• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Memphis guitars.. how consistent?

StSpider

Active member
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
2,148
So, I stumbled upon a great sounding 2018 ES355 with Bigsby while on vacation. Fell in love woth it but it’s not the right time for me to buy. I loved the tone and expecially loved the neck carve, full and so comfortable. I wonder: how consistent are memphis ESs nowadays? Pretty consistent or all over the place?

Because I wonder if I can look for one online in the future and expect to get pretty much the same guitar or if it’s a dice roll..

Thanks guys.
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
No idea! On the positive side though, the last 2 Memphis I bought have been superlative in all ways. A '58 reissue unbound 335 and a 60's vintage 330. VERY impressed.

36788862462_13f2c8ab9c_k.jpg

39166504774_e8fa0522c6_k.jpg
 

StSpider

Active member
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
2,148
Two beauties! I’m expecially fond of unbound necks. Are the humbuckers those new “mhs” ones? I really liked them in the 355.
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
Two beauties! I’m expecially fond of unbound necks. Are the humbuckers those new “mhs” ones? I really liked them in the 355.

Yes they are. And so far I really like them. I have no desire to change them at this point.
 

wmachine

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
303
That;s a loaded question, of course. Let's put it this way, the consensus of owners seems to be the last few years Memphis ES production has been generally excellent. There does seem a relatively wide variation from one to another of the "same thing", but that can be expected due to the nature of the builds of ES models. Yes, some "good to not so good", but most of the variation is just different, not good to bad. Generally good to great, from my observations.
With the CME sale last year, based on the apparent good reviews, I took the plunge and bought a bunch. Glad I did, not a bad one in the lot.
Here's my 355 type representative, a BK Lucille.
xN7AhfK3G4CKNBKHlLWXWQ6yeSVPOnLj6yxznpBmpuOGW-NFT45oZa21Oucrg9bzLEGwXBmaZbajxrGJXC546B4-WDo71Vamj291ruONp6OkxrQno0Me1YjBY0Bj4z2fN5BtJRao2nJ9VozHaXdWH7bB1r2qcM_KYVwE76ANlrS8zQoN6SLiLjMaw1M_sjWuz-vuUhtEf8RYHYvIHI17XNzYPEH-S23ISdEsEJVhER1dsYz54LymkppI8VRX5BgL7oa_NepSyX-IMRy2vx1WcFJ2clD5UWWceEMFDtDJ8MsxOZtFCmxa7AmcuqbN5GMxT3pzM2Evee6MYqXBth7OmDcw9iDPCFulMoBQyrUZ6DGJscB1DeUowMKdtCx3E3bgFnFcExZialMU7vXzpW_xe3HuLqXmOnEJvGdjLCeFXx7j9MiJKyLnKyuPm98tIlte9xioCexyG0Sp5gkAQmPs5_Mw0I-5yCiEUctzXOSyd49t3MtMKfvRO_PCN94XZUMhc67GxsKX7VPJPFcv2IDGDxORD8pzEayn59HJ2g7HOE1Zexixt3lHOM4iF1TpCEZtoSYIg4ibAVJeCh90QyMKA34qRqmEZOm_ZWSsVsh3sPMsswoieIts0rybmNmBjpomSpMqbtGpMz4JvkI5sZRVEFciL4tidh8p=w176-h315-no
 

deytookerjaabs

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
ES models can vary quite a bit in tone/feel IMO but that has no bearing on quality. It's a production Gibson, it's not like they stress test then weigh each neck blank, keep the center blocks & veneerings within 2oz's of each other, and do other boutique-ey things to make all the guitars within specific parameters. So, yeah, I'd suggest try before buy but all the ones I played in person I dug, albeit some models more than others. My favorite for looks are the '58's but my favorite for the tonez have been the '63's for some reason.
 

Dothedew

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
220
I currently own three reissues (2015 '64 345 TDC mono, 2016 '63 335 TDN, 2017 '58 335) and they are all top notch instruments. I wouldn't hesitate to say a Memphis reissue will be very similar/consistent to another within the same model, but between models the appointments/specs vary quite a bit.
 

mdubya

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
1,020
I have a 2013 ES 330 VOS, a 2014 ES 335 Dot Reissue, a 2015 ES LP, and a 2018 '59 ES 335 RI.

The 330 is just plain sublime.

The 2014 335 is an excellent guitar in its own right. A true favorite.

The ES LP and the '59 RI both had heavier than I would have preferred VOS "treatment" but with a little bit of clean up, they are both really sweet guitars. I got both from the CME "blowout" sale. I would not have bought either at full price. But they really are very, very nice guitars.

The cleaned up '59 RI and the 330 are stellar examples of the high level Memphis is capable of churning out.

Even if buying "online" you can still call whichever retailer it is and ask specific questions about the actual guitar.

All four of the above were bought online in exactly that way.
 

Pellman73

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2016
Messages
1,762
So, I stumbled upon a great sounding 2018 ES355 with Bigsby while on vacation. Fell in love woth it but it’s not the right time for me to buy. I loved the tone and expecially loved the neck carve, full and so comfortable. I wonder: how consistent are memphis ESs nowadays? Pretty consistent or all over the place?

