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NGD! ES 355


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No VariTone? So what are you impressions of the guitar?

 

Wow! I didn't even notice that...beautiful guitar but it is the Varitone that makes the 355 or 345 for me.

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No VariTone? So what are you impressions of the guitar?

 

It was kind of a spur of the moment purchase and I think the price was right for it.

 

I am not certain about the veritone stereo being a must have or not for a 355. I was reading that the varitone models are less desirable; however, I have been wanting an thin line guitar and I liked this one a bunch.

 

I do not know much about the history of this guitar but maybe I can find out more by the serial number. The neck feels just right to me and it plays real nice.

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It was kind of a spur of the moment purchase and I think the price was right for it.

 

I am not certain about the veritone stereo being a must have or not for a 355. I was reading that the varitone models are less desirable; however, I have been wanting an thin line guitar and I liked this one a bunch.

 

I do not know much about the history of this guitar but maybe I can find out more by the serial number. The neck feels just right to me and it plays real nice.

 

I am sure it is a very fine guitar with or without the Varitone and those necks are excellent (IMO) for doing what one does with a guitar - play it!

 

The Varitone is something special in my view. I read an awful lot of rot on the net about how they "suck tone" and other such trash most of which I am sure is spewed out by 335 players who wish they had a Varitone.

 

The stereo is not important. Virtually everyone with a stereo 345 or 355 plays them mono anyway. Even Johnny Marr had a special mono conversion lead made up for his stereo 355. The stereo can be effective in a loud live band situation with two amps but most of us don't get to play that option nowadays anyway.

 

But enjoy your fine guitar as it is!

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I got the double short straw with my 355: stereo but not varitone! I did try to make use of the stereo outputs for a while but dragging two amps everywhere for an effect that nobody but me even noticed seemed a little too much like overkill.

 

Anyway, I'm sure the op will survive without a varitone - they're a nice effect and I'd use one if I had one but it's icing on a very nice cake as far as 355s are concerned. Besides, I'd be far more worried about the fact that 355 doesn't have a Bigsby...

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Very beautiful guitar, congrats, HNGD! [thumbup]

 

I guess graining and figuring are much more impressive than they translate through the pictures. A Varitone switch would be great in my opinion. Anyway, to my taste it is just right with a stopbar tailpiece, wouldn't want a Bigsby. Although summing the signals won't give the same sound as using both in parallel mono, the stereo option is nice for recording both pickups separately.

 

Enjoy! :)

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Very nice! What color is that?

 

It looks orange sometimes and sometimes red. I read something about a color called faded watermelon; however, I have no idea.

 

Any ideas on how to identify it?

 

Rock On!

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Congrats buddy! I have a ES-355 too, you'll definitely have a great time with it. Curious though, why didn't Gibson stamp the serial number on the headstock? That's very unlike them....

 

This is what I found on the Gibson website:

 

1977-JUNE 2005: Between 1997 and late June or early July 2005, Gibson

used the same serialization system on all standard-built guitars. This

updated system utilizes an impressed, eight-digit numbering scheme that

covers both serializing and dating functions. The Custom/Historic/Art

divisions do not use this system. Certain models in the Standard series also

do not follow this, either. Please refer to the end of the section for exceptions.

 

 

HISTORIC ES MODELS: Historic ES models use a slightly different

system than the Custom Shop. The configuration consists of a letter prefix

+ MYNNN. The letter, which is usually an A or B, indicates that it is part

of the Historic Collection, the M indicates the last year of reissue model,

the Y indicates the last number of the year the guitar was built, and the

final NNN digits are production numbers. For example, A-93012 is a

2003 1959 ES-335 with Dot inlays reissue and it was the 12th instrument

produced that year.The following codes represent most of the reissues:

NUMBER MODELS

2 ES-295

3 1963 ES-335 BLOCK INLAYS

4 ES-330

5 ES-345

9 W/ A PREFIX 1959 ES-335 DOT INLAYS

9 W/ B PREFIX ES-355

 

The serial number on mine is on the orange label inside the sound hole and it is hand written on the label.

 

I believe this is the correct way they did it. Maybe someone will answer.

 

Rock On!

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The Varitone is something special in my view. I read an awful lot of rot on the net about how they "suck tone" and other such trash most of which I am sure is spewed out by 335 players who wish they had a Varitone.

 

 

Don't assume things about other players. I've owned a number of ES-355's with Varitone and found that my favorite position for it was at #1, so while I wouldn't reject a guitar because of it, I'd just as soon leave it off. Just to drive home my point:

 

452f643d.jpg

 

Diettes12003_zps51e4a101.jpg

 

1e716af7.jpg

 

(I just realized that these photos were taken about ten years apart)

 

Danny W.

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Don't assume things about other players. I've owned a number of ES-355's with Varitone and found that my favorite position for it was at #1, so while I wouldn't reject a guitar because of it, I'd just as soon leave it off. Just to drive home my point:

 

 

It is entirely up to you Danny. Your guitar you do what you want!

 

As for myself I'll assume what I please thank you very much.

 

Nice guitars by the way!

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