2015 Gibson Custom Shop Larry Carlton ES-335 Semihollow Electric Guitar

June 06, 2024

2015 Gibson Custom Shop Larry Carlton ES-335 Semihollow Electric Guitar

Update 2025: I sold this guitar last year and it was returned under slightly-suspicious circumstances. Flash-forward to my receiving it and the return "shipper" shipped the guitar unpadded in the case and the case loose in the box. It arrived back here with splits in the headstock. I have since repaired this damage and buffed-up the finish to where it's smooth and comfortable but I have not recolored/resprayed the area at all, leaving it with a "warts-and-all" look. There's a little finish chip-out on the bass side of the repair so it's "natural" mahogany in that area and some flake-out at the crack edges, but like I said -- I've buffed it up so it's not troublesome-feeling. Someone into finish touch-ups could make it invisible and the repair is strong, good to go, and has been trouble-free for three months since I did it. Now back to my (slightly updated) earlier description...

Overview: This pretty-faced ES-335 is a Larry Carlton "Mr. 335" custom shop model. It's very much in debt to '60s-style ES-335s for its feel and sound and shares its forebears' narrower nut width, C-shaped neck profile, and fast feel. This thing really does feel quite like a little rocket to play and it has a clean, easy sound that will adapt to a ton of styles. It doesn't hurt that it's easy on the eyes as well.

Repairs included: It's had a fret level/dress and setup work plus a recent headstock repair (splits behind the nut area, long and with grain). It's playing bang-on and ready to go. Ancel had to give the frets a decent workout to get them leveled and dressed properly but they are near-full-height despite the work.