Because I wonder if I can look for one online in the future and expect to get pretty much the same guitar or if it’s a dice roll..

Thanks guys.

no dice roll here. Warren Haynes 335. They made 500... you should be able to find one. its a really good guitar! most who own one call em keepers. its a keeper for me. Killer!

http://
 

Shakey

New member
Joined
Dec 10, 2016
Messages
103
Love my 63' RI, I'll echo what most people here are saying, in my experience once you get into the RI stuff the quality from guitar to guitar is pretty top notch I personally have never played a bad one. However I would caution that they do vary a lot, the feel and tone can vary a lot from guitar to guitar not bad or good, different and depending on what it it is that you want in the guitar is going to affect if you like it or not.

I'd also like to say the while the stock guitars are stellar I did make a few modifications I swapped out the stock MHS pickups for a set of OX4's medium wind A4's which sound great. I loved the sound of the stock neck pickup bu I always found the bridge pickup to sound a little muted, muffly and a little over compressed hence the change and the OX4's really do it for me! It really made the guitar sing, loads more top end transients that just weren't there before and man the harmonic feedback is a dream! The other change was to get rid of the stock nylon saddles for a set of nickle plated brass ones which again added some subtle refinements, more sustain for one and it added again a bit more fidelity in the top end it also gave the back pickup more twangage (is that a word?). I hope this helps!
 

Progrocker111

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
I have a different experience... :hmm

I have had 3 so far and they can vary very significantly in quality of construction.

By far the worst one was the 2015 63 Wildwood spec reissue, that was a real mess with wrongly shaped nut, wrongly positioned neck and very sloppy cut f-holes etc. Here is the thread about it:

https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/...phis-quality-control-F-d-up-63-ES335-Wildwood

That guitar was the worst Gibson i ever had or tried.

Other two ones i had were ok, but still not excellent, so i would never buy one unseen or unplayed.

Nashville Historics have better build quality than Memphis production from my experience.
 

Grog

Active member
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
562
I have no complaints about the two ES Les Pauls I bought. The bass was new & the guitar was slightly used. Both were quality builds.
 

reddeluxe

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Messages
82
I think generally the ES Memphis division guitars are quite consistent for the models in each particular line. You should be aware that for example, a standard Memphis Dot and a Freddie King signature model ES 345 are going to be built with a different set of specs, manufacturing techniques, and cosmetic/playability standards for those particular models, but the instruments in each line are going to be consistent with the others in the same line. Any of the limited edition or re issue models are going to have different neck profiles and detail specifications, depending on what year model they are replicating/emulating. I have no doubt as with any mass produced product, there is a range of acceptable quality standards and you can always find the inferior example that somehow gets through all the QC checks. That's one reason you are paying a premium price...if there are defects, you can use the warranty to have the guitar repaired or replaced. I think there is confusion also in that there may be slight variations in year to year production specs of the same model....as in the current 1963 re issue 335 may have a slightly different set of specs (and neck profile) than the same re issue '63 model from 3 years ago....you can't compare them directly. Kind of like the yearly variations in the original Golden Era 3x5 guitars as they progressed from '58 up through the late '60's. I own a re issue "64 ES 345 that compares favorably with several early '60's 3x5s that I have owned, in feel, fit and finish, playability, and sound. Having said that, no two instruments are going to be identical by their nature, and there were good, not so good, and great instruments back in the early days, just as today. BTW, I like the MHS spec pickups, though that is a very subjective personal call. I also favor the ABR 1 bridge with titanium saddles.
 

1jamman

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
610
IMO , Quality standards on an overall aspect , has improved since ~ 2013 . I have 3 Memphis made 3X5's made 2013 -2015 . I wouldn't have bought or kept them if they weren't at least good guitars . The ES-345 I got ,imo is a good guitar , but not as good as the 2013 '59 RI Blister top or the 2015 '63 RI .... Those are the stuff .... in every way , imo . So they get played much more then the 345 ....But the 345 is still a keeper ...
2 out of 3 ain't bad ..... LOL!!!

I'd say ,,,, Jump on 1 that calls to you .

I still would have in the back of my mind , What any 1 stores return policy is . Just in case a guitar you purchase doesn't work for you . Better to pay shipping both ways , rather then getting stuck with a guitar that doesn't work for you .

FYI . WW has a WH listed in the Used section .....
 

zhivago

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
1,417
I just got a 2015 ES345 '64RI, and I am blown away by it. :salude

The guitar feels and sounds absolutely great..I am not too hot on the pots, but that can be rectified.


20180915010519-a0af1db6-me.jpg
 

mdubya

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
1,020
I just got a 2015 ES345 '64RI, and I am blown away by it. :salude

The guitar feels and sounds absolutely great..I am not too hot on the pots, but that can be rectified.


20180915010519-a0af1db6-me.jpg

:bug

What a beauty.
 
Top