The Gibson Custom 1958 ES-335 Reissue, Heavy Aged, Watermelon captures the character of one of the most important electric guitars Gibson ever created. Introduced in 1958, the ES-335 was a revolutionary idea for its time, combining the warmth and resonance of a semi-hollow guitar with the sustain, power, and feedback resistance of a solidbody. More than six decades later, the basic recipe remains virtually impossible to improve upon—and this limited-edition Custom Shop version is a particularly cool interpretation of those earliest 335s.
This guitar is part of Gibson Custom's Limited Edition Collection, drawing inspiration from decades of Made to Measure requests and the creativity of the Gibson Custom Shop's Nashville luthiers. The result is a 1958 ES-335 that stays remarkably close to the construction and aesthetic of those first-generation instruments while adding the unmistakable personality of a Murphy Lab Heavy Aged finish.
The body is constructed from a three-ply maple/poplar/maple laminate with single-ply binding on the top and back, just as you'd expect from an early ES-335. A solid maple centerblock runs through the body, providing the sustain and punch of a solidbody while helping keep feedback under control when you're pushing an amplifier. The guitar is finished in a striking Watermelon nitrocellulose lacquer, with the finish and hardware Heavy Aged by the Murphy Lab. The hand-applied checking, wear, and aging give this 335 the feel of a guitar that's spent decades being played rather than one that's simply been made to look old.
The mahogany neck features Gibson's Authentic 1959 profile, giving it a substantial but comfortable feel that suits the character of a vintage 335 beautifully. A long neck tenon contributes to the guitar's resonance and sustain, while the rosewood fingerboard features classic dot inlays, a 12" radius, and reissue medium-jumbo frets. The 24.75" scale length gives the guitar the familiar Gibson feel that makes everything from blues and jazz to rock and soul immediately comfortable.
Custombucker Alnico 3 Pickups
The electronics are equally impressive. A matched pair of Custombucker Alnico 3 humbuckers delivers the open, articulate character associated with the most desirable late-'50s Gibson PAF-style pickups. These aren't overly compressed or aggressive pickups; instead, they have the dynamic response, sweet top end, rich midrange, and complex harmonic character that let your playing and amplifier come through.
With two volume controls, two tone controls, and a three-way pickup selector, you've got the familiar Gibson control layout and an enormous range of usable sounds. Roll the neck pickup back for warm, articulate jazz and blues tones, crank the bridge for bite and sustain, or blend the two for the unmistakable woody, three-dimensional ES-335 sound.
The hardware is appropriately vintage-minded, with an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge, Stop Bar tailpiece, Kluson Deluxe tuners, and nickel-plated hardware throughout. Black plastics and gold Top Hat knobs add just the right amount of contrast to the Watermelon finish, while the headstock features the classic Gibson logo and crown in mother-of-pearl.
There is something especially appealing about an early ES-335. It isn't quite a hollowbody, and it isn't quite a solidbody—it occupies that sweet spot in between, giving you acoustic-like warmth and airiness along with the sustain, authority, and stage-friendly behavior of a solid guitar. This Custom Shop version takes that already brilliant concept and adds Heavy Aged Murphy Lab treatment, Custombucker Alnico 3 pickups, and exceptionally detailed period-inspired construction.
This Limited Edition 1958 ES-335 Reissue comes complete with its Certificate of Authenticity and Lifton reissue hardshell case. If you're a fan of the ES-335, this is a pretty special way to own one: unmistakably vintage in spirit, unmistakably Gibson in tone, and distinctive enough to stand apart from the usual 335.
