woodshed Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 I happened an older post here as I was searching for info on Epi Custom Shop models. Yeah, I know the term "custom shop" used with Epiphone evokes cackles from seasoned players & those who deem themselves such, so I found the older post interesting to say the least. I frequent this forum but seldom post because I'm currently an ex-Epi owner. I've been playing over 25 years & I've owned several Gibson Les Pauls & SGs & Explorers, so I'm familiar with a "Gibson feel". I teach gtr at a store that sells Gibson/Epiphone & this week they received a Custom Shop '59 Reissue ES-335 Dot. There are two other Epi ES-335 Dots in the store, both of which arrived when the '59 Reissue arrived. I must say that the difference between the CS '59 Reissue & the other two "dots" is night & day. To what can this be attributed, pray tell, since there is no Custom Shop by American definition. Epi CS runs are really just kinda......special runs, right? I can tell you I used the '59 Reissue in 3 lessons today & it never went out of tune. Not once. I stretched the B & G strings trying to make the tuners slip waaaay out of tune I've seen many Epi's do at the store. However this gtr was solid & would not slip. I thought I'd be yanking the Kluson styled tuners all over the place but such was not the case. The gtr played great & felt very very solid. The pots were ultra smooth, too. It had a big rounded '59 neck but it felt great on this gtr. I know Epi-dissers will have no part of it but this gtr was well made. Again, compared to the other Dots in the store, this gtr was so much better than those in fir & finish. There are very obvious differences. I couldn't help but think that this Epi CS gtr played better (imho) than the last two very expensive Gibson ES-335s the store sold earlier this year. I tried for months to like those Gibson 335s (since I used to play one) but they felt like stiff brittle planks. Maybe it's me & I don't like the way Gibson's feel any more. Odd...... I do know that the '59 Reissue ES-335 Dot CS I played is a killer gtr that I'd buy with little hesitation. I'll play every Epi that comes in because, like Fender or Gibson, you never know when you'll play one that's "a good one" or one that seems to "speak to you". This one, is a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 Here's a link to some reviews that say essentially the same thing. http://www.fretbase.com/guitars/1791-epiphone-59-es-335-dot It too bad it's a limited release guitar, I don't even know of an AIMM dealer around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted April 24, 2010 Share Posted April 24, 2010 I want one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted April 25, 2010 Author Share Posted April 25, 2010 I think I'm going to buy this gtr when I go in for my Monday lessons. Street price around $480 but with my teacher's discount I should be able to get it for $350-$380. I'll have to get a bag or case for it. After my final lesson yesterday, I sat & talked to a couple of the salesmen at the store for an hour or so. It was only when my wife called & I had to answer my cell phone that I realized I had been playing it for hours. In a way I felt kinda silly, because I continued to be inspired by it so much that I wasn't even aware that I was playing it that long. Then again, it was a testimony to the fact that that's what a great gtr does for you: it inspires you to play. If you can find one, check it out before it's snapped up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Arcadius Posted April 26, 2010 Share Posted April 26, 2010 Good points from all the guys. It's not the name on the headstock that counts. If it ''speaks'' to you, that's all there is to it. And as far as the term ''Custom Shop'' that it's used widely on the Epi's, it's not only on the Epis that it happens. The Gibson ''CS'' it's not that Custom... They do not take many orders and it could take a couple of years and huge amounts of money for anyone to order his Les Paul, for example. They just make special runs of models in limited numbers. Anyway... it's the new gibby policy I guess to justify the inflated prices... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 Put it back today & I pick it up Monday. The manager was off so we couldn't finalize the deal but that's cool. I bought an Ibanez RG3770 & returned it in a week, so the store credit pays for this 335 & a lot more. This 59 Reissue is officially mine now. I've played it today & two days earlier this week while in for lessons, in an effort to determine if I really like it or if it was just a "fling". Each time I put my hand on the neck, the feel is *it*. The entire gtr is solid yet feels responsive. The feel of this '59 Reissue neck, while big, just fits this 335 perfectly. I'm still a 60s Slim Taper (a real 60s slim taper) fan but I find it hard to stop playing this thing. Looking forward to bringing it home & recording with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hungrycat Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 And as far as the term ''Custom Shop'' that it's used widely on the Epi's' date=' it's not only on the Epis that it happens. The Gibson ''CS'' it's not that Custom... They do not take many orders and it could take a couple of years and huge amounts of money for anyone to order his Les Paul, for example. They just make special runs of models in limited numbers. Anyway... it's the new gibby policy I guess to justify the inflated prices...[/quote'] I believe "Custom Shop" Gibsons are Masterbuilt (I.E. One dude does the whole thing) Standard Gibsons are assembly line built. So that's the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Found an AIMM dealer in my area (George's Music) but last time I was in there they had nothin' but high markup Chinese Ibis, cheap Fenders and other junk. Not really looking forward to going back there, but I suppose I must if I want to see this thing in person.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Buffalo Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Custom Shop has also come out with an ES-335 "Block" - the Dot ES 335 I T. [/img] (The € fell off the pickguard - I'll glue it back on today). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodshed Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 Brought this CS '59 Reissue Dot home. It belongs to me now & I get to use it in rehearsal tonight for the first time. My paying gig is on staff at church where we do everything from Brooklyn Tab to Hillsong to Gateway Praise to Lincoln Brewster to.....pretty much anything contemporary in Christian music. Funk, soul, rock & some traditional are the norm; 1 piano, 2 keyboards, 1 acoustic gtr, & 3 electrics. This '59 Epi 335 should fit nicely. Pix next week.......if I can stop playing this thing long enough. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrasso Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Custom Shop has also come out with an ES-335 "Block" - the Dot ES 335 I T. [/img] (The € fell off the pickguard - I'll glue it back on today). That is beautiful. Still have no idea why they would not distribute these to the big box. Where did you buy this and how much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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