Need some 335 wisdom please...

ellwood

Folks.

Have been offered a 2003 Nashville 335. It's all lovely and flamey. Has classic 57s and a hardcase. But I know bugger all about the hollow stuff. Is Nashville better than Memphis? What sort of value am I looking at in reasonably good nick, but looks like a fret dress wouldn't hurt.

Thanks in advance..

Teyeplayer

Mate just play it, if it sings do the deal. You CANNOT beat a good 335.

meltedbuzzbox

Teyeplayer said:

Mate just play it, if it sings do the deal. You CANNOT beat a good 335.

You can, it's called a 345 :-p

Teyeplayer

meltedbuzzbox said:

Teyeplayer said:

Mate just play it, if it sings do the deal. You CANNOT beat a good 335.

You can, it's called a 345 :-p

Yeah and I ignored a nice bigsby equipped 355 too!

Jimbro66

Nashville v Memphis 335s tends to bring up the same old arguments: “They’re all made in the same factory”, etc. When I was looking around for a good 335 a few years ago the Nashville models were then a cut above the Memphis ones. Just better built and more pleasing to play (and more expensive). In more recent years the quality of Memphis 335s has improved and I’m not even sure there are Nashville models now. I’m not a fan of Classic 57s but some guys love them. The Nashville 335s moved to Custom Buckers which I personally prefer and are in a similar ballpark to the current Memphis MHS buckers.

Going back a couple of years £3k+ was being asked for used Nashville 335s in good condition but, perhaps due to the improvement in Memphis models, maybe £2700 - £2800 is reasonable now for a really good example? Let’s see what others think.....

Chalky

@ellwood - what price are asking? I'm assuming its a flamey 335 dot from early 2000s?

ellwood

Chalky said:

@ellwood - what price are asking? I'm assuming its a flamey 335 dot from early 2000s?

Yep. 03 flamey and looks nice. Needs a fret dress. Being valued around £1900...

Jimbro66

ellwood said:

Chalky said:

@ellwood - what price are asking? I'm assuming its a flamey 335 dot from early 2000s?

Yep. 03 flamey and looks nice. Needs a fret dress. Being valued around £1900...

If that's a genuine Nashville custom shop 335 you've got a bargain BUT I've seen a number of 335s for sale claiming to be Nashville CS which weren't. Do you have a serial number?

The way Gibson over-uses the term Custom Shop causes a lot of confusion and misrepresentation unfortunately.

Chalky

Jimbro66 said:

ellwood said:

Chalky said:

@ellwood - what price are asking? I'm assuming its a flamey 335 dot from early 2000s?

Yep. 03 flamey and looks nice. Needs a fret dress. Being valued around £1900...

If that's a genuine Nashville custom shop 335 you've got a bargain BUT I've seen a number of 335s for sale claiming to be Nashville CS which weren't. Do you have a serial number?

The way Gibson over-uses the term Custom Shop causes a lot of confusion and misrepresentation unfortunately.

I think you are confusing today's situation with the situation back in 2003. Nashville makes very very few 335s today, say 1% compared to Memphis. 15 years ago Nashville made a much higher percentage, and they were not all Custom Shop back then.

@ellwood, I'm guessing it doesn't have a COA so it would be a standard model? If so, I'd say that price it a bit toppy if it needs work. As a private seller I'd say they'd be pleased to get £1800 for one in very good nick, so maybe £1600-1700 for one that needs work.

(I'd be very pleased to get £1900 for mine, a flamey Nashville 2001 that needs no work and has a nice low action)

ellwood

Jimbro66 said:

ellwood said:

Chalky said:

@ellwood - what price are asking? I'm assuming its a flamey 335 dot from early 2000s?

Yep. 03 flamey and looks nice. Needs a fret dress. Being valued around £1900...

If that's a genuine Nashville custom shop 335 you've got a bargain BUT I've seen a number of 335s for sale claiming to be Nashville CS which weren't. Do you have a serial number?

The way Gibson over-uses the term Custom Shop causes a lot of confusion and misrepresentation unfortunately.

Serial number confirms it as a Nashville, April 25th, 2003- but it has never been termed as a Custom Shop. The deal is going ahead so we will see if it is as good as it seems tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the input!

Jimbro66

Chalky said

I think you are confusing today's situation with the situation back in 2003. Nashville makes very very few 335s today, say 1% compared to Memphis. 15 years ago Nashville made a much higher percentage, and they were not all Custom Shop back then.

My comments regarding current used value were in respect of Nashville CS models. If the one being offered to @ellwood is not CS then I agree that £16k - £17k for one needing work and in average condition is about right.

£19k should buy a recent Memphis 335 which are pretty good judging by the ones I have tried - but now selling for close to £3k new!

JerkMoans

Jimbro66 said:

My comments regarding current used value were in respect of Nashville CS models. If the one being offered to @ellwood is not CS then I agree that £16k - £17k for one needing work and in average condition is about right.

£19k should buy a recent Memphis 335 which are pretty good judging by the ones I have tried ...

Feck!  @ellwood has bagged a bargain.  Again!

wesker123

Jimbro66 said:

Chalky said

I think you are confusing today's situation with the situation back in 2003. Nashville makes very very few 335s today, say 1% compared to Memphis. 15 years ago Nashville made a much higher percentage, and they were not all Custom Shop back then.

My comments regarding current used value were in respect of Nashville CS models. If the one being offered to @ellwood is not CS then I agree that £16k - £17k for one needing work and in average condition is about right.

£19k should buy a recent Memphis 335 which are pretty good judging by the ones I have tried - but now selling for close to £3k new!

19K WTF! 

ellwood

Well, £1900 was what the chap trading it in valued it at...not necessarily what it will owe me. I think we are all roughly in the same space...

Jimbro66

wesker123 said:

Jimbro66 said:

Chalky said

I think you are confusing today's situation with the situation back in 2003. Nashville makes very very few 335s today, say 1% compared to Memphis. 15 years ago Nashville made a much higher percentage, and they were not all Custom Shop back then.

My comments regarding current used value were in respect of Nashville CS models. If the one being offered to @ellwood is not CS then I agree that £16k - £17k for one needing work and in average condition is about right.

£19k should buy a recent Memphis 335 which are pretty good judging by the ones I have tried - but now selling for close to £3k new!

19K WTF! 

LOL. Looks like I missed out the decimal points. Mind you, Gibson prices are heading that way.

ellwood

https://imgur.com/gallery/zDffi

Teyeplayer

Definitely need to get over to try this one!!

markj

I’ve got a 2013 Memphis made  quilt es335. It’s superbly made and plays and sounds great. I tried a Nashville made es335 side by side with mine when I bought it. Honestly couldn’t tell any difference in build quality and tone. I’m not a lover of the classic 57 pickups that Gibson fit so these had to go.

ellwood

Well it has arrived. And, from the 30 mins of noodling I managed before heading for that there London village it seems nice enough. Needs a bloody good clean but frets aren’t as bad as I thought from the pics. 

Need some more time with it - a quick early
morning half an hour hasn’t really put me in a position to know whether I like it or not. It feels like I should sort of give it a go - lots of people who’s opinion I respect have advised me to give a 335 a go. We’ll see.

Thanks for all of the input - I’ll let you know how it goes.