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Nut width on unbound necks like Memphis '58 ES335 ?

Red Rogue

Active member
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
166
Is it common, that the nut width of the unbound '58 ES 335 are narrow than the bound necks?

I´ve bought a 58 Historic ES 335 from 2016. Great guitar! The neck feels nice, but I noticed a different nut width (1.65"/42mm) instead of 1.687"/42,8mm that Gibson is saying in their descriptions.
I`ve talked to another owner of that 58 Series, who had the same smaller nut width.
Seems like Gibson is using the same fretboards for both series and just leave the binding.

What about your `58 ES 335 or maybe Juniors or other unbound Gibsons?
 

wmachine

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
303
Is it common, that the nut width of the unbound '58 ES 335 are narrow than the bound necks?

I´ve bought a 58 Historic ES 335 from 2016. Great guitar! The neck feels nice, but I noticed a different nut width (1.65"/42mm) instead of 1.687"/42,8mm that Gibson is saying in their descriptions.
I`ve talked to another owner of that 58 Series, who had the same smaller nut width.
Seems like Gibson is using the same fretboards for both series and just leave the binding.

What about your `58 ES 335 or maybe Juniors or other unbound Gibsons?

I don't know where you are finding your descriptions, but the Gibson website has the '58 Reissue listing a "4.3358 cm / 1.707" wide nut. And they've been reported to have wide necks.
 

Red Rogue

Active member
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
166

wmachine

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
303
I found this on the Gibson site:

1.687"

http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/E...Memphis/1958-ES-335-Premiere-Limited-Run.aspx


At the moment, there seems to be no actual ES 335 1958, 1959... I don`t find them on their HP.:hmm

Right. That link is for the 2018 model. So you have the 2016 '58 at 1.707 and the 2018 '58 at 1.687. Both unbound necks, so I don't know where you think bindings have anything to do with it. I find a more pressing question is why do 2 reissues of the same year have substantially different nut widths? Which one is more authentic?
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
My 2014 `63 block inlay ES-335TDC has a width of 1.70". My 1960 Melody Maker has the same width. I know in 1966 Gibson went to a nut width of 1 9/16" inplace of the 1 11/16" width.. I have wide hands so any narrow nut Gibbo's I can't play.
 
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