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Up for sale is a rare and beautiful 2000 Gibson Custom Shop ES-346 in a gorgeous Gingerburst finish with a highly figured carved maple top. Produced only briefly in its original form, the ES-346 is one of Gibson’s more unusual and interesting semi-hollow designs from this era and should not be confused with the closely related Paul Jackson Jr. Signature model.

Introduced in the late 1990s, the ES-346 took a distinctly different approach from Gibson’s traditional ES-335 construction. Rather than a laminated maple body assembled around a separate center block, the ES-346 features a chambered mahogany body with the back, sides and central structure carved from the mahogany body blank and capped with a solid carved figured maple top. The result is a compact semi-hollow with exceptional acoustic resonance and a character all its own.

The Paul Jackson Jr. Signature was subsequently introduced as a closely related variation of the ES-346, and the two models overlapped for a period before the PJJ version ultimately superseded the original ES-346. This 2000 example is the original non-signature ES-346, featuring a rosewood fingerboard with no Paul Jackson Jr. signature or model markings. The PJJ model also had an ebony fingerboard. These original ES-346s were produced for a relatively short period (1997-2000) and are considerably less commonly encountered than Gibson’s mainstream ES models.

The guitar retains its original pair of Gibson ’57 Classic humbuckers and is all original with the exception of the strap buttons. The original bound pickguard is present, as is the original Gibson CS hardshell case. No paperwork is included.

Cosmetically, the guitar is in solid Very Good condition for its age. The most notable blemish is a ding on the top near the lower bout, which can be seen in the photos. There are also light scratches and finish swirling throughout, pick scratches on the pickguard, tarnishing on the bridge pickup, a handful of very small scattered dings and the beginnings of some light buckle/worming marks on the back. Please examine the photos closely for an accurate representation of the cosmetic condition and please excuse any reflections. Overall, it remains an extremely attractive example, and the figured maple top displays beautifully from different angles.

This was recently given a pro setup with a set of .010–.046 strings so it plays amazingly with a straight neck, low action, and accurate intonation. The original frets look great still with no discernible wear to speak of.

Specifications:

• Year: 2000
• Model: Gibson Custom Shop ES-346
• Finish: Sunburst
• Construction: Chambered mahogany body with solid carved figured maple top
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Compound Fingerboard Radius 10”-12”
• Inlays: Split parallelogram
• Pickups: Original Gibson ’57 Classic humbuckers
• Hardware: Gold
• Weight: 7 lbs 6.79 oz
• Nut width: 1.705”
• Neck thickness at 1st fret: .795”
• Neck thickness at 12th fret: .950”
• Original electronics
• Original bound pickguard
• Non-original strap buttons
• Original Gibson hardshell case
• No paperwork
• Condition: Very Good

It will be carefully packed, require a signature upon delivery and shipped fully insured.

—Northside Buy & Sell