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2018 ES-355 Walnut VOS w/Maestro Ltd : WHAT IS EXACTLY WRITTEN IN THE "PASSPORT"?


CROTT

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hi, 2018 ES 335 Walnut VOS w/Maestro Ltd owners and Gibson reps!

please post here picture of inside of included 'passport' (or certificate, whatever is proper term)

please

just want to make sure mine is correct, (don't need your's serial number, you can cover NUMBERS if you suspect stealing)

 

thank you in advance!

Edited by CROTT
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  • 1 month later...

I don't have a Walnut 335, but I have two other Custom Shop Guitars that came with Certificate of Authenticity.

I have a 356 and on the COA the model is hand-written as CS-356.  I have a L-5 and on that certificate it is hand written L-5 CES.

Below the models numbers the serial numbers are also hand written.

Based on that I would think that your COA should say ES-335 (or CS -335 if it was made in custom shop) and below that the serial numbers.  Hope that helps.

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That would seem like whoever wrote the model number on the certificate did make a mistake.  However most 335s are made from a maple/poplar/maple laminate wood for the back, sides, and top.  Since yours is Walnut (I'm assuming just the top) it might be considered a different model designation?

But ES55 doesn't seem correct.  If nothing else you have a unique COA.

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The 2018 ES-355 Walnut Maestro is a stunning instrument featuring modern design enhancements for premium reliability and playability. Modern features include hand-wired MTC Premiere wiring harness with a newly designed mono Varitone, MHS humbucking pickups, bone nut and a weight relieved maple Centerblock.

Details

• 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple Top and Back
• Weight Relieved Maple Centerblock
• Quarter Sawn Adirondack Spruce Bracing
• Multi-ply Binding
• Quarter Sawn Mahogany Neck
• Rounded C Neck Profile w/Rolled Binding
• Dark Rosewood Fingerboard
• Mother of Pearl Full Block Inlays
• Bone Nut
• 1.687" Nut Width
• 24.75" Scale Length
• VOS Gold Hardware
• ABR-1 Bridge w/Plated Brass Saddles
• Gold plated Maestro Tremelo w/Engraved Cover
• Gold plated Kluson Waffle Back Tuners
• Black Witch Hat Knobs w/Gold Inserts
• Gold-plated MHS Humbucking Pickups
• MTC Premiere Electronics w/New Mono Varitone
• Antique Walnut Finish
• Only 100 being produced

 

only finish is walnut LoL, it is 3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple Top and Back

right, it is unique Gibson ES 55 model! (I wonder if any ES 55 were ever produced before?)

to make it completely my signature model I will replace stock truss rod cover (black plastic) with more appropriate gold plated, my name on it LoL

 

still, would be nice to have proper paperwork

any experience with making requests to Gibson?  

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I have no experience dealing directly with Gibson company,

what is the sure way, in my case? please

I have receipt from store where I purchased this guitar, in addition to pictures,

communication is not my best skill

Edited by CROTT
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hi again! thank you all

What I found

seems like for unreasonable reason

Gibson did it not just to me https://reverb.com/ca/item/7589981-gibson-memphis-es-355-walnut-maestro-vos-varitone-antique-walnut-limited-edition-w-hardshell-case-serial-13187701

629a9f38a51e19c302fae03d275bf710.png

mine is just like this one

 

Gibson, WHY??? saving time? saving ink? creating confusion to boost sales? what the

Edited by CROTT
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The first number on that Certificate shown above is Gibson code for exactly what it is (Whoever wrote it may have forgotten the '3' in '355' - but I can't think of any other models that have a 55 in the model number so perhaps it isn't needed here).

'ES' = Electric Spanish

'55' = ES-355

'18' = 2018

'AW' = Antique Walnut finish

'G' = Gold Hardware

'IU' = I'm not sure about these... Maybe it's really an 'M' for Maestro?

'1' at the end = 'First Quality' (they used to release 'factory seconds')

Edited by clayville
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8 hours ago, clayville said:

The first number on that Certificate shown above is Gibson code for exactly what it is (Whoever wrote it may have forgotten the '3' in '355' - but I can't think of any other models that have a 55 in the model number so perhaps it isn't needed here).

 

'IU' = I'm not sure about these... Maybe it's really an 'M' for Maestro?

'1' at the end = 'First Quality' (they used to release 'factory seconds')

It is an M, and it is for the Maestro.

That last digit 1 is not for "first quality".  That's badly rumored meaning that is not only not true, it doesn't even make sense.  A second would not change a model number!  Gibson has not marked seconds for many year.  And that marking has never been part of the model number, it was stamped on the guitar.  And the guitars have never had the model number stamped on them.   Anyway, Gibson wouldn't give me  (or anyone else I know of) a direct answer as to what that digit does mean.  Only my guess, but it may be the market it was made for, and 1 obviously would be the US market.  3 may be the Japanese market.

 

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It came out very interesting and educational! at least for me!

thank you all

 

since not only my guitar got ES 55 and so on, but another as well and you confirmed that it is common 'code' to write ES 55 instead of ES 355...

guess no reason to call Gibson asking why NOT TO CODE the most important part in paperwork

 

it is like code peoples last names.. ..or BW instead of BMW

the number at the end may be stands for US, however I made purchase in Canada (my 5C)

actually, I though it made to Canada because mistake in paperwork, LoL

the guitar is amazing

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On 10/24/2019 at 5:31 PM, Eades said:

Just human error, most likely rushing to get jobs done and not fully focused on the task in hand. email or phone them to see if they will replace it

that's what I thought too, but hesitated... ...and came to this forum

now it looks like they do save ink, time and trying to boost sales creating mystery, confusion and rumors 🤠

I'll post later pics of COA of mine, to compare to this COA which I found on net

Edited by CROTT
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4 hours ago, CROTT said:

that's what I thought too, but hesitated... ...and came to this forum

now it looks like they do save ink, time and trying to boost sales creating mystery, confusion and rumors 🤠

 

Not really any of that.  Most model numbers of just about anything you can think of is a code, and it is only used to identify what it is.  Model numbers virtually never spell out the info they contain.  One has to expect that.

Anyway, nice to see you're getting a good one!  I'm sure you will really enjoy it!

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