• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

New 345 questions

el84ster

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
Hi guys,
I'd like to be filled in on the new 345s. Anything you can tell me would be appreciated since I can't try one where I live. How's the general quality of these? How big is the neck? Is that Nashville bridge a negative or not necessarily? Is the TP lightweight?

Any other info would be very much appreciated!
 

hrod455

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
289
Hi guys,
I'd like to be filled in on the new 345s. Anything you can tell me would be appreciated since I can't try one where I live. How's the general quality of these? How big is the neck? Is that Nashville bridge a negative or not necessarily? Is the TP lightweight?

Any other info would be very much appreciated!

Hi, I have an '07 Memphis that I like very much. The build quality is excellent, fit, paint, stock pickups, sound, playablility...etc... The neck (slim D shape) is not as small as I'd imagined, thankfully. The Varitone is cool, I use positions 1-4 . 5 and 6 are extremely thin sounding but still a cool option to have. The sound overall is very mellow, which I like. If I wanted brite, I'd get a kit with 500K pots, but that's exactly what I don't want in this guit.

If I were to change one thing it would be the neck angle. When I rec'd the guitar the action was very high and the neck was bowed. When I adjusted the truss rod to straighten it I had to raise the stoptail quite a bit so the strings wouldn't hit the back of the bridge. Higher than I'm used to but not obscene. I think this means that the neck angle is steep, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

And, the laquer on this guitar is more brittle on any other Gibson that I own. Because of the winter humidity I've got small cracks appearing in a few places.....fret ends, posts. My new CR8 hasn't been effected, and I keep both guitars in the same room.

And of course, the nut slots weren't cut perfectly so I had to graphite them to stop the pinging. Did the trick.

I doubt the tailpiece is lightweight, but I can't confirm that because it hasn't been off yet. I don't have any issues with the bridge, but maybe that just me.

Weight= 8.5 LBS

I hope that answers some questions.
_ _ _ _
Edits due to lousy spelling, left out words, general iliteracy.
 
Last edited:

BillyB

New member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
449
I had a '03 Memphis 345 which was nice - they are really a version of the Lucille, rather than a faithful version of a stock ES 345.

Mine was very heavy though - I sold it and then I eventually found a Custom Shop 345 which I actually bought for less than I paid for my Memphis 345. This one is light, resonant and has the correct features including a front mounted jack. The neck angle is different too.
 

el84ster

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
Thanks for the responses. So there's 2 versions (CS and Memphis?)? I thought there was only one currently, made by the CS...not right?
 

hrod455

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
289
Thanks for the responses. So there's 2 versions (CS and Memphis?)? I thought there was only one currently, made by the CS...not right?

I think Memphis and Nashville are both being called custom shops.

But, the Historics come from the Nashville custom shop.
 

hrod455

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
289
I had a '03 Memphis 345 which was nice - they are really a version of the Lucille, rather than a faithful version of a stock ES 345.

Mine was very heavy though - I sold it and then I eventually found a Custom Shop 345 which I actually bought for less than I paid for my Memphis 345. This one is light, resonant and has the correct features including a front mounted jack. The neck angle is different too.

The Lucille is more like a 355 (block inlays rather than parallelogram, with no F-Holes).

Your custom shop 345 has a front mounted jack. It isn't stereo with two jacks on the side? Never seen one of those. Any pix?
 

BillyB

New member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
449
Re; the Memphis ES 345 - I meant electrically more like the lucille; they have the side mounted twin jacks and even came in a 'Lucille' case. They are not a 'Historic' series guitar.

My ES 345 is a Nashville Custom shop from 2002. At that time, the standard ES 345s were being made in Memphis. The Custom Shop guitars seemed to have been built in small batches between '98 and '03 - they seemed to be dead spits of '61 era ES 345s - very slim profile neck, short pickguard with rounded contoured horns. They were never in the catalogues or on the websites.There's a couple of people who frequent this site who have them. I got mine off Ebay. Absolute bargain too.

5April382.jpg
 

el84ster

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
I think I'm confused. I thought there was only one version currently being made and it was just called Custom Shop and not Historic. Or are there two versions?

So regarding overall quality, are these on par with the historic 335s? I hear those are quite good.
THanks for all the info so far! Really appreciate it. I'm trying to decide whether to pull the trigger or not, but there isn't one anywhere neeeear where I'm at to try!
 

BillyB

New member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
449
There is only one version being made now - I said that between '98 and '03 Gibson's Nashville Custom Shop made a small batch of ES 345 guitars that were 'historically' correct. Around 2001, Gibson started to build a 'standard' ES 345 made in Memphis, which is still being made - it is NOT a 'custom shop' or a 'historic' guitar.
 

el84ster

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
Hmm. OK. So the Custom 345 on Gibson's site currently is bad info or? Damn this is confusing!
 

BillyB

New member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
449
:hmm I see your problem........Yes, it is a little err...misleading. The 'Custom' ES 345 is made alongside the standard 335 in the Memphis plant, which is now also under the 'custom' name......:bigal

To my knowledge, they have always been standard production models, not historic/custom shop models - Gibson seem to be deliberately blurring the lines between what is actually 'custom shop' and standard production. If that even exists anymore.......:rolleyes:

It is quite odd.
 

Uncle Gary

Active member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
2,431
You're telling me! The problem seems to be that Gibson calls the Memphis facility a "custom shop", but they also have a "custom shop" in Nashville. Memphis makes all the "production" archtops and hollowbodies (ES-335/345/355/137/175) as well as the doublenecks. Nashville makes the other custom shop solidbodies, as well as the "Historic" semi hollows.

What makes this confusing is that both regular production and Historic reissue semis are now called "custom shop."
 

el84ster

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
Oh! Thank you. I finally get it. Sheesh, that is wierd/blury/deceptive. I think I'll skip the 345 and look for something else.

Thanks guys!! :applaude
 

hrod455

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
289
Oh! Thank you. I finally get it. Sheesh, that is wierd/blury/deceptive. I think I'll skip the 345 and look for something else.

Thanks guys!! :applaude

ah, don't write them off so quickly, play one if you can first.

There are good and bad Historics too.
 

lp59pete

Active member
Joined
Mar 6, 2003
Messages
1,390
Yea, I have one of those Memphis 345's, and it is a great guitar. I have no complaints at all.
 

el84ster

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2001
Messages
1,420
Well, no new guitars for me for a while...jsut found out the wife's expecting :wow !

That puts the guitar thing to rest real quick!
 

Zhangliqun

New member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
5,204
The Lucille is more like a 355 (block inlays rather than parallelogram, with no F-Holes).

The Lucille IS a 355, just minus f-holes and plus control cavity cover on back. (And of course, the 'Lucille' inlay instead of the split diamond.) 355's have block inlays on ebony.
 
Top