1988 Gibson ES-335 Dot Blonde

Very good condition featuring double cutaway laminated maple semi-hollow body, two f-holes, white binding on the top and back of the body, two original Gibson humbucking pickups with black pickup surrounds, multi-ply black and white pickguard with metal bracket, wired ABR bridge, stop tailpiece, two volume controls and two tone controls with gold bonnet knobs, three way toggle switch, mahogany neck, bound Indian rosewood fretboard with pearl dot inlays starting at the third fret, original bone nut, black headstock overlay with Gibson and crown pearl inlays, bell shaped multi-ply truss rod cover, Grover Rotomatic tuning machines, natural finish, and hard shell case.

This 1988 Gibson ES-335 Dot is in very good cosmetic condition. This instrument has been well loved and played a lot over the last 35 years and it shows signs of use, age and play wear throughout including some finish checking, some small dings and scratches throughout, tarnishing of the nickel plated metal hardware, some wear around the peghead face, a chip on the corner wing of the peghead, and some play wear on the back of the neck and on the front of the body beside the pickguard (see photos). This 335 has a spectacular feeling medium rounded neck profile with a 1 11/16” nut width. This neck is not overly chunky and is not slim - it’s right in between and it feels like an old worn-in glove. The original fret wire shows some play wear but is in good shape with lots of life left. This guitar plays outstanding up and down the rosewood fingerboard with low smooth action and excellent intonation. The fingerboard was scalloped on the treble side on the last six frets - it’s nearly impossible to notice from the front view so I photographed it from the side (see photos). This was done well and it honestly makes those frets in the upper register completely easy to use for bends! The original wiring harness is untouched and is in excellent working order. Both original Gibson “Shaw” humbuckers are present and sound absurdly good. This guitar sounds exactly the way a well seasoned ES-335 should - woody, hollow and articulate with plenty of bite and plenty of round, buttery low end when you need it. These pickups are perfectly balanced. There’s definitely a reason that this instrument was played to death... it’s a monster! If you are searching for an absolutely killer 335 with loads of character and an unbeatable vibe, then you might want to consider this old blonde Dot. This guitar will be shipped out promptly and securely from our little shop here in Tennessee to your front door in an aftermarket hard shell case that fits like a glove.