Gibson ES-345 - VB

Gibson's latest ES-345 semi-hollow looks and plays like a 335 enhanced. Intact are the original '64 Split Parallelogram fingerboard inlays and rich multi-ply cream body binding. But gone are the 6-way Varitone circuit (loved by some, reviled by others) and stereo outputs. In their stead, you'll find a standard two-volume/two-tone control complement and speedy 3-way toggle. Where things get really interesting are the handwired Calibrated T-Type pickups with Orange Drop caps. This gives the 345 a mature and expressive tone that rivals some of the finest Thinlines ever built.

The Gibson ES-345 also features a '50s-style Rounded "C" mahogany neck — a decidedly chunkier profile than the '60s SlimTaper — joined to a 3-ply maple-poplar archtop body with bold Adirondack spruce bracing for great tone and attack. Paired with Gibson's acclaimed ABR-1 TOM bridge and aluminum stopbar for enhanced performance and stylized by a set of Vintage Keystone tuners and Black Top Hat knobs with Silver Reflectors, the ES-345 is one playing experience you're not likely to soon forget.