ItsaBass
New member
NGD: 2013 Gibson ES-335 Studio in Midnight Blue with trapeze tailpiece.
I really wanted one of these when they came out. No F holes, single Dirty Fingers pickup, rear access door for easy electronics mods/repairs, big edge radius on an unbound body.
They came in a 335 and a 339, dark blue metallic and gloss black, *and* in both trapeze versions and hardtail versions.
The variant I always wanted was the trapeze version of the 335, in blue. I played a handful at the time, and wasn't too impressed with the fit and finish for the price. Terrible fretboard edges and fretwork.
I never liked the black hardware or the Dirty Fingers pickup either. I always had plans to go to a more 50's–'60's-ish pickup and nickel hardware. I just thought it was a beautiful and unique base for a little project.
Five years later, I remember these, I get an itch, and I think that at used prices, I can tolerate fixing a few fit and finish things myself.
I spent a few months, and finally tracked down one of them. To make it even better, it's N.O.S., not really used. And, wouldn't ya know it, but the binding edges and frets on this one are far above the level of the handful I tried when I was shopping back in 2013.
I bought this with mods in the plan,. The guitar doesn't suit me as stock, but it's a great basic canvas to start with.
The fretboard is going to get heavily oiled, and possibly even "ebonized" with the old standard Fiebling's leather dye.
I have a pair of nickel Phat Staples sitting here unused. I'll be putting one of them in here.
I will probably go to my preferred 1 MOhm pots, but I'll see how it sounds with the stock pots first.
I'll be converting all the black hardware to nickel, and converting to an ABR-1 instead of a Nashville bridge. Callaham or Faber...or Callaham bridge with the Faber tap-in conversion posts.
Bone nut instead of the black plastic one that it came with.
Tort plastic will come off of the truss rod cover, and it'll get a standard old-style black/white cover.
Headstock will get nickel Hipshots with pearloid keystones.
I might just add the second Phat Staple to the neck position, and give myself a 5-knob setup (master volume, and passive bass and treble for each pickup). It will get a typical 335 guard (black and white multi ply) in that case. Maybe a Vari-Tone too. Why not!
If not adding the neck pickup, I will design a guard for it that works with the single pickup setup, yet still disguises the neck joint – something similar to a Les Paul Junior shape.
I love that electronics mods are easy with this guitar. It has a huge access door and tons of unused real estate on the front for knobs and crap.
I apologize in advance for the crappy cel-phone pix, but better than nothing, I guess.
Sexy, smooth, dark, glittery curves, and the interesting tort neck joint cover.
I really wanted one of these when they came out. No F holes, single Dirty Fingers pickup, rear access door for easy electronics mods/repairs, big edge radius on an unbound body.
They came in a 335 and a 339, dark blue metallic and gloss black, *and* in both trapeze versions and hardtail versions.
The variant I always wanted was the trapeze version of the 335, in blue. I played a handful at the time, and wasn't too impressed with the fit and finish for the price. Terrible fretboard edges and fretwork.
I never liked the black hardware or the Dirty Fingers pickup either. I always had plans to go to a more 50's–'60's-ish pickup and nickel hardware. I just thought it was a beautiful and unique base for a little project.
Five years later, I remember these, I get an itch, and I think that at used prices, I can tolerate fixing a few fit and finish things myself.
I spent a few months, and finally tracked down one of them. To make it even better, it's N.O.S., not really used. And, wouldn't ya know it, but the binding edges and frets on this one are far above the level of the handful I tried when I was shopping back in 2013.
I bought this with mods in the plan,. The guitar doesn't suit me as stock, but it's a great basic canvas to start with.
The fretboard is going to get heavily oiled, and possibly even "ebonized" with the old standard Fiebling's leather dye.
I have a pair of nickel Phat Staples sitting here unused. I'll be putting one of them in here.
I will probably go to my preferred 1 MOhm pots, but I'll see how it sounds with the stock pots first.
I'll be converting all the black hardware to nickel, and converting to an ABR-1 instead of a Nashville bridge. Callaham or Faber...or Callaham bridge with the Faber tap-in conversion posts.
Bone nut instead of the black plastic one that it came with.
Tort plastic will come off of the truss rod cover, and it'll get a standard old-style black/white cover.
Headstock will get nickel Hipshots with pearloid keystones.
I might just add the second Phat Staple to the neck position, and give myself a 5-knob setup (master volume, and passive bass and treble for each pickup). It will get a typical 335 guard (black and white multi ply) in that case. Maybe a Vari-Tone too. Why not!
If not adding the neck pickup, I will design a guard for it that works with the single pickup setup, yet still disguises the neck joint – something similar to a Les Paul Junior shape.
I love that electronics mods are easy with this guitar. It has a huge access door and tons of unused real estate on the front for knobs and crap.
I apologize in advance for the crappy cel-phone pix, but better than nothing, I guess.
Sexy, smooth, dark, glittery curves, and the interesting tort neck joint cover.
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