ES-355 Pays Homage to 1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom
With many of the appointment of the '57 LP Custom Black Beauty, the Gibson Memphis ES-355 Black Beauty features a 1950s body shape and gold hardware, along with distinctive multi-ply binding, a dark rosewood fingerboard that emulates the 57's ebony fingerboard, and Grover "milk bottle" Rotomatic tuners. The ES-355's weight-relieved maple centerblock provides extra sustain without causing discomfort during long gigs, and its three-ply maple/poplar/maple top and back and quarter-sawn Adirondack spruce bracing and mahogany neck are quality tonewoods that provide excellent timbre and a balanced voice. You get vintage-style triple MHS humbuckers and Memphis Premiere Tone Circuit, two volumes, one master tone control, one blend pot, and a toggle switch for selecting the right pickup or combination of pickups for the job. Add in a bone nut, mother-of-pearl block fingerboard inlays, and black top hat control knobs, and it's easy to see how the ES-355 Black Beauty is a fitting tribute to a legendary axe — and a legendary man.
Quality components with vintage vibe
The ES-355 Black Beauty features period-correct multi-ply headstock binding (around the body, too), as well as the split-diamond headstock inlay. It has Grover "milk bottle" tuners in gold finish. The ES-355's bone nut is not only traditional, it's also one of the best materials for making guitar nuts due to its density and tonal stability. The guitar's Memphis Historic Spec (MHS) humbuckers emit vintage-style magnetic response and are covered in gold finish like the '57's. The yellowed triple binding, toggle pickup selector, rounded "C" neck shape, and top hat control knobs are historically accurate, too. Talk about authenticity; this guitar is replete with top-notch components and a vintage vibe that guitarists and collectors at Hiendguitar love!
Gibson ES-355 Black Beauty 6-string Semi-hollowbody Electric Guitar Features:
- Pays homage to the 1957 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with similar appointments
- Yellowed triple-ply cream binding looks like it's been aging for 60 years
- 3 MHS humbuckers deliver authentic tone and appearance with gold covers
- Old-school toggle pickup selector, 2 top hat Volumes, 1 master Tone, and 1 Blend knob
- 3-ply maple/poplar/maple top and back resonate with vintage vibe
- Weight-relieved maple centerblock for great sustain with low weight
- Bone nut is dense, tonally stable, and less likely than plastic to bind strings
- Quartersawn mahogany neck and Adirondack spruce bracing are strong and physically stable
- Dark rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl inlays emulates the '57's ebony fingerboard design
- Rounded "C" neck shape is super-playable and pays homage to the 335's vintage neck carve
Tech Specs
- Body Type:Semi-hollowbody, Weight Relieved Centerblock
- Body Shape:ES-335
- Left-/Right-handed:Right-handed
- Number of Strings:6
- Body Material:3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
- Top Material:3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
- Body Finish:Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Color:Ebony
- Neck Material:Quartersawn Mahogany
- Neck Shape:Rounded C
- Radius:12"
- Fingerboard Material:Dark Rosewood
- Fingerboard Inlay:Mother-of-pearl Full Block
- Number of Frets:22, Medium Jumbo, Nickel Silver
- Scale Length:24.75"
- Nut Width:1.687"
- Nut Material:Bone
- Bridge/Tailpiece:ABR-1 Bridge with Titanium Saddles, Aluminum Stopbar Tailpiece, Gold Finish
- Tuners:Grover Milk Bottle Rotomatic
- Neck Pickup:MHS Rhythm Humbucker
- Middle Pickup:MHS Reverse Polarity Humbucker
- Bridge Pickup:MHS Lead Humbucker
- Controls:2 x volume, 2 x tone, 3-way toggle pickup switch
- Strings:.010-.046
- Case Included:Hardshell Case
- Manufacturer Part Number:ES5518BKGH1
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