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Gibson ES-325


Teahead

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Anyone have experience of these guitars? It's not a typo, apparently the 325 was a 'student' version of a 335 with mini-hums from the early '70s. One such guitar, currently without a Bigsby, has entered my fantasies and could possibly become a reality before long. I would've taken this to the guitar forum, but where's the fun in that?

 

ES325.jpg

 

:love::cool:

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I've never played mini-hums but believe them to be somewhere between regular 'buckers and P90s, which would suit me fine. Google tells me that there were only a thousand or so of these made and they have really skinny necks, Rickenbacker skinny, which is the only downside to an otherwise glorious looking guitar.

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I personally don't like the look, but if you like it and have the use for one then get one. And in my experience minihumbuckers are kind of in the middle of P90s and regular HBs. I think a good way to describe them is humbuckers with more snap. They're treblier and clearer in a way. My brother has a 60s Firebird with minihums. It's fantastic. He's also got a matching Thunderbird. Boy, do I want those.

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For some reason, these were popular for the Japanese builders to clone in the early 1970s. I've played a couple of these by different makers and they sounded good but the neck was really skinny in terms of nut width. I imagine the ES-325 is similar.

 

Elderly has one up here (http://www.elderly.com/items/40U-3494.htm) and the nut is 1 9/16", 39.6cm in metric, which really is thin. By comparison the Rickenbacker 360 and 330 guitars both measure 41.4 mm (1.63'') at the nut.

 

I love the walnut 335 look. It's a shame it seems the ones about now are 70's ones witht he smaller neck. There was a gorgeous walnut 335 in Capsule Music in Toronto a few years ago. Great colour.

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