boanerges Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I recently bought a brand new ES 335, sold as a custom shop 335, complete with the certificate of authenticity. However, after reading a few forum posts, I am under the impression that the custom shop Gibsons are supposed to have the custom shop logo imprinted on the back of the headstock near the volute, in addition to having "CS" as part of the serial number. This is however not the case with my guitar. The serial number just reads 01418707, no "CS" or CS-logo, and it is made in Memphis, not Nashville, where I thought the custom shop was located. Is this a custom shop, or is it not? What about the differences between the Memphis and the Nashville plants? It must be stated that the guitar is an exceptionally great exemplar, far better than any other 335 I've ever owned or tried, which is the most important thing here. Thanks! -nerges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadhog96 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Read this previous post, maybe it will help clarify some things. I can't tell you why it doesn't have the CS on the number and the CS decal, Gibson does some strange things. Post this same question for this forum Admin and see what they say. http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=815 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Every ES guitar is a Gibson Custom Shop guitar. There are two types of ES-335 guitars - reissues and regular production models. I have an ES-335 Block Inlay, it's not a reissue and has a similar serial number to yours, 005777XX, with no CS and no Custom Shop logo. I think only the reissues have CS in the serial number. Does yours say "Made in USA" on the back of the headstock? Although, I never received a certificate. I contacted Gibson and they said my guitar didn't come with it. I may be mistaken here, but I think that the reissues are made in Memphis and the regular models are made in Nashville. Mine was made in Nashville. What are the differences? Well, the reissues are better built, just like a Les Paul vs. a Les Paul reissue. You pay more money for a better built guitar with higher quality wood. Not knocking your guitar or mine, that's just the way it is. I paid $2,500 US for my 335, whereas, a reissue is over $5,000. Post some pics, I'd love to see it. Here's mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadhog96 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Every ES guitar is a Gibson Custom Shop guitar. There are two types of ES-335 guitars - reissues and regular production models. I have an ES-335 Block Inlay' date=' it's not a reissue and has a similar serial number to yours, 005777XX, with no CS and no Custom Shop logo. I think only the reissues have CS in the serial number. Does yours say "Made in USA" on the back of the headstock? Although, I never received a certificate. I contacted Gibson and they said my guitar didn't come with it. I may be mistaken here, but I think that the reissues are made in Memphis and the regular models are made in Nashville. Mine was made in Nashville. What are the differences? Well, the reissues are better built, just like a Les Paul vs. a Les Paul reissue. You pay more money for a better built guitar with higher quality wood. Not knocking your guitar or mine, that's just the way it is. I paid $2,500 US for my 335, whereas, a reissue is over $5,000. Post some pics, I'd love to see it. Here's mine. [img']http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg225/Gibson_Tim/Picture096.jpg[/img] Tim A, Maybe you should read the previous post link above. Where in the world did you get your info about better built guitars from the Custom Shop in Nashville. This subject is as old as, never mind. I'm not sure I even want to go there. Look that's a load of crap that someone started a long time ago and everyone that reads it believes it must be true. I've seen just as much junk from the CS as with Memphis plant. the guitars are built with the same wood, same contruction method only built to different specs. Historic are suppose to be built like the original vintage models which require different specs than the modern production models. They fall short as far as being an exact reproduction sometimes, their specs are not always correct. Do you honestly believe Gibson hires better craftsman to work on the guitar in Nashville that's why you pay more. You pay more because it's a special model, signiture, or a one off. The models require a lot more attention with the special treatment they get to their VOS finishes and aged hardware. You pay for it in the end, American labor is expensive. Do some research about this subject and you will find out what I'm talking about. Search the archives at Les Paul Forum or ask about it and see what the response is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I may be mistaken here' date=' but I think that the reissues are made in Memphis and the regular models are made in Nashville.