Has anyone ordered a custom shop ES style guitar lately?

Benis · Jul 25, 2019

I'm looking into getting a Wildwood Spec ES-335 style guitar soon, however I was notified that the machinery over in Nashville has not been put in place yet to accept orders. Just wondering if this has been an issue for anyone else ordering semi-hollows or archtops as of late.

wmachine · Jul 26, 2019

Not an answer to your question, but Gibson has already said that the ES production from Memphis will be split in Nashville. The upper end models like the Reissues will be made in the Custom Shop. The more regular models will be made in the USA production area. It should be understood without saying that this means the assembly and finish. There is only one set of equipment to actually make the bodies.
So if "the equipment" has not been set up yet, I assume that applies to all models no matter where they are "made".

AA00475Bassman · Jul 26, 2019

I really like the Memphis ES guitars I own really hope they keep the torch burning , never thought much of the Nashville ES guitars !!!

Progrocker111 · Jul 28, 2019

AA00475Bassman said:
I really like the Memphis ES guitars I own really hope they keep the torch burning , never thought much of the Nashville ES guitars !!!

I have the exact opposite experience, i have had many Memphis ESs and the attention to detail and production quality is much better on Nashville reissues. Nerly all Memphis guitars i ever had were with some kind of flaws or imperfections. :hmm

mdubya · Jul 29, 2019

The only thing I could wish to see "improved" on my 4 Memphis ES guitars would be to change the finish to something harder and which would age.

I am very happy to own guitars from that "golden" ES period.

I look forward to seeing the next phase. They have their work cut out to match or improve upon the Memphis phase.

TM1 · Aug 12, 2019

I was told last week that the body presses have not been setup yet in Nashville, so no tops, backs and side can be made until they do..

AA00475Bassman · Aug 12, 2019

mdubya said:
The only thing I could wish to see "improved" on my 4 Memphis ES guitars would be to change the finish to something harder and which would age.

I am very happy to own guitars from that "golden" ES period.

I look forward to seeing the next phase. They have their work cut out to match or improve upon the Memphis phase.

My 2014 ES 345 has cracked a lot on the finish .

Benis · Aug 13, 2019

TM1 said:
I was told last week that the body presses have not been setup yet in Nashville, so no tops, backs and side can be made until they do..

Hey thanks for the reply. Were you given a rough ETA on when they expect to have it up and running? Based on the news that I've been reading, it seems as though they won't be accepting any orders until next year...

Melodyman · Aug 13, 2019

TM1 said:
I was told last week that the body presses have not been setup yet in Nashville, so no tops, backs and side can be made until they do..

What have they been using to make the Custom Shop ES' all these years?

Hopeful they will use this opportunity to reshape the tops to be more accurate to resemble the early 60's topography..

wmachine · Aug 13, 2019

Melodyman said:
What have they been using to make the Custom Shop ES' all these years?

Hopeful they will use this opportunity to reshape the tops to be more accurate to resemble the early 60's topography..

As one could deduce, bodies were made in Memphis and sent to the Custom Shop for finishing.

mdubya · Aug 14, 2019

AA00475Bassman said:
My 2014 ES 345 has cracked a lot on the finish .

Good to hear. My 2014 Dot Reissue is gloss and the finish is pretty thick, but if t starts to check, it will be welcome.

My 2018 is VOS. Will need a few years, maybe.

I've had my 2015 ES LP VOS since 2017. No checking as of yet.

TinyBabyBrandon · Sep 10, 2019

AA00475Bassman said:
My 2014 ES 345 has cracked a lot on the finish .

Did you recently acquire said 345? I ask because I shipped my 2014 345 through Reverb and the bone head who got the guitar didn't let it acclimate resulting in some finish checking around the bridge and knob areas. He made a stink about it and reverb ended up buying the guitar. It was a sunburst with a pink lifton style case which was rare for these 59 reissue 345's. I'd be interested if you ended up with the guitar. It was a pretty good one. And it's the only checking I've ever seen on one of these recent models.

AA00475Bassman · Sep 10, 2019

Not me ! Ive had mine for three years bought from local dealer !!

Trans-Am · Sep 10, 2019

I almost bit the dust in one of the '63 Ri I got to try out here locally but I just couldn't swallow the price asking for them. Makes it even harder although there is quite a range available here for you to try out it's a hit and miss really as some of them would probably need tweaking and making sure that it's at playable state w/o tuning issues and neck adjustment etc.

Turns me off that when you grab one from the rack it's hanging from it sure is a sight to be seen and hold but when you grip the neck for feel and strum for the very first time and it's F'ing out of tune etc? Wow!! Here we go.

I don't expect so much anymore as i will just tune it and see how it sounds and play and so you grab the Olive Drab model from the hanging rack and it's so so as well all the way down to the Traditional down to the Dot.

But this Studio Memphis in deep Wine Red model called out to me instead so the rest is history here lads!:yah I've learned all throughout my hunt is that just because it's this price and that doesn't mean you get what you pay for in the end really with the rest costing almost 3 times if not more.:hmm

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/64345569@N03/48691241851/in/photostream/" title="IMG_2691"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48691241851_fb40cf1ded_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_2691"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

E.M. · Sep 13, 2019

Progrocker111 said:
I have the exact opposite experience, i have had many Memphis ESs and the attention to detail and production quality is much better on Nashville reissues. Nerly all Memphis guitars i ever had were with some kind of flaws or imperfections. :hmm

Same, I had a Memphis ES-335 and a '64 reissue ES-345, and quality on both were subpar. Couldn't keep the neck straight on the 335, and the frets on the 345 weren't right.

I've have two Gibson Custom 335s and both were exceptional.

Trans-Am · Sep 13, 2019

I guess it all depends on the day of the week and what is available, whose working or checking QA.:hmm

Both Memphis/Nashville I reckon will have a hit and miss production day, although the Memphis made have been pretty much on top of their game as of late. It remains to be seen who from the both plant will really stand out, doesn't matter if it's Custom Shop or the regular run made in USA Gibson.

eace2

Overall I would say that Gibson is still up there when it comes to producing top to bottom starters. I am being positive here fella's.:laugh2:

Has anyone ordered a custom shop ES style guitar lately?

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