Volt Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 Is my ES-339 considered a "Gibson Custom"? Just wondering because I haven't seen any ES-339 related posts here. Aren't all the modern ES's and CS's Gibson customs?
kevro2000 Posted January 7, 2009 Posted January 7, 2009 Is my ES-339 considered a "Gibson Custom"? Just wondering because I haven't seen any ES-339 related posts here. Aren't all the modern ES's and CS's Gibson customs? Please send UR 339 to my house, I'll examine it real close, and let you know if its a custom shop job! Just kidding, of course.. Beautiful guitar u have there!
bobv Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 If I understand correctly from responses that Admin has posted here, the Memphis factory where the ES guitars is made is under the same corporate umbrella as the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville (where the artist one-off's and special orders and the Historic Reissues are made). Both are certainly distinct from the main production factory known as "GibsonUSA." Some Memphis models have a "Gibson Custom" decal on the headstock, but Historics from Nashville generally do not have it. Memphis and Nashville will have gold-lettered "Gibson Custom" silkscreens on the outside of the case; GibsonUSA will be in silver or white. One difference I have noticed is that a 30/60 neck on a special ordered ES335 from the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville (at least the one I was fortunate enough to play for a few moments) is much rounder than the 30/60 neck on my production ES339 from Memphis. There were file marks on the fretboard and some chatter on the neck binding and one or two gouges where the neck binding was scraped too deeply on my 339; I'm told you don't see such things on Nashville Custom instruments.
Volt Posted January 22, 2009 Author Posted January 22, 2009 Please send UR 339 to my house' date=' I'll examine it real close, and let you know if its a custom shop job! Just kidding, of course.. Beautiful guitar u have there![/quote'] Haha. No way am I parting with this guitar.
Volt Posted January 22, 2009 Author Posted January 22, 2009 BobV: Sorry that you have a few issues with your 339. I just looked closely at mine and the finish is nearly flawless. I hope Gibson gets the quality control issues fixed. The ES-339 makes sense to me, and bridges the gap between the Les Paul and the ES-335. Only gripe I have is that the horns need to be moved outward to allow more hand room at the uppermost frets. I have many other guitars but my 339 has become my clear favorite. The pickups are perfect. Ever so slightly twangy when playing "clean", and screaming when driven hard.
Archer993 Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 The fretboard binding on my 339 has the file marks too. It IS a nice guitar, but I feel it does not equal the quality level of my Custom Shop Lps.
Crappy Posted January 28, 2009 Posted January 28, 2009 Custom shop quality is not what it used to be. I have been seeing alot of lemons rolling out of the custom shop for some time now. and it's not getting better. Now I don't mean all of them are bad, but they are not somthing you should be paying 3k to 4k for.
Teobeck Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 This is not to rant. I play my ES-339 every day and at gigs. I also have vintage ES-335 so I'm not predisposed. I did have to replace plastic nut with bone, replace bridge with Tonepros AVR-II and Memphis Tone Circuit with vintage wiring to keep it in tune, and am still using rosewood oil weekly to replace terribly dyed fretboard. That said, it is the most beautiful sounding instrument I've ever played. I'm a Chicago blues player, and I play through the best amps, including Fargen Custom (blackface). Bottom line - I have Hamer Newport Pro Custon semi hollow, Epiphone Sheraton semi hollow, etc. all with PAF pups, yet state that ES-339, despite flaws, is best sounding semi hollow axe I've ever had.
oversixfoot Posted February 1, 2009 Posted February 1, 2009 wow i have a 1997 koren made gibson es355 and paid used 500cdn the finish&construction was darn near perfect.said that the pups are so so so i changed them to (seymore duncan's seth love's) and new tusk nut and set up (a great luther did the work) my point i have aproxbout 800.00cdn into it what a change.I play throght a KUSTON HV 30 hybrid tube amp for my style of music,blues and some r/r this just spanks..so i goes to show that you don't have to spend a wad of$$ for a good gibson..just look around for the "used" gems and give them some TLC just my2c cheers Leo in Edmonton alberta Canada
bobv Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Thanks, Volt. Actually I'm thrilled now that the lacquer has been drop-filled and buffed out so the gouges disappeared and the orange peel on the back of the neck is gone. If Gibson would only sell this model to real guitar stores I could've played a few and picked one with the least issues instead of ordering it and holding my breath. My complaint is not with the custom shop quality, its with the marketing decision to favor GuitarCenter and it's mail order alter egos.
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