[/quote'] Yes, you are mistaken. The production models are made in Memphis, I guess this includes what they are calling reissues. The "Historics" are made in Nashville. I think you'll find you're guitar to have been built in Memphis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Tim A' date=' Maybe you should read the previous post link above. Where in the world did you get your info about better built guitars from the Custom Shop in Nashville. This subject is as old as, never mind. I'm not sure I even want to go there. Look that's a load of crap that someone started a long time ago and everyone that reads it believes it must be true. I've seen just as much junk from the CS as with Memphis plant. the guitars are built with the same wood, same contruction method only built to different specs. Historic are suppose to be built like the original vintage models which require different specs than the modern production models. They fall short as far as being an exact reproduction sometimes, their specs are not always correct. Do you honestly believe Gibson hires better craftsman to work on the guitar in Nashville that's why you pay more. You pay more because it's a special model, signiture, or a one off. The models require a lot more attention with the special treatment they get to their VOS finishes and aged hardware. You pay for it in the end, American labor is expensive. Do some research about this subject and you will find out what I'm talking about. Search the archives at Les Paul Forum or ask about it and see what the response is.[/quote'] I Didn't see your previous post, we posted at nearly the same time and I must have missed it. No, I don't think that Gibson hires better staff for one plant and not the other and I agree that top dollar guitars can also be "junk." I'm giving you Canadian prices. The list price on my 335 Block Inlay is around $3,000. The list price on a 1963 Block Reissue is $5,000. So, you're telling me that these two guitars are built with the same grade of wood, but under different specifications that justifies a price increase of $2,000? The 63 is not a special model, signiture, or a one off...it's a reissue. Actually, the VOS treatment saves Gibson money, doesn't it? How else can you explain a 58 Les Paul high gloss costs $300 more than a 58 Les Paul VOS. They're both the same guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troels Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I recently bought a brand new ES 335' date=' sold as a custom shop 335, complete with the certificate of authenticity. However, after reading a few forum posts, I am under the impression that the custom shop Gibsons are supposed to have the custom shop logo imprinted on the back of the headstock near the volute, in addition to having "CS" as part of the serial number. This is however not the case with my guitar. The serial number just reads 01418707, no "CS" or CS-logo, and it is made in Memphis, not Nashville, where I thought the custom shop was located. Is this a custom shop, or is it not? What about the differences between the Memphis and the Nashville plants? It must be stated that the guitar is an exceptionally great exemplar, far better than any other 335 I've ever owned or tried, which is the most important thing here. Thanks! -nerges[/quote'] It's a Factory ES-335 from 2008 - not a Custom Shop - unfortunately. Quote: No, I don't think that Gibson hires better staff for one plant and not the other and I agree that top dollar guitars can also be "junk." Unfortunately they do... Memphis are mainly former unemployeed furniture makers. There's no luthiers there whatsoever. Explains the strange build quality for some years. I have a nice brown 2001 delaminated Memphis 335... 2000 and 2001 are known to be terrible years. That counts for a few CS ES-335 as well - as far as I can read on diffefrent pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 The Admin' for the Custom forum category has explained in other posts that the Memphis plant is under the same umbrella of management as the Nashville custom shop. The way they describe it is that the Memphis plant is considered part of the Custom Shop operations. The Historics, and one-off special orders for artists and the like are still made in Nashville. All of the ES production models are made in Memphis. My ES-339 with a warranty card date of October, 2007, has a custom shop logo on the base of the headstock (about where a volute would be) and CS in the serial number, and "custom" on the silkscreening of the case. It would have been made in Memphis and I'm a little uneasy that it's being passed off as a "custom" model. Nevertheless the Memphis plant is a smaller, more specialized factory that only makes archtops and semi-hollows and is not cranking out volumes of solidbodies like they do in the main production facility, which I believe they now refer to as "Gibson USA." Now, from time to time they change the size and packaging of the COA so it doesn't surprise me that the decals might not be on all the memphis guitars. Perhaps there was a backlash, or perhaps they were afraid to dilute the meaning of "custom shop" by continuing to put the decal on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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