Gibson Custom Shop "Art and Historic" 1959 ES-335 RI | Faded Lemon Burst

This mid-’90s Gibson Custom Shop Art & Historic 1959 Reissue ES-335 is the kind of piece that rarely surfaces in this configuration—especially with a genuinely high-grade figured top finished in Faded Lemon Burst, a colorway that reads understated at first glance and then absolutely lights up as the flame moves under natural light. In an era when most ES-335 reissues leaned plainer and more uniform, this one stands out as a true outlier: premium maple, unusually pronounced figure for the model and period, and a finish that amplifies depth rather than masking it.

What makes it even more compelling is the timing. The early-to-mid 1990s “Art & Historic” period sits at a pivotal moment for Gibson—when the Custom Shop approach was still small-batch, hands-on, and selection-driven, before later eras standardized specs and expanded volume. It was a “build it like it matters” mindset: fewer distractions, more focus on wood, feel, and the intangible stuff that separates a good reissue from a great one.

And while Bozeman is most often discussed in acoustic terms, the broader point is the same: the early Bozeman Custom Shop years helped define Gibson’s modern reputation for craft-forward, wood-led instruments, and that same early-’90s Custom Shop ethos is exactly what makes special electrics from this window so desirable today.

This is not just a ‘59-style 335—it’s a rare, visually exceptional, era-correct Custom Shop example with the kind of top you simply do not see every day.