Official CS-356 and 336 Registry (post your pics here)

[thewizardofaz]

Today, I got an email from the LPF that clay had uploaded some new photos. Indeed great shots and great subject matter. However in going through the 4 pages I noted that many of the photos that had been uploaded are gone, either to source link inactivity, removal, cancellation https://www.flickr.com/photos/187397...7631055892184/ or change to a link, etc, which is one of the big reasons I do not like having to upload a photo to a third location and then link that location to here. We should be able to upload directly to the group.

[clayville]

Would certainly make life easier for the users, but I bet it's expensive to host. Took me a while to figure out how to post a Flickr photo without all the "footer stuff" they provide with the code... and Thanks!

[jb_abides]

Clay - it never gets old! Thanks

[bma3008]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. Just wanted to share some pics of my newly acquired CS-356 Koa top. I understand it's a rare bird and consider myself lucky to have found one
Her serial # is CS 001815. I wonder how many of these Koa top were made and what is the production years range (?) Thanks in advance for your replies !
Best wishes. Bertrand

[jb_abides]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. Just wanted to share some pics of my newly acquired CS-356 Koa top. I understand it's a rare bird and consider myself lucky to have found one Her serial # is CS 001815. I wonder how many of these Koa top were made and what is the production years range (?) Thanks in advance for your replies !Best wishes. Bertrand

Welcome!

Can't tell you how many or what years, but I remember hanging out with Saul Frank at his shop Centre City Music when he had several koa 356s there! I think it was 2005-7 timeframe. And lefties, too. I couldn't afford one, and have yet to see one pop up for sale.

For a long time Tommy Shaw was top of the website for CC Music with a translucent blue maple top 356! I miss Saul and his commitment to lefty Gibsons.

Enjoy this...

[Cogswell]

Very nice!

[1jamman]

Great looking 356 .....

[clayville]

Nice looking Koa 356 - welcome to the club.
Most of the Koa 356s have come out of special limited runs done for a few of the top-level independent dealers, perhaps 3 to 5 out of 25 made at a time for the likes of now-defunct Centre City and Music Machine a couple of times a year in the mid-2000s and Wildwood or Music Zoo a bit later. There may have been a few for Musician's Friend/Private Reserve at one point. These runs typically include 'exotic' non-standard colors and more rarely exotic woods like quilted maple, koa, or korina. In Wildwood's case they've done non-standard specs - different necks and headstocks, or custom pickups in additions to non-standard woods and colors on runs of 356s and 336s). I'm guessing there probably weren't many more than 15-25 Koa 356s made in a given year, probably less than 200 overall - and very few lately. [But that's just a hunch as a close observer of the model over the last 15 years]

[jb_abides]

Nice looking Koa 356 - welcome to the club.
Most of the Koa 356s have come out of special limited runs done for a few of the top-level independent dealers, perhaps 3 to 5 out of 25 made at a time for the likes of now-defunct Centre City and Music Machine a couple of times a year in the mid-2000s and Wildwood or Music Zoo a bit later. There may have been a few for Musician's Friend/Private Reserve at one point. These runs typically include 'exotic' non-standard colors and more rarely exotic woods like quilted maple, koa, or korina. In Wildwood's case they've done non-standard specs - different necks and headstocks, or custom pickups in additions to non-standard woods and colors on runs of 356s and 336s). I'm guessing there probably weren't many more than 15-25 Koa 356s made in a given year, probably less than 200 overall - and very few lately. [But that's just a hunch as a close observer of the model over the last 15 years]

Great info, Clayville. And as always, yours is the One 356 to rule them all


Here's Tommy Shaw with his CCM 356, posing inside of CCM

[jb_abides]

Mine from the Zoo

[clayville]

Great info, Clayville. And as always, yours is the One 356 to rule them all

I can't remember if I've related this here (so forgive me), but your comment hits so close to "home" and the truth of the matter I might as well: back in the day in my real life, I was the guy in charge of all Tolkien book publishing in the USA leading up to and through the heady movie years for The Lord of the Rings. My CS-356 was bought with bonus money earned from navigating those waters safely for the books and Tolkien's legacy as best I could (I had nothing to do with PJ and the movies themselves, though I once had lunch with Richard Taylor and Sean Astin and did an event with Viggo for the "making of the movie" books we also published). So... I've always called it my Fires of Mount Doom guitar.

[jb_abides]

I can't remember if I've related this here (so forgive me), but your comment hits so close to "home" and the truth of the matter I might as well: back in the day in my real life, I was the guy in charge of all Tolkien book publishing in the USA leading up to and through the heady movie years for The Lord of the Rings. My CS-356 was bought with bonus money earned from navigating those waters safely for the books and Tolkien's legacy as best I could (I had nothing to do with PJ and the movies themselves, though I once had lunch with Richard Taylor and Sean Astin and did an event with Viggo for the "making of the movie" books we also published). So... I've always called it my Fires of Mount Doom guitar.

First I've heard this, and I followed your 356 posts for a while... awesomeness!

[ZZ Not]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum. Just wanted to share some pics of my newly acquired CS-356 Koa top. I understand it's a rare bird and consider myself lucky to have found one
Her serial # is CS 001815. I wonder how many of these Koa top were made and what is the production years range (?) Thanks in advance for your replies !
Best wishes. Bertrand

Welcome to the forum. What way to enter the room! Gorgeous guitar.

[(urlym@ple]

This thread is still alive!!

latest picture on my #14 356 CA she just turn 15.

[IMG][/IMG]

[clayville]

This thread is still alive!!

latest picture on my #14 356 CA she just turn 15.

Happy birthday, sister!
-- Music Machine CS-356 #18

[axeman565758]

My 2018 CS-336 P90 M2M. I really liked the idea of Gibson making an all mahogany 336, but didn't like the wrap tail or the 3-on-a-plate white plastic tuners. I also wanted a HUGE, FAT neck. Here's the result: ABR1 bridge, Grover nickel Rotos and a massive/fat/beefy/big shouldered neck ( as evidenced in the last photo), measuring in at 1.031" at the 1st fret. A true baseball bat neck. I absolutely love this guitar. Another post has the '57 Goldtop R7 I ordered right after receiving this one.

[renderit]

NOW THAT'S A FIDDLE! Love the finish, love the NECK! AWESOME! I love a FAT neck on a 3XX! First dibs if you wanna get rid of it!