❌ SOLD ❌ Gibson CS-336 F Figured Thinline Archtop Electric Guitar Cherry, 2004

While it has strong visual similarities to the popular ES-339, the Gibson CS-336 has significant differences in construction. Instead of using separate materials for the top, back and sides, the CS-336 has back and sides carved from a single block of mahogany.

The Gibson CS-336 came out of the Custom Shop in 2001, five years after the introduction of the ES-339.  It is a 13 inch wide small body version of the classic ES-335 design with some differences. While the ES models use laminated maple for the top, back and sides, the body of  the CS-336 is built in two pieces.  The top is bookmatched, carved figured Maple and the back and sides are cut and carved from a block of Mahogany.   This carving produces chambering and supports for the top; apparently this concept goes back to Orville Gibson. The neck is the same design on both variants, Mahogany with a 24.75 inch scale bound Rosewood fingerboard.

This CS-336 F, for Figured Top, dates to 2004 and is in all original, very good condition with almost no fret wear.  The original Custom Shop Certificate is included in the case. It plays well, and shows off how comfortable the small body design is for players who aren’t over about 5 ft 10. It has a cherry finish, done in Gibson’s standard nitrocellulose lacquer and this is showing its natural tendency to sink into the wood pores. There are very few marks on the guitar and those are minor.

You might notice a slightly unusual aspect of the way this guitar is set up. The strings are wrapped over the stop-bar tailpiece, rather than being strung through the back then directly up to the bridge. This technique was often seen on Duane Allman’s guitars.  It allows the tailpiece to be low to increase sustain, but with a shallower break-over angle at the bridge.  This slightly increases string flexibility and reduces any tendency for strings to break at the saddle.