Gibson revives the flagship ES-335 design for a line of ‘58 Murphy Lab models
Gibson has announced the arrival of its latest limited-edition Murphy Lab electric guitars – a trio of Light and Heavy aged 1958 ES-335 reissues.
Now, the Murphy Lab line is no stranger to the ES-335 semi-hollow template. A quick glance at the collection’s catalog will confirm that ‘59, ‘61 and ‘64 models – with various hardware appointments, finishes and levels of relic'ing – all exist.
However, the ‘58 model is a different beast, particularly because it revives the first-ever ES-335 design that was created – and with it, one nuanced feature that was only provided for original ‘58 models. To that end, they are, as Gibson explains, “Striking limited edition reissues of the very first ES-335.”
To usher in the latest ES models, Gibson has dropped three distinct guitars: a Light Aged Tri-Burst variant, and Heavy Aged options in either Dirty Blonde or Faded Tobacco Burst.
Despite flashing their own finishes and artificial aging, all three carry the same faithful 1958-inspired spec sheet that accommodates some choice, ‘58-exclusive features that won’t be found on any other 335.
Notably, that means there’s a big ‘58 rounded neck profile and an unbound dot-inlaid fingerboard – a feature, according to Gibson, that is “found only on 1958 ES-335 models”.
Elsewhere, a maple centerblock is encased in a three-ply maple/poplar/maple body, which in turn flaunts one-ply Royalite top and back binding. A Murphy Lab aged Nitro Lacquer finish, naturally, is also recruited.
That ‘58 rounded neck is topped with a 22-fret, 12”-radius Indian rosewood fingerboard. A glued-in set neck with a long neck tenon construction is utilized, as is a 24.75” scale length.
Moving on, Murphy Lab Aged nickel hardware can be found: Kluson tuners line up alongside Authentic Profile pickup covers, as well as a lightweight aluminum Stop Bar and an ABR-1 bridge.
Other era-accurate appointments include True Historic Gold Top Hat with Dial Pointer knobs, white plastic strap buttons, True Historic Amber switch tip and a slightly elongated 5-ply black pickguard.
Tones come by way of two unpotted Custombucker pickups, which are wired to a three-way Switchcraft toggle and two pairs of volume and tone parameters. Under the hood, CTS 500K Audio Taper pots and Paper-in-Oil capacitors can be found.
The above is packaged in a Brown/Pink Lifton reissue five-latch case, which carries a Certificate of Authenticity.
“The ES-335 was the world’s first semi-hollow guitar model,” Gibson writes. “Imagined by former Gibson President Ted McCarty, who later called it his proudest contribution, it has been in continuous production since its debut, with support from countless legendary artists, including B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Larry Carlton, and Warren Haynes.”
Owing to both the historic and limited-edition nature of the models – and their meticulous Murphy Lab treatment – these three come at a premium. Only 130 of each colorway will be made, with both the Dirty Blonde and Faded Tobacco Burst weighing in at $7,999 apiece.
The Tri-Burst model, meanwhile, is available for $6,499.
To find out more, head over to Gibson.
