tremolo arm Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I am in the market for an ES-330 in cherry red. I previously owned a 335 VOS which was amazing, from the patina on the finish, to the tone and the smoothness of the Bigsby. Ideally looking for something similar. There are a lot of 330s on the market and quite a few of them are Custom Shop (with the Custom Shop decal at the back of the headstock), but neither the owners nor their certificates seem to indicate what is "custom", in other words special about them compared to the standard line. Is it better woods? Something else? I have located this 2009 Custom Shop which fits my criteria but it is too far away so if I buy it will have to be purchased unplayed and unseen and posted. So I was wondering if anyone can give me some information about how a 2009 Custom Shop may be different / special / unique? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I think the Custom Shop versions are basically reissues. Gibson stopped making the ES-330 for quite a while and brought them back as Custom Shop models in limited runs. They are reissues of the 50's and 60's models with nothing special or really custom about them. I hope you know that even though they look the same, ES-330's and ES-335's revery different animals. The 330 is a fully hollow bodied guitar with single coil P90 pickups. 335's have a solid center block through the middle of the body, making them semi-hollow and the have Humbucker pickups. Tone-wise they are very different. I have a 1969 ES-335 and used to have a 1965 ES-330. The ES-330 had a lot of feedback issues for me and the type of music I play. They are great for some types of music like Jazz where sustain and high volume are not needed but if you are hoping to get back the tone you had with your 335, you may be disappointed. They were also cheaper, entry level guitars and even though they have the same size and look as a 335, they don't have neck bindings, tuners and other appointments so they could be sold for less $, even though they go for thousands nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tremolo arm Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Thank you! Indeed I know the difference between 330 and 335. One of the reasons why I sold the 335 was because I didn't like the centre block. I am going after that raunchy Beatles sound which they made famous with their Epiphone Casinos but I don't really like the Epiphone aesthetics. What I meant by something similar was the materials,, finish. patina and attention to detail which the VOS has. I would like to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Gotcha. Another thing I forgot to mention is that pre 1968 the neck met the body at the 16th fret whereas with the 335 it's the 19th so less upper fret access. Gibson moved the 330 to the 19th fret in 1968 until they stopped production in 1972. Not sure where the more modern Custom Shop models are. Some are 1959 reissues so those would be 16th fret. I used to have a 2008 Custom Shop Larry Carlton ES-335 which is a reissue of Larry's 1968. The fit and finish were beautiful and it was very similar to my real 1969. Excellent build in all respects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmachine Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Bear in mind, thanks to devious marketing by Gibson at the time, those "Custom Shop models" are not from or made in Gibson's Custom Shop, despite what is said on the Guitar, the case, and even the COA. Actually they are models in what was the "Custom Shop Series" made in Memphis. There never was a Custom Shop in Memphis. To be clear, look at the label in the body of the guitar. It will say where it is made. Great models, just not made in Gibson's Custom Shop in Nashville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tremolo arm Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 (edited) So the full code of the guitar is HBO14M ES-330 ARD as per attached photo Edited May 15 by tremolo arm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 Beautiful looking guitar! Neck attached to body at 19th fret which at least for me is a big plus. After checking out a few of these reissues online I only see two differences from the vintage ones and both are positive. The tuners are the good Gibson Deluxe Kluson style tuners whereas the vintage instruments would have had much cheaper and less robust tuners. The other is that at least from the mid sixties on, the bridge would have had nylon saddles and the reissues have steel. I do a lot of heavy bending and every once in a while with my '69 335, at the worst possible time, I'd pop a string off the saddle. I always had a fear that it would pop during a performance so I didn't gig with it. I ended up putting a Tone Pros bridge on it and all the issues were gone. Good luck in your quest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 The Gibson ES-330 is, arguably, Gibson’s Higher End version of an Epiphone Casino.. I own & have owned several of both.. Both are amazing Guitars.. Each in their own right. Both are capable of making amazing sound.. Blues, Country, Rock, Jazz or whatever… I love my 2013 Gibson Memphis ES-335.. One of the last ones produced.. I love my Casino’s.. Particularly my recent Epiphone USA Casino in Royal Tan.. That Red one looks fantastic.. Keep us in the loop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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