A Mint 1989 Gibson ES-335DOT Re-Issue in the Rare Natural Finish
With the Original Gibson / Bill Lawrence Humbuckers

A really great playing late eighties ES-335DOT reissue in a remarkably accurate natural finish. This 16-inch-wide guitar weighs 9.20 lbs. and has a nut width of just over 1 11/16 inches and a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches. Single-bound laminated maple body with maple central block, one-piece mahogany neck with a nice medium neck profile (rather like a '64), and bound rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and inlaid pearl dot position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl crown inlay. Serial number ("80578550") impressed on the back of the headstock. The serial number ("80979543") and model name ("ES 335 DOT") are also written in blue ink on a white oval label inside the bass f-hole. Individual Grover Roto-Matic tuners with half-moon metal buttons. Two original Gibson / Bill Lawrence "HB-R" (neck) and Gibson / Bill Lawrence "HB-L" (bridge) 'circuit-board' humbucker pickups with black plastic surrounds and outputs of 7.13k and 8.93k respectively. The inside of the neck pickup cavity is stamped in black "ANT. NAT". Five-layer (black/white) plastic pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch, all on lower treble bout. Gold plastic bell-shaped knobs. With the original "New Tune-O-Matic" bridge and separate stud tailpiece. All nickel parts. This guitar is in mint (9.50) condition, with just a tiny bit of tarnishing to the nickel hardware. Housed in the original Gibson brown hardshell case with purple plush lining (9.25).

The Gibson HB-R (neck position) and the HB-L (bridge position) "The Original" Circuit-Board Humbuckers were the result of an exceptional collaboration between Bill Lawrence and Gibson when he re-joined the Gibson team in the late eighties. The HB-R & HB-L pickups are thought by many to combine the low-end aggressiveness of a Bill Lawrence 500-L with the precision of a Gibson Classic '57 Humbucker.

"Introduced in 1958, the ES-335T (originally no final D) truly ranks among the all-time Gibson classics, not only because of its enduring popularity but also because of its semi-solid construction which pioneered a new style of electrics" (A.R. Duchossoir, Gibson Electrics -- The Classic Years, p. 231).

The ES-335 was discontinued in late 1981 and replaced by the ES-335 DOT (reissue).