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Wanted: Memphis ES335 '63 Cherry
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Hi all
I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place, but I'm searching for a Memphis '63 ES335 in Cherry. Factory Bigsby is not an issue if you are interested in selling!
Some nice patterns in the wood is great, but not flamed ("plain" only like the attached image)
Let me know if you have one and you are interested in parting with it!
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Lovely one right here https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/204327/gibson-63-es-335-ryder-sg-fender-american-vintage-59-strat#latest
It seems both Reverb and eBay are somewhat dormant with regards to ES-335s coming up for sale, so a bit of detective work and searching for guitars that aren't advertised may be the route to take
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
The reason I'm after a 335 is as a replacement for a Cherry '68 ES-335 that I let go of about 5 years ago. The neck profile on that guitar was slightly too thin for me. The '63 RIs I've tried in a friend's collection have been a good fit, but unfortunately they're not selling!
Looking at how prices on the late '60s ESs have developed in the last few years compared to what I sold it for, I should have held on to the '68 a little longer!
I dropped into Andertons on Sunday to have a look at a figured ES-335 they had in stock as I wanted to see how it played. As I walked through the shop, a selection of Heritage guitars on the wall caught my eye on the way to the test room and I brought a Heritage H530 (P90s like an ES330) into the booth, very much out of curiosity, along with the Gibson. The Gibson ES felt quite stiff and lifeless, and the necks on both the Gibson and the H530 felt ever so slightly too chunky despite measuring thinner than some guitars I own. Maybe the profiles were just a bit too full...
On the way back out of the test booth to speak to Paul (the Andertons rep who helped me in an extremely professional and genuinely interested manner), I spotted an Antique (Blonde) Heritage H535 with a lightly figured top sitting on a display that I completely missed the first time around, as part of a trio of Blonde Heritage models (the other two being big body archtops). While Paul was taking the aforementioned measurements of the necks on the Gibson and H530, I had a little unplugged noodle on the Blonde H535 and it was immediately apparent that it was a different animal to the others. The neck was ever so slightly slimmer - probably negligible if measured, but enough to make a difference - and bending notes felt much cleaner with more high end "zing" and a "drier" more focused bottom end, not muted or softened like the Gibson. Taking the H535 to the booth to plug it in, and in much the same way as when I played it unplugged, I knew within a minute that it was good, even through an unfamiliar amp.
Within 2 minutes of going into the booth, I was back on the shop floor and doing the deal with Paul. As an added bonus, there is not a single thing I can fault with the build quality of the Heritage, or any of the other Heritage guitars I saw/handled on display.
I started out at the end of April looking for a Cherry Red Gibson ES-335 without figuring, and ended up with a Blonde Heritage H535 with figuring! Life works in mysterious ways!
Thank you to everyone who sent tips/got in touch in my search, it is much appreciated! This was a curveball I was not expecting, but there's something special that happens when you pick up a guitar you've never played before and it feels like one you've owned for years. No icebreakers needed here!
I'll get some pics taken once the weather eases up!
Glad you found the Heritage, they're cool guitars.