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Why does my ES-355....


Kylef

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Posted

Say its a 335 on the serial number label?

 

Its a 2010 Custom shop reissue. Serial number matches up with the custom shop certificate aswell. Find it strange as i have had 355's that have stated 355 on the label before?

 

Guitar in question:

 

6a855e16.jpg

Posted

Say its a 335 on the serial number label?

 

Its a 2010 Custom shop reissue. Serial number matches up with the custom shop certificate aswell. Find it strange as i have had 355's that have stated 355 on the label before?

 

Guitar in question:

 

6a855e16.jpg

 

Over the years I have seen quite a number of these.

 

The guitar in the photo is quite clearly an ES-355, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Danny W.

Posted

Over the years I have seen quite a number of these.

 

The guitar in the photo is quite clearly an ES-355, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Danny W.

that is weird, but don't 355's usually have a varitone switch? Maybe that could why, but everything else is 355 all the way. Block inlays, ebony board, multiple binding, split diamond headstock. Could just be a mistake, who knows?!

Posted

that is weird, but don't 355's usually have a varitone switch?

This just came up the other day in another thread. It's a misconception. Gibson made about 750 mono-wired (no varitone) 355's between 1958 and 1965. Most of the custom shop reissues replicate the mono versions, as stereo wiring and varitone switches are less desirable for most players.

 

More and more, I'm seeing younger folks confuse the thinline models. I often hear people refer to B.B. King's "Lucille" as a 335, for example. On ebay, I constantly see sellers confuse the thinline model numbers. Maybe the employee who labeled the above guitar was relatively inexperienced...?

Posted

Varitone.....

 

that would be an ES-345

MANY ES-355's were built with stereo wiring and varitone switches. The point here is... not all. With regard to the new reissues, maybe more of the 345's have varitones, I honestly don't know.

Posted

This just came up the other day in another thread. It's a misconception. Gibson made about 750 mono-wired (no varitone) 355's between 1958 and 1965. Most of the custom shop reissues replicate the mono versions, as stereo wiring and varitone switches are less desirable for most players.

 

More and more, I'm seeing younger folks confuse the thinline models. I often hear people refer to B.B. King's "Lucille" as a 335, for example. On ebay, I constantly see sellers confuse the thinline model numbers. Maybe the employee who labeled the above guitar was relatively inexperienced...?

 

 

I have to confess that I was one of the ones who - over a period of many years - labored under the misconception that ES 355 = Varitone. Thank you for putting me straight in a very clear and gentlemanly way, JimR56! I am truly grateful.

 

Regards,

J/W

B)

Posted

Nice 355!!!!

 

Original 50s / early 60s "golden era" thinlines were the base model, the 335, the mid level 345 and the top 'o de line 355. 345s & 355s usually were wired with stereo & Varitone...but not always. In some rare cases we've seen mono, non-Varitone versions of each. Current production Historic 345s & 355s usually spec Varitone, but I've seen quite a few non-Varitone 355s over the past 20 years, no 345s I can recall.

 

Hope this helps.

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