10 Interesting Facts About Gibson’s Legendary 335 Electric Guitar
The Gibson ES 335 Semi-Acoustic Electric Guitar is just one of those guitars that conjures up countless exciting memories of my early days, when I became addicted to learning to play the guitar.
Countless bands and performers from the late 50s and 60s seemed to have a guitarist proudly playing these F-hole beauties. Old black and white television clips from shows like Top of the Pops would clearly show the variety of music genres that the 335 guitar could tackle without difficulty. Blues, jazz, pop, and rock ‘n roll were very typical of the musical styles played by guitarists on the Gibson 335.
Here are 10 fascinating facts about this guitar:
1. The Gibson ES 335 was the world’s first commercial semi-acoustic electric guitar.
2. Until 1952, the Gibson organization made only fully hollow body electric guitars. Definitely, these guitars were very often vulnerable to feedback squeaks when played through an amp at higher volume.
3. The 335 is neither a solid body nor a hollow acoustic guitar. A solid block of hardwood runs through the heart of the entire body with hollow sides containing two F-holes that form the acoustic chambers. This served to alleviate the annoying comments.
4. The semi-acoustic style and design was a union of previous designs to create the best of both worlds, in other words, the blend of a solid and traditional acoustic body.
5. The original models used two legendary PAF humbucking guitar pickups. These humbucker pickups were the same as those used in the Les Paul models at the time.
6. The resulting electric guitar was exceptionally adaptable and, as noted above, suited to various genres of music. Renowned performers of various styles of music include: Larry Carlton, Chuck Berry, BB King, Alex Lifeson, Dave Grohl, Lee Ritenour, and Carl Wilson.
7. Production began in 1958 with a base price of $ 267.50.
8. The hardwood used in the construction includes: a solid maple center block with a maple plywood top and bottom, mahogany was used for the guitar neck (maple was used very rarely) and generally the rosewood fingerboard, although sometimes ebony.
9. The most desirable model was the so-called “dot collar” type. These employed dot inlays on the fretboard instead of block inlays. The 1958 and 1959 models with dot inlays and butt tailpieces are considered the best.
10. 1962 saw the deployment of block fingerboard inlays, replacing the dots and also the shape of the double cutaways evolved from the original ‘Mickey Mouse’ design ears to a bit more pointed.
That is all. An excellent ES 335 is truly a pleasure to hold and play and the product is still in production today. It’s really worth trying one out at your local music store, even if it’s just to experience it.
