It’s that time of year when the expenses receipts from NAMM 2025 are being processed, the post-show hangovers are easing, but the fresh electric guitar drops just keep coming, with Gibson breaking cover to expand its Custom Color series to include the ES-335 semi-hollow electric guitar.
In August 2023, we had a dozen Les Paul Standards with a Custom Color makeover. The SG got its refresh in November 2023, all spritzed up in Silver Mist, Translucent Teal, Pelham Blue and more. Now it’s the turn of the ES-335.
The ES-335 needs no introduction. It has been a mainstay of the Gibson catalogue ever since its launch in 1958, when that groundbreaking centre block design transformed a hitherto hollow design into a semi and made it a feedback-resistant powerhouse for high-volume rock ’n’ roll.
But these might make you look upon them anew. And that, says Gibson master luthier Jim DeCola is the reason for the Custom Color options. Speaking to the Gibson Gazette, he reveals that the new ES-335 range was in response to popular demand.
“We’re proud to introduce the Custom Color Series to satisfy the requests for additional colours by many of the younger and newer fans of the ES-335 guitar,” he says.
The ES-335 Custom Color range comprises Spearmint, Ocean Blue, and Watermelon options, with a stunning Goldtop version available as a Gibson exclusive (see online or your nearest Gibson Garage for details).
You can now get the ES-335 Figured, which has a AAA figured maple/poplar/maple body, in Honey Amber, Deep Ocean Burst, or a Blood Moon Burst finish that is all shades from black to deep red.
All of the above have been given a lick of gloss nitrocellulose to make those colours stand out. While they might look different but these are still very much the ES-335s we all know and love. There are a pair of Calibrated T-Type humbuckers at the neck, with your usual dual volume, dual tone control setup.
The necks are glued-in mahogany and carved into a Rounded C profile, topped with the 12” radius rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, and that aforementioned maple centreblock remains in situ to boost sustain, cut feedback, and, as DeCola explains, help make the ES-335 one of the most versatile high-end electric guitars on the market.
“Being a semi-hollow body design, the ES-335 imparts tonal and visual characteristics which bridge the gap between a fully hollow body and a solid body design,” says DeCola. “This hybrid design creates its own unique sound and look, making it incredibly versatile for many genres of music.”
The Custom Color ES-335 is available now, priced £3,099/$3,499 and $3,999 for the ES-335 Figured, and that price includes a hard-shell guitar case.
See Gibson for more details.
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