TALES FROM NERDVILLE
Guitar World|September 2023
TOOLS OF THE TRADE, PART 5 - The 1959 Blonde Gibson ES-345
Joe Bonamassa
TALES FROM NERDVILLE

TODAY, WE CONTINUE our “guitar safari” with a look at one of my favorite axes, the Gibson ES-345. The 345 and 355 are famous for their stereo pickup configuration and Varitone circuit, which is a six-position control with a rotary knob that allows you to switch between different predetermined frequency scoops, altering the EQ of the highs, mids and lows. I will get more into these variables in a moment.

The guitar in hand today is a 1959 ES-345 in a rare blonde finish. This particular guitar was found in a barn outside of Oakland, California, and made its way to me! I’ll go through the many different sounds one can get from this incredible instrument, using a stereo cable plugged straight into a 1963 Fender Vibroverb. To me, this guitar is a real “blues machine,” and I really love it!

This story is from the September 2023 edition of Guitar World.

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This story is from the September 2023 edition of Guitar World.

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