Many of us guitar lovers here at Sweetwater have long been smitten by the Gibson ES-335 “Dot Neck” in its various incarnations and when this beauty arrived, we knew we had to make it our Guitar of the Day. Officially, it’s called the Gibson Memphis ES-335 Dot, and unlike 335s from the 1950s and ’60s, this one has a breathtaking 1-piece figured maple top, finished in what Gibson is calling Light Burst, which almost looks like an aged natural finish with minimal darkening around the edges. Flip it over and you’ll see it also has a stunning 1-piece figured maple back, as well as maple sides. Honestly, take a look at the Guitar Gallery photos and see if you don’t agree that this is truly a 335 to die for! When you hold it up to a light and turn it, you see the characteristic 3-D ripples that maple tops are so famous for. We also have “Dots” in Vintage Sunburst, Antique Natural, and the trademark Gibson Cherry finish, but without question, the Light Burst 335 has the nicest figuring.
The ES-335 is certainly Gibson’s second most-recognizable guitar, taking a back seat only to the iconic Les Paul. It was just one of a number of classics developed and manufactured during Gibson’s “Golden Age” when Ted McCarty was president of the company. This one is equipped with a pair of ’57 Classic Humbuckers, which are essentially modern recreations of the original PAF (Patent Applied For) pickups developed by Seth Lover way back in 1957. These are capable of delivering anything from a clean punchy sound to a buttery smooth overdrive and anything in between. These pickups are famous for the way they clean up with the volume control rolled back, while delivering the classic humbucker snarl as you turn the volume up.
By putting a solid block of maple down the middle and under the top, the feedback that plagued many hollow-body guitars is minimized. It’s because of this block that the 335 is considered a semi-hollowbody. This one also has the ’60s slim-taper neck profile, which many swear is Gibson’s fastest-playing neck. It’s constructed of a solid piece of tropical mahogany with a bound rosewood fingerboard and the trademark dot inlays. The hardware is nickel-plated and yes, this ES-335 ships right to your door via FedEx in a Custom Shop hardshell case!