Gibson Dave Grohl ES-335

Gibson brings back the Dave Grohl ES-335 Signature for another limited run release, now with two finishes – Pelham Blue and Gold Metallic.

Gibson Dave Grohl ES-335

Although not mentioned in the official press release, it is said that only 200 Pelham blue and 400 Gold Metallic guitars are planned for production, and with so much interest for this particular mode, it looks like availability for this guitar won’t last long.

Although I have to agree that this signature 335 is probably one of the coolest that Gibson currently offers, I’m quite concerned about the price tag which reportedly starts at $3,699 for the gold finish model, and goes as high as $6,999 for the blue version! Note that blue and ebony versions of the Dave Grohl ES-335 were released back in 2007, then named DG-335.

Still, the guitar’s extravagant price tag has not kept guitarists from pre-ordering one for themselves, with some retailers already reporting that the Dave Grohl ES-335 is already sold out – and this is before the official release date of November 17, 2014!

The official description says, “In his successful segue from drummer with legendary Nirvana to guitarist, singer and songwriter with Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl has eternally secured his reputation as one of the most influential alternative rockers of our time. Dave’s choice of electric guitar–surprising to some, a traditionally inspired semi-acoustic–further emphasizes his individuality, and declares his dedication to tone, style, and classic Gibson quality. To celebrate Dave’s achievements, Gibson Memphis introduces the Dave Grohl ES-335, a guitar made in the tradition of the great thinline vintage semi-acoustics, with Dave’s signature apparent from every angle in its distinctive looks, sound and feel.

As the name implies, this guitar stays true to the ES-335 design combined with Dave Grohl approved modifications including the diamond f-holes and the Firebird style headstock.

Aside from the obvious ES-335 reference, this signature guitar is said to be inspired by the Trini Lopez model from the ’60s which Dave has played on various occasions with his band, the Foo Fighters. The end result being a classic looking instrument with a modern appeal.

It starts off with a semi-hollow body built using laminated 3-ply maple/poplar/maple wood, shaped into the familiar double cutaway ES-335 profile. A solid maple core separates the two chambers, while the diamond f-holes will give you a peak inside the guitar’s thinline maple body.

The body is glued to a mahogany neck via a large mortise-and-tenon joint, The neck is topped by a one-piece rosewood fretboard that has a total of 22 frets, radius of 12″, and a nutwidth of 1.6875″.

As for the sound, this Dave Grohl ES-335 comes with two Burstbucker pickups, a hotter #3 on the bridge position and a warmer #2 on the neck. The pickups are wired to a conventional circuit that includes a 3-way pickup selector, two dedicated tone knobs and two volume knobs for each pickup.

As you may have noticed, there’s nothing that is out of the ordinary when you look at the guitar’s material or specs, so it’s popularity is quite surprising, and may very well be due to the artist signature itself. Well, the use of the Firebird headstock on an ES-335 thinline guitar is quite distinct, and matches the diamond sound holes nicely, so that too could be a factor.

Other features of the Dave Grohl ES-335 include acrylic split-diamond inlays, Corian nut, PLEK setup, ABR bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and mini-Grover tuners. For more information and other details, head over to Gibson.

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2 thoughts on “Gibson Dave Grohl ES-335”

  1. 18 months on tour why didn't Gibson do a reissue
    Christine

    Why hasn’t Gibson re issued this for sale to foo fans? Foos have been on the road for 18 months, if they had issued this with the head shown above so fans know they are getting the one Grohl prefers for $3,495. they’d all be sold. The ES-335 appears on ebay but in the dark blue with the regular head (not the angle). There is one gold metallic right now but we want the light blue. How does Gibson not know this? They should have done a production run in 2017.

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