Fender American Custom Strat NOS MN Honey Blonde

When we first contacted Thom Fowle, head of the Gibson Custom Shop, about this 63 ES-335, we already knew pretty much what Gibson should build for us. A guitar that should be as close as possible to the best originals from 1963. What we didn't know at the time: the M2M program was already history. The option of having instruments manufactured by the Custom Shop even in very small numbers within the "Made 2 Measure" program was canceled at the end of 2019. The reason was actually positive: Gibson had brought the legendary Tom Murphy back in order to produce a fixed program of Les Paul's, SG's, ES models, Firebirds etc. at the highest level and with various ages with a small team. Since it was foreseeable that this task would tie up all resources, the end of the M2M program was decided at the same time. Despite all the uncertainties, Fowle, one of the nicest people on this planet, had examined some originals, presorted suitable woods and worked with us to determine the right color. In the meantime it was also clear how many of these ER models should be built. We agreed on 2 pieces in Vintage Burst, 3 models in a not too dark "Sixties Cherry" and one model in "Pelham Blue". In May 2020 the final OK came from Nashville - the instruments would be built for us and Tom Murphy and his team would take care of the desired aging!

The guitars delivered so far have exceeded our expectations! This is exactly how you imagine a carefully guarded top-class ES from 1963! The sound is incredibly lively and percussive, even harder riffs come out of the speakers with springiness and power. There is more than enough sustain in all registers and the tone tilts beautifully into its overtones without the amp having to be particularly wide open. Great guitar!