Gibson has forever engraved its name in the hall of fame of guitar, from jazz to rock, blues and metal. Founded in 1894 by Orville H. Gibson in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, the company has revolutionized the guitar world with technical and aesthetic innovations such as the humbuckers or the Flying V, Explorer and Firebird shapes. With ambassadors like Charlie Christian and Slash, or Tommi Iommi and, of course, Lester Polfus, Gibson crosses the ages and musical styles, and stands out as a must-have brand of guitar, both electric and acoustic.
The VOS (Vintage Original Spec) range is a Custom Shop production that recreates the brand's historic models with care, strictly following specifications and selecting all the components (wood, electronics, etc.) and aging them in a light and meticulous way to offer instruments of exceptional quality, faithful to their origins and providing sensations identical to that of a guitar produced at the time, that would not have been played, and carefully maintained during all this time.
It's always a pleasure to receive guitars that we spent time to choose when they are as well done as this Gibson Custom Shop ES-335 '64 Reissue VOS. Cosmetically, there is nothing to complain about: from the lacquer to the tuners, the result is very authentic and this guitar fully deserves its reputation of being an elegant and classy instrument. As for the craftsmanship, it is also top notch. The guitar is light, resonates loudly with a regular decay in volume, and there is no noise other than the music being played on it. It is a beautiful guitar.
Like the model it is replicating, this Gibson Custom Shop ES-335 '64 Reissue VOS is built with a 3-ply laminated maple and poplar body, with a maple center block. The neck is the classic mahogany Gibson SlimTaper 60s C, with a long tenon which enhances sustain (Gibson's reputation in this area comes from this design). It is immediately comfortable, does not hinder any movement, and lets the hand slide with great ease. As for the rest, it's still Gibson's tried-and-true standards: Kluson tuners, ABR-1 bridge, Switchcraft connectors, and rectangular fretboard markers.
The pickups are now the brand's flagship when it comes to recreating the PAF tone. Two unpotted Custombucker Alnico III deliver sounds that live up to the claims: these pickups have an ultra blues-rock-hard sound that is thick and creamy in the neck position, biting and fierce in the bridge position, and almost funky on the middle position. We spent an hour on this guitar, which is a very good sign.
2-year warranty from our workshop.
