Up for sale, a 1995 Gibson ES-335 Dot in near-mint, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and hangtags. Produced in an increasingly celebrated period of Gibson production colloquially known as the “good wood” era, this ES-335 Dot represents Gibson’s first solid attempt at recreating the magic of a classic late ‘50s dot neck ES-335, featuring a pair of 57 Classic PAF humbuckers, a lightly figured semi-hollow maple body, and a gloss Cherry nitro lacquer finish. This particular ES-335 Dot was ordered by Gibson’s Japanese distributor Yamano; Gibson’s USA-made guitars distributed via Yamano are often considered to be among their best, featuring the highest quality woods picked for Gibson’s discerning Japanese audience.
The semi-hollow construction results in a lively, resonant acoustic quality, and tonewoods include maple body construction (maple centerblock), a one-piece mahogany neck, and bound rosewood fingerboard. The ‘57 Classic humbuckers are wound in the vein of the original PAF with Alnico II magnet construction, delivering warm, spongy lows, clear trebles, and a tailored midrange, with more focused growl at the bridge and smooth, mellow breadth at the neck, ideal for everything from complex jazz chord voicings to overdriven crunch. This ES-335 Dot weighs 8lbs 13oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Mahogany
-Shape: Slender ‘60s-style C, measuring .820” 1st fret, .925” 12th fret
-Fretboard: Rosewood, dot inlay
-Frets: Medium jumbo, no wear
-Scale Length: 24 3/4”
-Nut: 1 11/16”
-Tuners: Grover Rotomatics
-Serialization: Eight-digit stamp on peghead translates to ‘95
Body Specs:
-Wood: Curly flame maple (maple centerblock)
-Pickups: ‘57 Classic PAF-style humbucker x2
-Controls: Volume x2, Tone x2, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: ABR-1 bridge, stopbar (nickel-plated)
-Plastics: Black bonnet knobs, four-ply pickguard
The gloss Cherry nitro lacquer finish highlights curly flame figuring in the maple, particularly dynamic along the rims and at the lower bout (both top and back). Cosmetic wear is limited to just a few light finish scratches in the clear coat.
The original brown tolex Gibson USA hardshell case is included, along with the Gibson/Yamano hangtags and original Japanese bill of sale, dated to the 8th year of the Heisei era (1996).