Sold - 2003 Gibson ES333 Natural £1500 - Sold - Epiphone Wilshire £230

Teleguide · March 11

2003 Gibson ES333 in natural, great condition, inc Gibson brown hardcase.

Being a huge Steve Marriott I always fancied a nice natural ES335 like he used in his latter years.
I had a look at a few standards, custom shops models and even a Rusty Anderson but none really did it for me.
I stumbled upon this one and loved it from the off, it's basically a ES335 but without the headstock overlay and a very useful control panel on the back. I am not sure why all ES guitars don't come with this, it just makes it so much easier to change pickups etc.
This one suffers from a little lacquer lifting on the headstock, from research this is quite common on late 90's early noughties Gibsons, it never bothered me enough to get it sorted, it kind of goes with the story of the guitar.
Neck is quite a skinny 60's profile and sports a very nice dark rosewood fingerboard.
Pickups covers and pickguard added before I purchased, presumably to make it a little more ES335 in appearance.
With the back access panel, pickup and harness changes are very quick and easy, no fishing wires and pots through the F-holes.
As far as I can tell all parts are original apart from the gold knobs, the original black knobs will be included in sale.
Collection from the Southampton / Portsmouth area preferred, could meet at a reasonable distance.

Teleguide · March 11

Sorry, only let me add a few pics.

Teleguide · March 11

Teleguide · March 11

stickyfiddle · March 11

That's gorgeous!

Teleguide · March 11

stickyfiddle said:

That's gorgeous!

Thank you

Teyeplayer · March 11

Very nice and a good price too. Best of luck with the sale.

Teleguide · March 11

Teyeplayer said:

Very nice and a good price too. Best of luck with the sale.

Thank you, yeh I didn't really know how to price it, sometimes you see "pie in the sky" pricing but it hangs around for so long.
Let put it this way, if I wanted another one and saw this for £1500 I would defiantly buy it!

stickyfiddle · March 11

Honestly if I was in the UK I'd be looking up directions to the south coast already..!

Teleguide · March 12

Added 2021 Epiphone Wilshire in cherry.

As previously stated, I am a huge Marriott fan and when Epiphone reissued the Coronet/Wilshire/Crestwood in the 3x3 headstock and symmetrical body shape I knew I had to have one.

Looked everywhere for a Coronet but there were none available so with a impatient click I purchased this Epiphone Wilshire.

I thought it may quench my thirst until I found a Coronet.

That it did and turned out to be a very respectable guitar indeed. I was intending just to hang it up on the wall and look at it but it became the guitar I used to reach for more than others.

Quite a chunky neck profile, very nice sounding P90’s 2-piece mahogany body, one piece mahogany neck and nickel hardware, its actually a really nice guitar.

I knocked the overly shiny finish back a little, replaced the wiring harness with a Six String Supplies SG harness and it was good to go.

I have had different tuners on at one point, and a extra strap button on the horn ( holes filled )

So I managed to find a Coronet a while later, changed EVERYTHING on it but it still doesn’t sound and play as well as the Wilshire! Oh well, the Coronet is THE Marriott guitar so I am keeping that.

I have no case or gig bag for it but I do have the original inner and outer shipping boxes.