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Newbie - Quick Question re: ES-335's from 2007


beforewewerevoices

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There are lots of threads and explanations here, particularly responses from the administrator of the Custom forum, so forgive me if I leave out some detail and add some editorial attitude. =D> Essentially, the Memphis factory where the ES's are made is under the same branch of corporate management as the Custom Shop operations, even though it's a separate facility in a separate city. So it's not coming from the same place (Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville) that makes the artist's special order guitars or the Clapton Crossroads replica. For that reason, the gold-star logo on the case and the custom decal on the back of the peghead seem a little cheesy to me. At the same time it's not the big factory ("Gibson USA") that churns out all the regular production models. Call it what you will, the facility known as Gibson Memphis Custom is turning out some beautiful guitars.

 

Come to think of it, I'm not sure if the Historic Reissue ES335 is made in Nashville or Memphis.

 

By the way, to get specific information on your guitar, Gibson won't answer forum posts with serial numbers - instead you can call them on the phone 24/7 or send an email with some shrunken pictures and they'll get back to you re production information if it's available. Of all the online serial number databases I haven't seen any that list the custom shop numbers.

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Hi' date='

 

Were all the production ES-335's made in 2007 from the custom shop?

 

Can anyone confirm if this serial number is a custom shop guitar?

 

00107712

 

Thanks

 

Simon[/quote']

 

I think Custom Shop guitars serial numbers start with CS.... at least mine do... I have two 2007 Custom shops, a Les Paul and an ES 339 and both of them have CS before the serial number.

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My '07 Custom Shop (Memphis) ES-339 has the CS serial # as well as a Custom Shop "tatoo" on the back of the neck.

 

I have zero problem with Gibson having two Custom Shops. I really love my Bozeman built J45RW also.

 

Murph.

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Memphis ES-335's do not have CS serial numbers. Just the numeric serial numbers. 00107712 = January 10, 2007, Production Sequence 712 (12th guitar "built" on 1/10/2007 in Memphis factory... "built" meaning, neck was attached to body, and S/N stamped on headstock).

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Troels,

 

I beg your pardon, but you evidently misunderstood my simply qualifying what the term "built" was referring to when relating the meaning of the Sequence Number in the Serial Number.

 

I was not saying anything about the amount of handwork vs. machine work involved in guitar production. Again, what I did say is that the sequence number identifies what order that guitar placed in that day's production volume. The Serial Number is stamped when a craftsman attaches a neck to a body. Memphis starts the daily sequence at 700, thus 712 indicates that his guitar was the 12th Neck to Body union of that day. That is not a finished guitar either. Lots of work remains after the neck and body are mated.

 

Again, no references to quantifying the level of handwork involved in the manufacture of the guitar.

 

Have a swell day!

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