2020 64 reissue ES 335's..

TM1 · Jul 5, 2020

I got one of the Cherry ones a week an a half ago! Truly an amazing guitar! It’s so much more right than my 2014 ‘63 Reissue! Plays effortlessly and sounds great (especially after I dumped the Custombuckers!) I had some early T-Tops and put ThroBak A-4 magnets in them! Oh.. and the colour is Right!

goldtop0 · Jul 5, 2020

TM1 said:
I got one of the Cherry ones a week an a half ago! Truly an amazing guitar! It’s so much more right than my 2014 ‘63 Reissue! Plays effortlessly and sounds great (especially after I dumped the Custombuckers!) I had some early T-Tops and put ThroBak A-4 magnets in them! Oh.. and the colour is Right!

Have PM'd you just now.

Mr. Legit · Jul 6, 2020

TM1 said:
I got one of the Cherry ones a week an a half ago! Truly an amazing guitar! It’s so much more right than my 2014 ‘63 Reissue! Plays effortlessly and sounds great (especially after I dumped the Custombuckers!) I had some early T-Tops and put ThroBak A-4 magnets in them! Oh.. and the colour is Right!

Share photos of it if you will, I still have no word from the CS on mine! Stay safe everybody, I just hope COVID doesn’t revert back to full on temporary closure of the CS shop.

Minibucker · Jul 6, 2020

Anyone got some specs/measurements of neck size so far on these? I know it doesn't mean a whole lot without feeling the shoulder profiles, but still. Thx.

Gold Tone · Jul 6, 2020

Progrocker111 said:
I would be interested in the neck angles on these new reissues...

This

marshall1987 · Jul 6, 2020

These look to be very nice 335s. Got my interest up, especially the cherry finish model. Couple of thoughts.....

1. What are folks saying about the new ABR-1 nylon bridge saddles? The old vintage nylon saddles were pretty hard, and were milled/machined (not molded) from solid blanks.....so I have been told.

2. From the photos I have seen on Gibson's web site, the pickups on the cherry '64s have rust colored, bare unplated pole pieces. Very odd looking.

3. Again from photos ....the 5-ply pick guards seem to have unusually rough looking bevel edges. Maybe it's the photos?

wmachine · Jul 6, 2020

marshall1987 said:
These look to be very nice 335s. Got my interest up, especially the cherry finish model. Couple of thoughts.....

1. What are folks saying about the new ABR-1 nylon bridge saddles? The old vintage nylon saddles were pretty hard, and were milled/machined (not molded) from solid blanks.....so I have been told.

2. From the photos I have seen on Gibson's web site, the pickups on the cherry '64s have rust colored, bare unplated pole pieces. Very odd looking.

3. Again from photos ....the 5-ply pick guards seem to have unusually rough looking bevel edges. Maybe it's the photos?

Re #1: I have a 2016 reissue ES-345 TDC 1964 Maestro. No-wire ABR bridge with nylon saddles (and nut). I like it as is. I know at the time there was a lot of discussion re the nylon saddles. Some said they were too "muddy" and opted for "brighter" titanium saddles. But that appeared to be a preference coming from those that either never had a vintage one or didn't know what a vintage one sounded like. Seems in reality, the nylon saddles really helped nail the the vintage sound. I have an ES-335 Premier with the MHS pups and titanium saddles and it sounds great, yes a little brighter. So I would say they nylon is probably more true to vintage sound, yet may not be to the liking of some. Just my observation.

Minibucker · Jul 6, 2020

I just got a set of the ABS Saddles from Kluson. Haven't used them for anything yet, got the in case I wanted some on a new Memphis ES-335, but I think I'm keeping what's there (they apparently went back to nickel plated brass saddles).

TM1 · Jul 6, 2020

Minibucker said:
Anyone got some specs/measurements of neck size so far on these? I know it doesn't mean a whole lot without feeling the shoulder profiles, but still. Thx.

Nut: 1.70”
Depth 1st fret: .96" / 12th fret: 1.02". This is measuring with the fret. More of a rounded C, no real shoulders like my `63 has.. The neck just melts into my hand!
The finish is Not sticky either. It feels harder and was just made in the beginning of May

Gold Tone · Jul 6, 2020

marshall1987 said:
These look to be very nice 335s. Got my interest up, especially the cherry finish model. Couple of thoughts.....

1. What are folks saying about the new ABR-1 nylon bridge saddles? The old vintage nylon saddles were pretty hard, and were milled/machined (not molded) from solid blanks.....so I have been told?

They suck!! Way too soft.

I have them on two recent Custom Shop SG’s. Tone is just fine but the saddles are sunken in the middle and thusly squashed forward.

I LOVE NYLON saddles!! I have them on my 335, my L5, my firebird. But they are the very hard ones cut from solid blanks so they have remained perfectly straight. Nice quality. I got them a few years ago from (I think Crazy Parts) but NO ONE HAS them that I can find after searching online endlessly.

