SOLD! - 2014 Gibson ES-335 Rich Robinson '63 VOS Heritage Cherry Bigsby

Are you a Black Crowes fan? Then you've probably heard Rich Robinson's vintage 1963 Gibson ES-335. But when Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on 29 October 2012, among the damaged buildings was a storage facility belonging to The Black Crowes. 
 
Rich Robinson's prized, all-original 1963 Gibson ES-335 was among many instruments that suffered severe water and mould damage, and only a remarkable year-long restoration project by Kentucky-based luthiers RS Guitarworks could save it. "They had to put it in a dry room," explains Robinson, "get rid of all the mould, take everything apart and refinish - basically rebuild the guitar. It came back all original."
 
In the midst of the process, he went to Gibson and asked them to build him a guitar to the same vintage original specs. The resulting VOS instrument was so outstanding, Gibson Memphis produced a limited edition of 500 worldwide. 
 
"It really turned out better than I had hoped," says Rich. "I'm really happy with it. It's very cool, it plays well. I've always liked the way 335's feel and the sounds I can get out of them. The first record I used them on was The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion in '92. I used my '63 all over that and pretty much every record since. It's a guitar that's been with me forever. I mean, the more guitars I've collected over the years, I always still went to that one. That's where I am."
 
The new Rich Robinson ES-335 nails exactly what he loves in a vintage early ’60s ES-335: killer authentic faded-Cherry looks, creamy yet clear PAF tones, and the added versatility of a genuine Bigsby vibrato with traditional “Custom Made” plaque to cover the stopbar stud holes.
 
This “small block” incarnation of the fabled ES-335 is dear to the hearts of many great players, and you’ll find its full mojo embodied in the Rich Robinson ES-335. Built to the original ES-335 semi-hollow design with a body made from maple laminates and a solid center block to cut feedback and enhance sustain, this is one of the most adaptable electrics on the planet, excelling at anything from jazz, to pop, to country, to flat-out Black Crowes-certified rock’n’roll.  Rich’s preferred neck profile makes it superbly comfortable to play, and there’s a little extra real estate at the 1.711”-wide nut to give you plenty of room to roam.
 
Specs:
- serial 40890  425 / 500
- Hand-crafted in the USA by Gibson's Custom Shop luthiers in the Memphis Tennessee plant
- A superb VOS (vintage original spec) Cherry Nitrocellulose finish
- Burstbucker 1 and 2 pickups deliver outstanding vintage tone
- 1.711" nut width (slightly wider than the normal 1.687")
- Small block fingerboard inlays
- Aged vintage binding
- "Custom Made" plaque covering the stop tailpiece holes
- Genuine Bigsby B7 vibrato tailpiece
- Gibson Brown hardshell case included
- signed Gibson Memphis COA Certificate of Authenticity