At first glance, today’s official Guitar of the Day could easily be mistaken for an ES-335 – arguably one of Gibson’s most successful designs. But when you pick it up, you realize that this semi-hollowbody guitar is a bit smaller overall than the 335. Gibson’s Custom, Art, and Historic Division actually created this guitar, which they dubbed (not surprisingly) the Gibson Custom CS-336 Figured Model. Its inspiration is clearly the original ES-335, but when you look closer, you may see that the mahogany back, sides, and centerblock are carved from a single block of wood. This is something that the company’s founder, Orville Gibson, had always wanted to do, but because it would have had to be done by hand, it would have been prohibitively expensive. Thankfully, there are now sophisticated, computer-controlled routing machines that do the bulk of the carving, then it’s handed over to a real human, who takes care of the fine details. The end result is a slightly smaller version of the ES-335 that was created specifically for those players who want that classic 335 sound and vibe but don’t fancy playing such a large-bodied instrument.
The CS-336 is a beautifully balanced guitar, light enough for those long gigs that last until the wee hours. What’s more, its neck carve is Gibson’s slim-taper design, which replicates the shape and feel of the 1960 Les Paul neck, as well as that of the early SGs (which actually replaced the Les Paul for a number of years). What that means is that you get a comfortable neck contour that allows you to play chords and solos up and down the solid mahogany neck, without feeling like your hand will cramp up any minute. And then, there’s the sound! What good is a comfortable guitar that doesn’t have a killer tone to match? Gibson equipped the CS-336 with a pair of ’57 Classic humbuckers, which are modern (and accurate) re-creations of the original PAF (Patent Applied For) humbuckers that first made their appearance on late 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtops. These are capable of producing a well-balanced clean sound, but when played through a suitable amp, they will deliver a smooth, buttery overdrive. The nicely figured maple top is finished in what Gibson calls Vintage Sunburst, a color that was available on ES-335s for most of the last four decades. The hardware is all nickel-plated, and the 22-fret fingerboard is premium rosewood with pearloid dot markers. The CS-336 includes a custom shop case, a certificate of authenticity, and a custom-care kit. It also includes free shipping right to your door!
