlays, plus a nylon nut. These 2024 models are about as close as you can get for under $10k and much more affordable than the originals.
Ageing Upcharge
These models are available in Tri-Burst, Dirty Blonde and Faded Tobacco Burst. The latter two are heavy-aged, whereas the Tr-Burst model is lightly-aged. The two heavy-aged models cost more, so there is an upcharge for looking more worn.
Custombucker
These models all come with a pair of unpotted Custombucker humbucking pickups. They are then wired using CTS 500K Audio Taper potentiometers and Paper-in-Oil capacitors. The control layout is the standard twin volume, tone, and three-way switch layout.
The hardware includes a lightweight aluminium stop bar, an ABR-1 bridge, and a set of Kluson Single Line, Single Ring tuners.
Verdict
These are nice-looking recreations of the classic 1959 335. They aren’t that cheap, but they are top-of-the-line. If you like Murphy Lab’s ageing process, then these will appeal.
Available at Thomann; Gibson 1958 ES-335 Tri-Burst *, Dirty Blonde* and Faded Tobacco Blonde*
More Information
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Image Sources:
- Faded Tobacco Burst: Gibson
- TriBurst: Gibson
