bobouz
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In the current thread regarding a NGD Starfire lV, an opinion was shared regarding a lack of quality in similarly styled ES Gibsons produced after 2000. It seemed like this thread category would be a better place to add a few thoughts on the subject.
After Gibson moved from Kalamazoo to Nashville, ES body guitars were made there beyond 2000, until the new Memphis facility was up and running. Some custom ES models continued to be made in Nashville well into the 2000s, and were considered by many to be more desirable than those produced in Memphis. Gibson reunited with Guitar Center in 2001, and this rather closely coincided with the Memphis facility coming on line. To my eye as production ramped up, early Memphis ES production was not up to par in fit & finish. But the quality of Memphis' output began to improve significantly towards the end of the decade, and as the following decade began, Memphis' build quality compared favorably to some of Gibson's finest ES instruments.
Backtracking a bit, for some time I had been considering the purchase of a vintage P-90 equipped ES-330 hollowbody. A regular production ES-330 did not then exist - and special runs had been rare, going all the way back to Kalamazoo production. In 2008, Gibson at long last released a ES-330L (long neck like a 335), and by this time I was observing first-hand the improvement in Memphis' build quality. Finally in 2010, I jumped in with the purchase of a blue ES-330L. I found it to be a superb instrument in tone, playability, and build quality - and was a very happy camper. Then the following year in 2011, I came across a limited run semi-hollowbody ES-335 with P-90s, and had to have it. As a bonus, the red version in my hand just happened to sport an ebony fretboard, and again, the build quality was stellar. I thought all my bases were covered, but the following year, Gibson released a new version of the ES-330 based on the 1959 model, with a VOS finish (the idea was to have the instrument look like it had been stored under the bed since 1959, finally to reemerge in a pristine but slightly less-glossy condition). After being in production for a time, the reviews were coming in, and the general consensus was that this model rivaled some of Kalamazoo's finest production - putting it in very high company.
Okay, I had to have a look. There was a sunburst, a cherry red with Bigsby, and a natural finish with a very significant upcharge. I found four of them in stock in the big city and proceeded to play them all. Unfortunately, playing the first three, the '59 model they were based on had a rather clubby neck & I found I could not get comfortable with them. All shared the same thick profile, and it clearly wasn't going to work for me. On a lark, I thought I might as well look at the fourth one. It was a natural finish at another store, and therefore carried the upcharge. But upon actually getting it in my hands, it was one of those guitars that you don't want to let go of, fearing someone else might pick it up & you'll lose it forever. The neck was noticeably smaller, and the construction was absolutely impeccable. There was no way I'd be leaving the store without it, and with that purchase, my ES-330 quest was fully resolved.
I mention all of the above to hopefully demonstrate that generalizations about guitars, guitar manufacturers, eras of production, etc, should all be considered as potentially useful reference information to be mentally stored, but never the final word on any given model. From my hands-on experience, I would say that Gibson-Memphis ES production in the years revolving around 2010 included some finely crafted instruments, and they are certainly worth a look. From 2013 on, I can't tell you a thing about variations in Gibson's ES quality, because my 2012 330-VOS continues to deliver everything I've ever wanted from a thin hollowbody instrument, and my eyes stopped wandering!
The Memphis facility closed in 2019, and all ES production has now returned to Nashville. Below are the three instruments mentioned above:
After Gibson moved from Kalamazoo to Nashville, ES body guitars were made there beyond 2000, until the new Memphis facility was up and running. Some custom ES models continued to be made in Nashville well into the 2000s, and were considered by many to be more desirable than those produced in Memphis. Gibson reunited with Guitar Center in 2001, and this rather closely coincided with the Memphis facility coming on line. To my eye as production ramped up, early Memphis ES production was not up to par in fit & finish. But the quality of Memphis' output began to improve significantly towards the end of the decade, and as the following decade began, Memphis' build quality compared favorably to some of Gibson's finest ES instruments.
Backtracking a bit, for some time I had been considering the purchase of a vintage P-90 equipped ES-330 hollowbody. A regular production ES-330 did not then exist - and special runs had been rare, going all the way back to Kalamazoo production. In 2008, Gibson at long last released a ES-330L (long neck like a 335), and by this time I was observing first-hand the improvement in Memphis' build quality. Finally in 2010, I jumped in with the purchase of a blue ES-330L. I found it to be a superb instrument in tone, playability, and build quality - and was a very happy camper. Then the following year in 2011, I came across a limited run semi-hollowbody ES-335 with P-90s, and had to have it. As a bonus, the red version in my hand just happened to sport an ebony fretboard, and again, the build quality was stellar. I thought all my bases were covered, but the following year, Gibson released a new version of the ES-330 based on the 1959 model, with a VOS finish (the idea was to have the instrument look like it had been stored under the bed since 1959, finally to reemerge in a pristine but slightly less-glossy condition). After being in production for a time, the reviews were coming in, and the general consensus was that this model rivaled some of Kalamazoo's finest production - putting it in very high company.
Okay, I had to have a look. There was a sunburst, a cherry red with Bigsby, and a natural finish with a very significant upcharge. I found four of them in stock in the big city and proceeded to play them all. Unfortunately, playing the first three, the '59 model they were based on had a rather clubby neck & I found I could not get comfortable with them. All shared the same thick profile, and it clearly wasn't going to work for me. On a lark, I thought I might as well look at the fourth one. It was a natural finish at another store, and therefore carried the upcharge. But upon actually getting it in my hands, it was one of those guitars that you don't want to let go of, fearing someone else might pick it up & you'll lose it forever. The neck was noticeably smaller, and the construction was absolutely impeccable. There was no way I'd be leaving the store without it, and with that purchase, my ES-330 quest was fully resolved.
I mention all of the above to hopefully demonstrate that generalizations about guitars, guitar manufacturers, eras of production, etc, should all be considered as potentially useful reference information to be mentally stored, but never the final word on any given model. From my hands-on experience, I would say that Gibson-Memphis ES production in the years revolving around 2010 included some finely crafted instruments, and they are certainly worth a look. From 2013 on, I can't tell you a thing about variations in Gibson's ES quality, because my 2012 330-VOS continues to deliver everything I've ever wanted from a thin hollowbody instrument, and my eyes stopped wandering!
The Memphis facility closed in 2019, and all ES production has now returned to Nashville. Below are the three instruments mentioned above:
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