Double NGD. - Vintage and reissue Gibson

John_P · November 2018

It's been a busy weekend of buying and trading but I’m super happy with the new additions.

Firstly a trip to Guitars4You to collect a 1961 ES345. Mark is definitely one of the best retailers I’ve come across and we could have spent ages chatting about guitars. The guitar is even better than I expected and I feel very lucky to be the new custodian.

Next I bumped into another Mark aka Jerkmoans and did a motorway services trade in the style typical of GAS pirates and I collected a 63 reissue ES335. A beautiful guitar that will hopefully be my main gigging guitar.

terada · November 2018

Beautiful.

Iamnobody · November 2018

Nice pair. I’ve got a VOS ‘63 - it’s got similar dark pattern (cathedral?) to yours on the lower bout I’d be interested how the two compare in your mind (although I appreciate the 61 isn’t all original).

guitars4you · November 2018

Thanks John - Glad you had a good trip/day out

Nice pair of red cherries with good curves

Best wishes - Mark

shaunm · November 2018

How do they compare mate?

Great score there, as good as it gets

John_P · November 2018

shaunm said:

How do they compare mate?

Great score there, as good as it gets

The reissue is a great guitar for sure - plays great, sounds great and should suit me perfectly for a lot of gigs. The 61 feels older and has more of a vibe to it - the vos aging on the ri is good but it still feels like a modern guitar in comparison- you can feel the 61 has lived. The old one has a thinner neck - still plenty on it but it’s noticeably thinner than the modern guitar. Soundwise and to a degree playing wise there is a little more meat on the reissue and it feels a bit more rock if that makes any sense. Both feel like keepers and I’m instantly comfortable on either so hopefully they will be here for many many years but if I had a sudden need to raise some cash it’s the 61 that would stay - still haven’t got my head around the idea of owning a 1961 Gibson.