Pickguard for Gibson Memphis 335 • Absolute Vintage Collection • 1959 Replica Long Guard Five-ply Black
One of the things we love most about vintage Gibsons from the late 50s is how much character they have. So much of the work that went into them was done by hand. You see evidence of this in the fit of the pickguards on the '59 Burst. Most of them have a gap under the neck pickup ring. What may have been considered a mistake back then is now a detail that must be duplicated when creating a proper replica.
The 335 is no exception. Every one we've seen from 1959 has a gap above the bridge ring. And just like the Burst guards, the fit tends to be loose all the way around. The 5-ply material has a wide bevel cut with a router and you can feel the chatter marks when you touch the edge. The old guards also have a narrower shape than the reissues, and they're longer, extending to the back of the bridge.
The template for this pickguard was made with measurements taken from an original 1959 ES-335. It is designed to replace the short pickguard on a Gibson USA 335 with no mods to the guitar. The last image on the left shows the fit on a 2012 ES-335 Figured Top.
Available in your choice of two finishes:
- NOS: Designed to have the appearance of recently discovered unaged vintage parts.
- LIX Patina: LIX is the Roman Numeral for 59. These parts are aged in our shop to have the look and feel of well-loved pieces from that era.
Please make your selection from the menu at the top of this description.
Neck screw-hole placement (to the center of the hole) is 7.7 mm from the edge of the fretboard, and 5 mm from the top of the pickup ring.
Mounting hardware not included.
Handcrafted in USA.