Back to navigation


The Classic Semi-hollowbody Electric





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





The Gibson ES-335 is the quintessential Gibson ES (Electric Spanish) guitar. The first “thinline” archtop of its kind, the historic ES-335 is considered the standard for semi-hollowbody guitars to this day. With impeccable sounds across its wide-ranging tonal palette, the ES-335 can be found in the hands of jazz, blues, and rock players all over the globe. For 2020, Gibson brings the ES-335 to you with all the same exquisite craftsmanship and detailed appointments that made the original a smash hit when it was introduced in 1958. And as a central feature, it features a satisfyingly rounded C neck profile that harkens back to Gibson’s vaunted instruments of the late 1950s.





Related Videos: ES-335 Left-handed Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar - Vintage Burst


One of a kind





From its first appearance in 1958, the Gibson ES-335 set an unmatched standard for playability, and today’s ’335 carries on the tradition. The pearloid-inlaid rosewood fingerboard hand-rolled on a rounded C mahogany neck feels incredible and invites hours of playing every time you pick up the instrument. Gibson’s Calibrated T-Type humbucking pickups are paired with the company’s handwired control assembly. The result is the immensely versatile Gibson ES tone that guitarists have craved for over six decades. Precise intonation and tuning stability are provided by Vintage Deluxe tuners with Keystone buttons, paired with a lightweight aluminum ABR-1 bridge and Stopbar tailpiece, anchored by steel thumbwheels and tailpiece studs.





Quality tonewoods, superb electronics





This ’335 also features a 3-ply maple/poplar/maple top and back, while a solid maple center block and a premium mahogany neck make up the rest of the quality tonewoods used in this superb guitar. The center block ? a new concept when it was first seen in '58, gives you the warm tonal characteristics of an archtop jazz guitar along with the sustain and feedback-resistance of a solidbody when playing at higher volumes. For blazing amplified sound, the ES-335 comes with T-Type humbucking pickups and custom tone circuitry, giving you a massive range of stylistic options for performance.





Legendary tone from T-Type humbuckers





Tonal excellence is yours when you plug the Gibson ES-335 into your favorite tube amplifier. Loaded with a pair of calibrated T-Type humbucking pickups, each with its own volume and tone controls, you’ll be able to dial in chiming country tones as easily as savagely distorted rock tones. The neck pickup gives you classic hollowbody-style tones for everything from jazz to dirty blues. Flip to the bridge position, and you’ll command sounds covering everything from bright and clean to raw and mean. The guitar gurus here at Sweetwater all concur: playing this guitar is a sublime experience.





Plek’d frets for optimized playability





Comfort and playability were two of Gibson’s primary concerns when they were designing the ES-335. You’ll be delighted at how this guitar’s rounded C neck profile comfortably fills your hand in just the right way. For your playing pleasure, the rosewood fingerboard is buffed to silky smoothness and bound with rolled edges so no fret ends impede your dexterity. The frets are dressed to perfection using a Plek Pro machine for optimized playability. Typically reserved for top-dollar custom guitars, this process levels the frets with pinpoint precision, providing you with the most playable fretboard you’re likely to own.





Gibson ES-335 Left-handed Semi-hollowbody Electric Guitar Features:


Classic semi-hollowbody electric guitar


3-Ply maple/poplar/maple body construction


Mahogany set neck, Rounded C profile


Rosewood fingerboard with rolled binding


22 Plek’d frets for effortless playability


ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge


Aluminum Stopbar with locking studs


Vintage Deluxe tuners with Keystone Buttons


1.695-inch bone nut, 24.75-inch scale length


Neck- and bridge-position Calibrated T-Type humbucking pickups


2 Volume, 2 Tone controls, 3-way pickup selector toggle switch


Handwired with 500K potentiometers and Orange Drop capacitors


Nickel hardware; black Top Hat knobs with silver reflectors