Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1959 ES-355 Reissue Stopbar Light Aged Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar Watermelon Red

The Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1959 ES-335 Reissue is a historically accurate semi-hollowbody that looks and sounds like it was made over 60 years ago. Eric Clapton played a ’59 during his blues tour; this ES-335 has the same woody honk, but it’s versatile enough for any genre. To build the guitar, Gibson spent an entire year examining original examples. They chemically recreated plastics and reverse-engineered lacquer formulas, nailing down every last detail. Lightly aged by the Murphy Lab, the Custom Shop 1959 ES-335 would be a welcome addition to anyone’s collection. It’s available now at Guitar Center.

Gibson Custom Murphy Lab 1959 ES-335 Main Features

• 3-ply maple/poplar/maple body with Light aging
• Mahogany neck with 1959 medium C-shape, Indian Rosewood fretboard
• Dual Alnico III CustomBuckers (unpotted), 3-way switch
• ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge, aluminum stopbar tailpiece, Kluson single line, single-ring tuners

’59 ES-335 Construction

When Gibson President Ted McCarty cooked up the ES-335, his goal was to make an acoustic-looking guitar that sounded like a solidbody. The 3-ply maple/poplar/maple construction is lightweight like an acoustic; a solid maple center block reduces feedback, but doesn’t eliminate it. Use that as an opportunity to harness the feedback musically, like famed Gibson players Freddie King, Alvin Lee and Alex Lifeson.

Chunky Mahogany Neck

The solid mahogany neck has an authentic 1959 medium C shape—a chunkier profile than ’60s models. The long tenon joint is set with period-correct hide glue. Medium-jumbo frets facilitate big bends on the Indian rosewood fretboard.

Authentic Electronics

When the ES-335 was first released, Gibson said the PAF pickup was “essential for clear, sparkling, sustaining tone.” These Alnico III CustomBuckers capture the exact same magic. Unpotted, they’re topped with authentic profile nickel silver covers. The handwired harness uses CTS 500K pots and paper-in-oil capacitors.

Timeless Hardware

All of the hardware on the ’59 ES 335 reissue matches original specs, from the ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge and the aluminum stop bar tailpiece to the Kluson single line, single-ring tuners. Each piece is lightly aged by the Murphy Lab.

Light Aged Finish

Master Artisan Tom Murphy was instrumental in the creation of Gibson Custom Shop. For the last 25 years, he’s perfected the art of aging guitars. Using his techniques, the Murphy Lab applies a light aging to this Gibson. You’ll see dings, pick trails, finish flaking and worn edges all over the body. The end result is a guitar that appears used—but not abused—after 60 years of playing.

The Gibson Custom Murphy Lab ES-335 Reissue comes with a certificate of authenticity and a brown/pink Lifton reissue 5-latch case.