The new ones are in fact soft molded nylon :dang

Minibucker · Jul 6, 2020

TM1 said:
Nut: 1.69"
Depth 1st fret: .96" / 12th fret: 1.02" More of a rounded C, no real shoulders like my `63 has.. The neck just melts into my hand!
The finish is Not sticky either. It feels harder and was just made in the beginning of May

Wow that's big! Not expecting that...was expecting more of a .86 - .99 or something, like a medium. Aside from shoulders, that's like '59 Reissue size.

marshall1987 · Jul 7, 2020

TM1 said:
Nut: 1.69"
Depth 1st fret: .96" / 12th fret: 1.02" More of a rounded C, no real shoulders like my `63 has.. The neck just melts into my hand!
The finish is Not sticky either. It feels harder and was just made in the beginning of May

Please clarify....neck thickness at the 1st fret measures 0.96". That's baseball bat territory! :worm

..... is there any chance that it has the more common medium-vintage '64 profile of 0.86" at the first fret?

Minibucker · Jul 7, 2020

marshall1987 said:
Please clarify....neck thickness at the 1st fret measures 0.96". That's baseball bat territory! :worm

..... is there any chance that it has the more common medium-vintage '64 profile of 0.86" at the first fret?

I was thinking that as well, because not even my R8's and R7's were that thick at 1st fret.

TM1 · Jul 7, 2020

marshall1987 said:
Please clarify....neck thickness at the 1st fret measures 0.96". That's baseball bat territory! :worm

..... is there any chance that it has the more common medium-vintage '64 profile of 0.86" at the first fret?

I just checked it again with my Caliphers. It's actually .094
I put an ABM-1 Bell Brass bridge on mine. I don't like the Nylon saddles. I do have some old ones from the `60's, but I'd rather have the Brass!

goldtop0 · Jul 7, 2020

marshall1987 said:
Please clarify....neck thickness at the 1st fret measures 0.96". That's baseball bat territory! :worm

Not that fat unless it has good straight shoulders.........then it'll be big.
I've got a '13 R6 with the same depth measurement at the 1st with small shoulders(C shape)................it's very comfortable.

Minibucker · Jul 7, 2020

TM1 said:
I just checked it again with my Caliphers. It's actually .094
I put an ABM-1 Bell Brass bridge on mine. I don't like the Nylon saddles. I do have some old ones from the `60's, but I'd rather have the Brass!

That's really surprising. If there's no shoulders, it almost sounds like a boat-neck or soft V. Must be really comfortable.

marshall1987 · Jul 7, 2020

goldtop0 said:
Not that fat unless it has good straight shoulders.........then it'll be big.
I've got a '13 R6 with the same depth measurement at the 1st with small shoulders(C shape)................it's very comfortable.

I'm sorry...but most normal peeps would say, that a neck that is nearly one inch at the nut...(cough. okay .94") is FAT. Shoulders...or no shoulders...that's a really big neck. :hmm

Minibucker · Jul 7, 2020

marshall1987 said:
I'm sorry...but most normal peeps would say, that a neck that is nearly one inch at the nut...(cough. okay .94") is FAT. Shoulders...or no shoulders...that's a really big neck. :hmm

Yeah, but I'll tell you just from recent experiences getting a new 335 and other will I'm sure....if you've been on a Historic Les Paul with like a 1.69" or 1.7" nut width for a while, and you pick up a guitar that has 1-11/16, very narrow shoulders and rolled binding, right away it feels much smaller even if the very back of it is deep, if it doesn't contact your fingers as much. To me the shoulders and the edges of the fretboard are what dictate the perception of neck size the most.

goldtop0 · Jul 8, 2020

marshall1987 said:
I'm sorry...but most normal peeps would say, that a neck that is nearly one inch at the nut...(cough. okay .94") is FAT. Shoulders...or no shoulders...that's a really big neck. :hmm

An example of this is a round piece of wood (say a broom handle) that's 1" thick and a piece that's 1" square...........the 1" square feels bigger because of the edges.
Combine those two as with a big shouldered guitar neck and that's an ideal neck for me.

marshall1987 · Jul 21, 2020

Gold Tone said:
They suck!! Way too soft.

I have them on two recent Custom Shop SG’s. Tone is just fine but the saddles are sunken in the middle and thusly squashed forward.

I LOVE NYLON saddles!! I have them on my 335, my L5, my firebird. But they are the very hard ones cut from solid blanks so they have remained perfectly straight. Nice quality. I got them a few years ago from (I think Crazy Parts) but NO ONE HAS them that I can find after searching online endlessly.

The new ones are in fact soft molded nylon :dang

This is one of my gripes with Gibson Custom reissues; i.e., they advertise and market some historic reissues as being authentic vintage "clones" of the originals. But then they substitute different materials that may look authentic, but are actually compromised cheaper parts. :dang

2020 64 reissue ES 335's..

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