I've played 'em all, and this is one of the best guitars I've ever played (and now owned....), at any price. It rings, sings, snarls. It is incredibly lively and completely lacking the usual Gibson mid-range porridge that the standards usually have – very tonally balanced, and not overly gained either, unlike many standards (which makes it much easier to manage in a stage rig that includes Fenders too) - just lots of hair, snarl, punch and grit when you need it. Very articulate, very versatile – much more versatile than my (also high-spec) Les Paul. At 7.7lbs, its also pretty darned light for a 335, 2 whole pounds less than the USA standard ‘dot gloss’ it just replaced. The stripped-back VOS finish plays a large part in that, letting everything breathe much better, giving it a much airier sound – yes it looks a bit rusticated - which forum people are complaining about whilst missing the point- just listen to the difference it makes before you turn your nose up! Having said that, I liked this guitar a lot better than the other top-end VOS reissues i tried that cost £600+ more. The neck profile, in particular, is a real delight on this model. Meaty but easy to manage - the best of both worlds; just perfect! And it looks better and more distinctive than other reissues too. They all still have the usual Gibson snagging issues (wonky truss rod covers, uneven neck binding...) but that's part of the hand-made Gibson charm. I played two, side by side, and they were both fabulous, so the consistency is there. But each had its own little quirks, and the sunburst was much brighter on one of them, so there are definitely some finishing variations (i actually much preferred the darker, more subtle one, and that’s the one I bought). But the tone and buttery playability seem to be very consistent across different examples. The price is a steal really, given it’s not a significant markup over a 'Dot gloss' standard and this is worlds apart in terms of being real, 'raw connection', players' instrument. The forum snobs moaning and rolling eyes on the web about the JB signature are completely missing the opportunity that this guitar represents. Ok, on the face of it, the JB association is not an obvious one, and it figured precisely zilch in my purchase decision. But put that aside, and this is a real stunner with a uniquely satisfying spec sheet as 335s go, and I suspect that’s really why JB wanted them put out there, modelled on one of his favourite axes. Try before you decry! Snap 'em up while you can people - proper, proper, old school guitar, with a super specification, at a really keen price.
