The Gibson Memphis ES330 VOS model is now discontinued, along with the Memphis plant, but is a great re-creation of a late 1950’s ES-330. Introduced in 1959, the ES-330 took visual cues from the new and very successful ES-335, but is uses a fully hollow body without a solid center block. A pair of under-wound P-90s provide great tone. Until about 1963, the ES330 and its cousin the Epiphone Casino set the neck joint at the 16th fret but subsequently the joint was shifted to the 19th fret, allowing easier access to higher frets.
Epiphone
This Epiphone Zephyr Deluxe was built around 1947 based on the middle-position pickup type and location, control layout and the serial number. The serial is ‘75194’ with the 75 being a prefix for this model and the ‘194’ its production rank; this serial scheme was used from 1944 to 1950. The top is Laminate Spruce, the back and sides Laminate Maple and the neck a five piece layup of Maple and Walnut.
Based closely on the currently-discontinued Gibson signature model, the Epiphone BB King Lucille is an affordable and rather good entry into the world of thinline archtop electrics. The late, great B B King continues to have an outsized influence on blues stylings. His use of tasteful restraint combined with a wicked vibrato and an outstanding voice provide many points of emulation for countless players. For many years, BB King used top of the line Gibson thinline electric guitars, primarily the ES-355 and ES-345. Because he was the frontman and band leader, his amps would be set to maximum with stage volume controlled from the guitar; this kept his attention to the audience.
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MORE →The design for the Gibson ES330TD – the TD stands for Two Pickup, Double Cutaway – was an outgrowth of Gibson president Ted McCarty’s desire to offer a new, modern guitar to jazz players. The first item on the list was double cutaways, which at the time were not available on really any archtop guitars. The first model to use this format, and with a solid center block to reduce feedback, was the 1958 ES-335. The ES-355 and ES-345 soon followed, and to round out the line, the fully hollow Gibson ES300TD was added.
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MORE →The Epiphone by Gibson Sheraton II appeared with the ‘by Gibson’ logo for only two years or so, ending around 1988; these were built in the Samick shops in Korea and are excellent instruments. The original Epiphone Sheraton was built from 1958 to 1970, and Gibson had purchased the remains of Epiphone 1957. Their introduction was concurrent with the launch of Gibson’s new ES-3×5 line, a revolutionary design that added a solid center block to a thin-body electric archtop.
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MORE →Built from 1959 to 1972, the Gibson ES330 is essentially the same as the 1961 ES-230 Epiphone Casino, a double cutaway, fully hollow model with a pair of P-90 pickups. From a short distance, the Gibson ES330 looks very much like the ES-335 models, but there is a key construction difference in the lack of the center block. The body is otherwise similar, with Laminate Maple for the top, back and sides, with Mahogany for the neck and a bound Indian Rosewood fingerboard.
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