1997 Gibson ES-335 Tobacco Sunburst: The Last Of The Nashville Run

BLAST FROM THE PAST. A guitar that came through our shop at 316 E 84th St, sold, and moved on. This instrument is no longer available.

The ES-335 has been in continuous production since 1958, which makes the phrase "an ES-335" almost meaningless on its own. The year is the whole story.

Why 1997 is not a random year

Gibson built its ES models in Nashville from the mid 1970s until the dedicated Memphis plant took over around the turn of the millennium.

A 1997 sits near the end of that Nashville run. Late enough to have the build consistency the reissue program brought in, early enough to predate the Memphis era guitars most players picture today. It is a window that closed quietly, and it is why nineties Nashville 335s have been climbing in the used market while everyone argued about the sixties.

What it was

A 1997 Gibson ES-335 in Tobacco Sunburst, listed at $2,800.

• Body: laminated maple with the maple centre block
• Neck: mahogany, slim taper, rosewood board with pearloid dots, jumbo frets
• Scale: 24.75 inches, 12 inch radius
• Nut: bone
• Weight: 8 lbs 10 oz
• Action as it left us: 3mm at the twelfth, first and sixth strings

The electronics are where it got interesting

The humbuckers read 7.84k at the neck and 9.31k at the bridge. That is squarely vintage output territory, rather than the hotter wind a lot of late nineties production carried. It is the reason this guitar cleaned up so beautifully with the volume rolled back.

The harness had also been gone through properly at some point: CTS pots and genuine NOS Sprague Vitamin Q capacitors. Whoever did that work was not cutting corners. It also wore a fresh Gibson bridge and tailpiece.

How it played

Warm without being muddy. Sustain that hangs on past where you expect it to quit. Clean enough for jazz at the neck, enough grind at the bridge to hold up in a rock band, which is the entire reason the 335 has outlived every trend that was supposed to replace it.

At 8 lbs 10 oz it is genuinely comfortable over a long set. That matters more than spec sheets admit.

Common questions about the Gibson ES-335

What did this 1997 ES-335 sell for?
It was listed at $2,800 at Bros Guitar Shop in New York City. For a figure on your own guitar, ask us for an appraisal.

Where were 1990s Gibson ES-335s made?
Nashville. Gibson built ES models there from the mid 1970s until the Memphis plant took over around 2000. A nineties 335 is a Nashville guitar.

What does the maple centre block actually do?
It runs down the middle of an otherwise hollow body. It adds sustain and, more importantly, it resists feedback at volume in a way a fully hollow guitar cannot. It is what makes the 335 usable in a loud band.

What DC resistance should ES-335 pickups read?
Vintage style humbuckers typically land in the 7k to 8k range at the neck and 8k to 9.5k at the bridge. This guitar read 7.84k and 9.31k. Higher readings mean a hotter wind, which usually trades clarity for output.

What is a Sprague Vitamin Q capacitor?
An oil filled paper in oil capacitor, out of production, sought after for guitar tone controls because of how gradually the treble rolls off. NOS means new old stock, unused originals rather than modern reproductions.

How much does a Gibson ES-335 weigh?
Most land between 8 and 9 lbs. This one was 8 lbs 10 oz.

Does Bros Guitar Shop buy used Gibsons?
Yes. We buy outright, take trades, and take consignments. Details below.

Where it went

Sold. It did not sit around.

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Come see us at Bros Guitar Shop

We are a family owned guitar shop on the Upper East Side, and we do more than sell instruments:

• Buying, trades and consignment on used and vintage gear
• Repairs and setups at our bench, including wiring and harness work
• Appraisals. Bring it in or send photos and we will tell you what you have
• Guitar lessons in the studio downstairs
• Pickup and delivery available for a fee. Give us a call and we will sort it out

Bros Guitar Shop
316 E 84th St, New York, NY 10028
646-559-8771 and brosguitarshop@gmail.com
Mon to Fri 12 to 8, Sat 10 to 8, closed Sunday

Got something in a case under the bed? That is usually how the good ones turn up.