GIBSON MEMPHIS 1961 ES-330 VOS WITH BIGSBY
The hollow body ES-330 is an under-appreciated guitar, though shrewd players have long admired it for its warm, blooming tone. Unlike it’s better-known sibling the ES-335, the 330 lacks a centreblock, which imparts a distinctive and lively resonance to it that is, for many, an advantage that offsets its increased vulnerability to feedback at louder stage volumes. In practice, that lack of centreblock gives a vibrancy to the voice of the guitar that you really should try if you’ve only played centreblock semis in the past.
With clean vintage examples steadily increasing in value, one way to experience the unique virtues of the ES-330 is via the guitars of Gibson Memphis, the division that makes the company’s hollow and semi-hollow models, which has garnered a reputation for quality and compellingly authentic vintagespec instruments. This svelte blond example currently resides in the showrooms of World Guitars at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire . The spec is modelled on that of a ‘61 ES-330 and retains the fuller ‘Micky Mouse’ horns that were slimmed down from 1962, resulting in a sleeker but arguably less classic outline.
One departure from tradition, however, is gloriously evident: the lush figuring of the 3-ply maple/ poplar/maple top was not a feature of original vintage examples, which were rather plain by comparison, but looks superb and entirely fitting – especially with the subtle VOS ageing. It remains one of our favourite takes on the relic-ing concept because of the understated vibe of having been nicely played-in that it imparts to Gibson’s guitars.
The neck has a slender Slim 61 profile that’s pleasant and undemanding to play, while the guitar weighs in at a little under 7lbs, making it no hardship to wear through the course of a long session. Evocative and just a little different, you could do a lot worse than giving a 330 of this calibre a try if you’re in the market for a classic Gibson semi.