1985 Gibson Custom Shop ES-335 Dot Reissue! SOLD!
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Here's an incredible Custom Shop ES-335 with tons of vibe and mojo! During the early 80s, Gibson was looking to get back to basics and return to the original 335 formula. Fast forward 20 some years and these guitars have become super popular. This one was built in the Custom Shop making it even more desirable than a stock model. I’ve heard some dealers call these Custom Shop guitars 1959 reissues. The body is laminated flame maple with a maple sustain block. Have a look at the figure on the wood. Very, very nice. The mahogany neck features a bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays. The pickups are original Patent Applied For sticker 57 Classic reissues. The stickers are still on the pickup rings. Grover Rotomatic tuners, a Stopbar tailpiece and Tuneomatic bridge round out the hardware. The finish is a gorgeous vintage sunburst which has yellowed nicely over the years. What a great looking guitar!
This ES-335 would make a great addition to most any gear arsenal. Plays great and has nice tone. Typical 80s neck carve with good action. The 57 Classic pickups sound great with nice warmth and articulation. Everything works as it should. Condition wise, this one has the wear you would expect from a 23 year old instrument. Moderate to average pick, clearcoat and belt scratches as well as a few dents and dings. Still very nice looking with a killer vibe you won’t find in a new one. Comes in original black hardshell case which has a broken latch but is still functional.
I’ve been watching the market in recent years on early reissue guitars and seeing some huge growth. Early 80s Fullerton built Fenders and early Gibson Dots have seen huge increases in price over the past few years. The Dots are much harder to find and finding a Custom Shop one like this with nice flame is a one in a million proposition. There’s nothing out on the market like this. Some of the big vintage dealer guys are asking $3500-4000.00 for plain, non Custom Shop 82 Dots or even block marker 335’s! With the cost of a new blonde figured top approaching $3200.00 and Historic Reissues coming in at close to $4500.00, you can see what a value these are. You’ll be hard pressed to find a 335, new or old, with the vibe of this one.
