In pictures: Gibson ES-335 Studio unboxed

Gibson ES-335 Studio

It’s been 55 years since Gibson first unleashed the semi-hollow ES-335, and now the company’s Memphis division has seen fit to update the model by removing the f-holes and upping the spec for rock and punk players.

We’ve got our hands on the ES-335 Studio, and we’ve unboxed and shot it in all its hyper-reflective glory. A brave new take or a step too far? Let us know what you think.

For the full review of the Gibson ES-335 Studio, check out Total Guitar issue 245, on sale 2 September.

For £1,099, you not only get the ES-335 Studio, but also this sharp-looking Gibson gigbag

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Gibson ES-335 Studio

Well, hello there! Here’s our ES-335 Studio in a nitrocellulose lacquer Midnight Blue, but you can also grab one in Ebony

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Gibson ES-335 Studio

That nitro finish sure is reflective –try to ignore our glorious post room lighting and note the single super-hot Dirty Fingers Plus humbucker

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Gibson ES-335 Studio

The trapeze tailpiece is nothing but classy

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Gibson ES-335 Studio

An elegant – or obnoxious, depending on your viewpoint – tortoise shell neck joint cover appears at the end of the baked maple fingerboard

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Gibson ES-335 Studio

And the tortoise shell returns for the truss rod cover, which graces the blacker-than-black Gibson headstock

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Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.