History
The Gibson ES-335 was the world's first commercial semi-hollowbody electric guitar, released by Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1958. It is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body, but the sides are hollow, sporting violin-style f-holes.
Its origins may lie in the one of the World's first solid-body electrics: Les Paul's experimental "The Log", which was simply a block of wood with a neck, electronics, and the sides of an Epiphone archtop guitar screwed on. The ES-335 features a refined and improved version of the same basic approach.
The ES-335 and other semi-hollowbody guitars have a rather distinctive, "woody" sound, mellower than solid-bodies, but retain their high sustain and low feedback. Due to their sonic flexibility, 335s have found popularity in nearly all genres of popular music, including jazz and rock.
The 335 was an important landmark in electric instrument technology. Its innovative body design was complemented by a slim, comfortable neck with excellent access to the upper frets. At a basic price of $267.50 it quickly became a best-seller, and has been in continuous production since 1958.
Some models feature a coil tap switch, which allows the humbuckers to produce a "single-coil" sound. |
