db0313 Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I had a question that I would like to pose to the forum. I am looking at a 2008 Gibson "Custom" es-335. I would like to see some detailed specs on it prior to purchasing. When I look up the serial number on Guitar Dater, it comes up with it being built at the Nashville plant in September 2008 (after reading some other threads in the forum, I am not sure I trust this 100%). It comes with a Gibson Custom COA, which I believe prior to '10, was only at the nashville plant. It plays nice and has a nice rich warm tone acoustically, which is ultimately what matters. However, I did want to make sure the centerblock is not weight relieved. This is at a local music store and for obvious reasons they won't let me take the strings off and remove the pickups to verify. I have read elsewhere that the 335's that come out of the nashville plant all have solid centerblocks, whereas Memphis ones do not (aside from the historic VOS tribute guitars). If you guys could please clarify some of this info, or point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated...Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR9 Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Because there many models of 335, posting photos and a serial number would help this forum to give you a more correct answer other than just a guess. Most guitar dating programs do not work correctly with Gibson Custom Shop guitars. Call Gibson Customer Service and giving them the serial number would also be a good start in your hunt for information. Gibson Customer Service In the USA: 1-800-4GIBSON (1-800-444-2766) In Europe: 00+800-4GIBSON1 (00+800-444-2766-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db0313 Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 Because there many models of 335, posting photos and a serial number would help this forum to give you a more correct answer other than just a guess. Most guitar dating programs do not work correctly with Gibson Custom Shop guitars. Call Gibson Customer Service and giving them the serial number would also be a good start in your hunt for information. Gibson Customer Service In the USA: 1-800-4GIBSON (1-800-444-2766) In Europe: 00+800-4GIBSON1 (00+800-444-2766-1) http://used.samashmusic.com/item.php?id=52657 Pics are at the link. S/N is 02668723 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacificaChris Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Gibson Customer Service has been great responding to my questions about my 2008 Custom 335. Mine was indeed made in Memphis. Dunno about the center block but it 's pretty heavy. I had a question that I would like to pose to the forum. I am looking at a 2008 Gibson "Custom" es-335. I would like to see some detailed specs on it prior to purchasing. When I look up the serial number on Guitar Dater, it comes up with it being built at the Nashville plant in September 2008 (after reading some other threads in the forum, I am not sure I trust this 100%). It comes with a Gibson Custom COA, which I believe prior to '10, was only at the nashville plant. It plays nice and has a nice rich warm tone acoustically, which is ultimately what matters. However, I did want to make sure the centerblock is not weight relieved. This is at a local music store and for obvious reasons they won't let me take the strings off and remove the pickups to verify. I have read elsewhere that the 335's that come out of the nashville plant all have solid centerblocks, whereas Memphis ones do not (aside from the historic VOS tribute guitars). If you guys could please clarify some of this info, or point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated...Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Hi db, I have a 2008 Custom Shop Larrry Carlton ES-335. It has a COA and it was made in Memphis. The orange sticker inside the f hole will tell you where the one you are looking was made. Mine says Memphis. My 2003 Johnny A. says Nashville on the orange sticker. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Looking at the visible features of this guitar, it looks like a standard, Memphis-built ES 335. That is the standard serial number format, and says the guitar was built on the 266th day of 2008, and was the 723rd guitar recorded on that date. As has been mentioned, the online daters are unreliable. The orange label inside will either say Memphis or Nashville, and that will tell you where the guitar was made. It may also give a particular model number, which specifies the feature combination for that particular guitar. The only modern ES 335's built in the Nashville shop were the ES 335 Historic models. The have different serial numbers, starting with A, followed by five digits indicating the model, year built, and number in series. I'm not sure the "Historics" produced today are still built in Nashville or not. The guitar on the right in this picture is Nashville Historic '59 ES 335, built in 2009. The one on the left is some old thing from the 1960's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 I could be completely wrong here, but I never heard of a weight releived center block. It would seem counter productive. The center block is there to reduce feedback in a semi-hollow body, and putting holes in it would seem to just invite more?? Which plant it was made in really isn't that important if you are buying it to play and get a certain sound from. If it feels good and sounds good to you that is the most important thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db0313 Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 I could be completely wrong here, but I never heard of a weight releived center block. It would seem counter productive. The center block is there to reduce feedback in a semi-hollow body, and putting holes in it would seem to just invite more?? Which plant it was made in really isn't that important if you are buying it to play and get a certain sound from. If it feels good and sounds good to you that is the most important thing. Yea, I was shocked when my guitar teacher pointed it out. Gibson, in order to save time on wiring apparently started cutting a hole in the centerblock. I didn't believe him, until he opened his '63 up side by side with a '89 dot reissue. Sure enough it wasn't solid all the way through. Upon further inspection of the guitar in question I realized that it did come from Memphis, as evidenced by the sticker and confirmed by Gibson's customer service...While looking inside the guitar through the F-hole you can definitely see the cutaway in the centerblock (as opposed to a drilled hole in my teacher's '63). Still the guitar sounds great and plays well, which it truly all that matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Yea, I was shocked when my guitar teacher pointed it out. Gibson, in order to save time on wiring apparently started cutting a hole in the centerblock. I didn't believe him, until he opened his '63 up side by side with a '89 dot reissue. Sure enough it wasn't solid all the way through. Upon further inspection of the guitar in question I realized that it did come from Memphis, as evidenced by the sticker and confirmed by Gibson's customer service...While looking inside the guitar through the F-hole you can definitely see the cutaway in the centerblock (as opposed to a drilled hole in my teacher's '63). Still the guitar sounds great and plays well, which it truly all that matters. I think they started doing an enlarged centerblock cut-out sometime in the late 1960's. It's not there for weight relief, but to make it easier to fit the wiring harness, which is a pain with the small (maybe 5/16")hole between the pickup cavity and the main part of the body. My Nashville '59 Historic has the small drilled hole, but my '68 ES 335-12 is at a dealer on consignment, so I can't check it. As I recall, it has a relatively small centerblock cut-out, but certainly much larger than the original small hole of early models. I doubt if it has any functional impact on the guitar, as all you're trying to do is isolate the pickups from any body resonance which could cause feedback. If you've ever tried to feed a wiring harness through the small hole, you may appreciate the cut-out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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