1964 ES-345 Reissue, Ultra Light Aged Classic White

The Gibson Custom Select 1964 ES-345, Murphy Lab Ultra Light is a rare, classic model with an unusual finish. Made by the artisans at Gibson Custom, Gibson Custom Select guitars are crafted in small batches with hand-selected features. With eye-catching finishes and special hardware, the Gibson Custom Select Collection is curated by guitar aficionados. This Gibson Custom Select 1964 ES-345 sports a subtle appearance with its Classic White finish and nickel hardware.

In the late-1950s, Ted McCarty combined hollow body and solid body designs with the birth of the ES-335. The semi-hollow design reduces feedback that is generated by hollow body guitars, along with providing extra sustain that is lost in a completely hollow design. The ES-335 was born in 1958, and the ES-345 was later introduced in 1959 with its deluxe appointments. The Gibson ES-345 is the next level from the well-known ES-335 with more detailed trim throughout the guitar. The triple-bound body with split parallelogram inlays on the fingerboard showcases the refinement and evolution from the ES-335.

This 1964 ES-345 is a meticulous re-creation from Gibson’s Golden Era with period-correct features from the neck profile to the body contours and construction. For the first few years of the ES-345, the neck profile when from a thin profile in 1961, and then gradually back to a thicker profile in 1964, similar to those found in 1959. The 1964 Chunky D-Shape neck profile replicates that thicker neck carve, measuring .874” at the 1st fret and .957” at the 12th fret. The body is pressed with the original equipment from the Gibson Craftory from Kalamazoo, Michigan. This vintage machine sandwiches two pieces of maple with a piece of polar, forming the contours of the guitar just like these guitars have been made since 1958. A long neck tenon joins the body with hot hide glue, ensuring a solid connection throughout the instrument.

Only available as a custom-ordered model through Gibson Custom Select and Made to Measure, the ES-345 is a rare bird. While ES-345s are usually finished in Sixties Cherry or Vintage Sunburst with gold hardware, this guitar has a clean and understated presence in its Classic White finish with nickel hardware. The Murphy Lab Ultra Light aging process provides natural weather checking throughout the guitar, and the aged nickel hardware matches the slightly aged finish.

The Gibson ES-345 is a model that flies under the radar, but for those in the know, this ES-345 is unusual and stylish. Its elegant appearance comes from the hand-picked details that are derived from the Gibson Custom Select Collection. This guitar comes complete with a 1960s hardshell case with a black exterior and yellow interior along with a Gibson Custom Certificate of Authenticity.