Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-330 Reissue Hollowbody Electric Guitar, Vintage Natural

When it comes to Gibson and the year 1959, it's easy to think Les Paul, but truth be told there ain't nothing like a great hollowbody. Welcome the Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-330 Reissue back to the lineup. First introduced in 1959, the ES-330 quickly became a sought-after model, and predated the Epiphone Casino by 2 years. Sporting a vintage natural finish, this hollowbody is ready to shine.

The '59 330 reissue gets its double-cutaway shape from a maple/poplar/maple body. Being fully hollow, the guitar offers a big, warm, and resonant sound – perfect for unplugged play time. Although no center block is in the body, the 330 can still handle a decent amount of gain before feeding back. It's body is bound, top and back, and sports a black multi-ply pickguard, nickel hardware, and gold top hat knobs.

A matched pair of P-90 pickups amplify the 330's voice. The bridge position uses standard windings and an Alnico 3 magnet, while the neck position pickup is underwound with a Alnico 5. This single-coil duo offers sweet warm cleans and barky overdrive. The pickups are hand-wired to its CTS volume and tone potentiometers with paper-in-oil capacitors. A standard 3-way toggle switch is located right by the pickguard.

It's mahogany neck is carved to an authentic 1959 profile – a chunky "C" shape. The neck is installed in a traditional set-neck fashion with a long neck tenon joint. The neck is topped by a bound rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and white dot inlays. Strings are loaded through the trapeze tailpiece, rest on the no-wire ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge, and are strung to pitch with the Kluson Deluxe tuning machines. The headstock displays the Gibson logo, nothing more, nothing less – classy.

The entire instrument has received a VOS finish, evoking the gently aged appearance of a vintage case queen example. Complete with a Lifton reissue case, the ES-330 is back and better than ever, equal parts a great stage guitar and couch guitar.