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NGD: 2022 Gibson Custom '64 ES-335 TDC Reissue

CatManDoo88

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Joined
Mar 3, 2019
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156
So I finally pulled the trigger on my dream guitar. This has been the holy grail for me ever since I saw blurry old videos of Clapton playing his at Cream's RAH Farewell concert during the earliest days of YouTube.

This is a very, very special guitar. Not only is it the best playing guitar I have ever touched with the perfect neck profile and fast, low action I have always dreamed of, but it has some special significance as well. It passed QC the week of May 20 this year, the same week my wife and I welcomed our miracle daughter into the world (also the same week Clapton's shipped out back in 64).

Technically, I've had her a couple months, but given how amazing she was out of the box, I couldn't help having a couple mods done to pay tribute to her special heritage and make her a perfect Clapton 335 replica. Rewind Electric supplied a set of killer 64 Patent No. replica pickups as well a beautiful set of aged gold Grovers. Our very own @DANELECTRO made me a killer vintage accurate pickguard with proper vintage outline and characteristic gap above bridge pickup ring. CAB M69 rings from Throbak, as well as Custom Byrdland style TRC from Montreux, Chrome wired ABR-1, and Crazy Parts Tophat knobs and switch tips.

PXL_20221119_214732448_2.jpg
 

Jethro Rocker

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Nov 6, 2022
Messages
273
Beautiful!! Very nice grain, congrats.
I was born May 23 and the missus on 27th. It is a good week!!
Cheers to you guys and the miracle girl!!
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
Congrats, and yes a '64 is a beauty 335 (y)
A cherry '64 330 is what I'm after and they're non-existant with a fat neck so I'll have to go M2M in the long term I think...........and it looks like being a VERY long term at this stage of the proceedings:LOL:
 

CatManDoo88

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Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
Beautiful!! Very nice grain, congrats.
I was born May 23 and the missus on 27th. It is a good week!!
Cheers to you guys and the miracle girl!!
Thank you! At 6 months old, she already loves music time with Dad. Our "Gibsunday" routine is that Dad and daughter let Mom sleep and we go downstairs to listen to records and dance around.
beautiful and you definitely got the right guy to make your guard 👍
Oh yes. I wrote him a big long email about what I was hoping for with the guard and why the stock one bugged me and Dan's response was that he already had a template because the same issues bugged him on his Warren Haynes reissue! 😆

Congrats, and yes a '64 is a beauty 335 (y)
A cherry '64 330 is what I'm after and they're non-existant with a fat neck so I'll have to go M2M in the long term I think...........and it looks like being a VERY long term at this stage of the proceedings:LOL:
That's too bad that the standard 64 neck profile ain't up your alley. I adore it personally and it is my favourite neck shape bar none.

If you do get your M2M down the road, I can't speak highly enough of the Rewinds as a pickup upgrade. The unpotted Custombuckers are good pickups but they aren't quite the sound I associate with this type and era of guitar. The Rewind Patent No. replicas have the best neck sounding pickup I've ever had. Great clarity while still warm and thick. The Woman Tone is spot on. I get some great BB King type clean tones from the middle position. James is a great guy to deal with. I sent him an email asking which of his aging options best matched the stock hardware on my guitar, and his response was just that he printed out the picture I sent him and would match the aging on the pickups to the photos, no extra cost.
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
That's too bad that the standard 64 neck profile ain't up your alley. I adore it personally and it is my favourite neck shape bar none.

If you do get your M2M down the road, I can't speak highly enough of the Rewinds as a pickup upgrade. The unpotted Custombuckers are good pickups but they aren't quite the sound I associate with this type and era of guitar. The Rewind Patent No. replicas have the best neck sounding pickup I've ever had. Great clarity while still warm and thick. The Woman Tone is spot on. I get some great BB King type clean tones from the middle position. James is a great guy to deal with. I sent him an email asking which of his aging options best matched the stock hardware on my guitar, and his response was just that he printed out the picture I sent him and would match the aging on the pickups to the photos, no extra cost.

At .880-890" at the 1st and say .960" at the 12th it's a no go, gotta have say .960" at the 1st and 1.05" at the 12th, C shape with rounded shoulders.
Cheers for the info re Rewind pups, looks like they offer a good service and product.
Just had a look at the site and there are a good number of sets available. If I could find a PAF style neck pup that has the same open airy spank and crispness of a neck P90 I'd be in like flynn!!
 
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Midnight Blues

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Feb 20, 2011
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1,703
Beauty! Congrats, HNGD
jam.gif
and play her in good health!
 

CatManDoo88

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Mar 3, 2019
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156
At .880-890" at the 1st and say .960" at the 12th it's a no go, gotta have say .960" at the 1st and 1.05" at the 12th, C shape with rounded shoulders.
Cheers for the info re Rewind pups, looks like they offer a good service and product.
Just had a look at the site and there are a good number of sets available. If I could find a PAF style neck pup that has the same open airy spank and crispness of a neck P90 I'd be in like flynn!!
Your specs sound very similar to the characteristics I love about the 64 Patent No model. I've never had a P90 guitar, but I really love the articulation of my neck pickup. It's a massive improvement over the stock Custombuckers which I found a bit muddy in the neck position. For instance, for Cream-style Woman Tone, I know many change the cap value on the neck pickup or use vintage Fender Rock n Roll style extra light strings to get around mud. The neck position Woman Tone with the tone controlled rolled completely has great articulation without any such mods.
 

goldtop0

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Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
Your specs sound very similar to the characteristics I love about the 64 Patent No model. I've never had a P90 guitar, but I really love the articulation of my neck pickup. It's a massive improvement over the stock Custombuckers which I found a bit muddy in the neck position. For instance, for Cream-style Woman Tone, I know many change the cap value on the neck pickup or use vintage Fender Rock n Roll style extra light strings to get around mud. The neck position Woman Tone with the tone controlled rolled completely has great articulation without any such mods.

I'd encourage you to try a '50s P90 loaded gibby any of them would do. Humbuckers in the middle and bridge position are usually fine but the neck.......well, you'll see.
Will look at the 64, thanks for the info (y)
 
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fernieite

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Jan 3, 2010
Messages
609
Wow, gorgeous 335! I'd love to get one of these some day. Did you get it at a L&M?

Congrats on the new little one, as well. :)
 

Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
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Fun guitar. Mine is a ‘65 converted to stop tail and one of those custom truss rod covers!
 

CatManDoo88

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Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
Wow, gorgeous 335! I'd love to get one of these some day. Did you get it at a L&M?

Congrats on the new little one, as well. :)
Thanks!

I ordered it from Lauzon in Ottawa. L&M's near me don't really have great stock of Custom Shop guitars. Lauzon were really great to deal with. They are a small high end dealer like Wildwood in the US. They list each of their guitars individually online with a full assortment of photos.

Fun guitar. Mine is a ‘65 converted to stop tail and one of those custom truss rod covers!
Very cool! Would love to see some photos of you wouldn't mind sharing.
 

Wilko

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Here' it is when I had a long guard on it:
long_guard_65.jpg

As it looks now with original guard back on it:
1965_es335.jpg
 
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