A magnificent Gibson Custom Shop (Memphis) ES-355 from the 2011 Summer Jam — serial SJM006, with the special Summer Jam logo and hand-written serial on the back of the headstock. Twenty-five of these were built for and exhibited at Gibson's 2011 Summer Jam (part of a total run of 50 — 25 for the event, 25 for dealers).

Heavy-flame bourbon burst — one of the all-time great Gibson finishes — over curly maple top, back, and sides, with mother-of-pearl block inlays on a bound ebony board, a bound split-diamond headstock, dual '57 Classic humbuckers, and gold hardware throughout. A thinline semi-hollow equally at home in jazz, blues, and rock: warm, vocal, and articulate the whole length of the neck. Plays like a dream with slinky low action; frets in tip-top shape.

Provenance. #006 was first sold new by Wildwood Guitars — and Greg Koch demoed this exact guitar for Wildwood on YouTube in 2012.

She later passed through Chicago's SS Vintage, sold at auction in Florida, and reached me via a Reverb seller who'd owned her for some time – making sure that she was serviced and set up yearly by Mike Lull in Bellevue, WA. This is a guitar that collectors have plainly prized — but she deserves to be played, because she sounds glorious.

One honest note. On the treble-side (high-E) horn there's a lacquer/finish check — shown up close in the photos so you can judge it yourself. In the interest of full transparency: it isn't visible in the 2012 Wildwood demo, so it appeared at some point after. It's cosmetic — the guitar plays and sounds unaffected, and is otherwise in excellent condition.

Why I'm selling. I've shattered my right shoulder and I'm simply not playing her enough — and she deserves better than sitting in a case.

Includes the original Gibson Custom hardshell case and COA.

How others have described SJM006:

SS Vintage (Chicago): near-mint and 100% original — "gorgeous flame maple top & back… exceptional playability, with slinky low action".

Wildwood Guitars: "one of our favorite Gibson finishes — bourbon burst… playability and tone are absolutely killer on this one".

Specs

• 2011 Gibson Custom Shop (Memphis), Summer Jam limited edition — SJM006
• Finish: heavy-flame Bourbon Burst, gloss
• Top / body: curly maple; curly maple back and sides · multi-ply binding
• Neck: 1-piece mahogany, 24¾" scale · Board: bound ebony, MOP blocks, 12" radius
• Pickups: dual '57 Classic humbuckers · 2 volume / 2 tone / 3-way
• Hardware: gold · ABR bridge + stopbar tailpiece · Grover Kidney tuners
• Nut width: 1‑11/16" · Weight: 8.27 lbs (per Wildwood)
• Includes: original Gibson Custom hardshell case + COA