Larry Carlton, the legendary session guitarist known for his work with Steely Dan and others, posted on Facebook yesterday that his iconic Gibson ES–335 has finally been recovered and returned by Air Berlin airlines.
The cherry sunburst Gibson went missing in mid–May when Carlton flew to Germany for a set of shows. According to posts on his Facebook, the Airline misplaced both his guitar and pedalboard, though the board was recovered by the time Carlton left Europe for New York.
In the weeks between losing the guitar and its recovery, Carlton has been playing loaner instruments for various gigs. On May 27, for instance, he posted on Facebook that for a Steely Dan show in Connecticut: "I'm going to go for it on this borrowed 1962 cherry red 335 that's a really good instrument."
Carlton’s use of a ES–335 built in 1968 is so notable that Gibson has reissued his specific model. Currently produced under the Gibson Memphis brand, it features “Carlton Burst,” named for the faded burst on Carlton’s own guitar, and a truss-rod cover reading Mr. 335. This signature model has been a constant on Gibson’s roster, going in and out of production for years.
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