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.

Year: 1999
Body Style: Semi-hollow double cutaway
Top Wood: Laminated maple/poplar/maple w/ figured (flame) maple veneer
Back & Sides Wood: Laminated maple/poplar/maple
Center Block: Solid maple
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Neck Profile: Historic rounded profile (’50s-style carve)
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Inlays: Dot
Scale Length: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1.69"
Finish: Natural Flame nitrocellulose lacquer
Pickups: Gibson ’57 Classic humbuckers (neck & bridge)
Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle
Bridge: ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece: Stopbar tailpiece
Tuners: Kluson-style tuners
Manufacture Location: Gibson Custom Shop — Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Case: Original Gibson Custom Shop hard case
Condition: Excellent with no major signs of wear — just light, honest playwear consistent with a 27-year-old guitar. Comes with the original Gibson hardshell case.