Used Gibson ES 335 value?

$2000 seems low. You’d have to catch somebody in a bind to let it go for $2000.

Unless 2019’s were a particularly bad year. I know Gibson QC can or could swing wildly.

ETA. I stand corrected. Damned iPhone always watching. A 2019 ES-335 was on my Facebook feed for $2300. If you trust the validity of a marketplace listing, I stand corrected.

If it's about owning an honest to goodness 335 then yea, that seems like a great price. I'd make sure there isn't anything else wrong under the surface.

Do you know the seller or at least know if they purchased new? Any repairs/mods? More intel is your friend.

If you just wanted a 335 "style" for gigging or home playing there are probably cheaper options that would serve you just as well, btw. But they would lack the brand name it seems you're after.

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I believe people say quality really dropped post ~2007

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I don't really dive into the guitar board minutiae, but I'd have to imagine that anything "off" with a newer 335 is nothing a good setup can't fix. It's not like the formula has changed.

That being said, Gibson is being lapped by competitors for failing to innovate and continuing to have one of the higher price points around...

it makes sense to me bro! good luck with the wife haha.

I know Gibson has had some QC issues. Honestly would like to find an older one. I believe people say quality really dropped post ~2007. But again, this could be a great deal.

Gibson has suffered from QC and inconsistency from SN to SN for decades, as have most major brands that have high quantity demand. Doesn't really affect demand or value appreciation. What makes a guitar trash or treasure is subjectable, and if someone's buying and pleased with their purchase(s), it's a moot point.

Look at the absolutely ridiculous prices 70s Fenders and Gibsons currently command. That was the golden decade for both company's quantity-over-quality approach under CBS and Norlin respectively and subsequently meh product as a result. And many people still pay thousands for them swearing they are incredible. Who am I to argue?

On that note, you cannot go wrong with a cherry red 335 Dot, not only as a kickass player and a true slice of Americana but as a line item in an investment portfolio if you hang onto it long enough.

As for QC and inconsistencies ... the formulas and blueprints may have not changed, but the ingredients surely have.

You simply cannot get mahogany, rosewood or ebony as good today as you could 50 years ago, without spending a FORTUNE as a manufacturer. Mainly because you want old-growth woods, the woods have been overharvested, and even the greenest, most managed global resource stewardship cannot produce old growth hardwoods. The old-growth wood, well, it goes for a premium. Next time you scratch your head wondering about $3K, $4K, $6K, $8K guitars, look closely at the growth rings in the woods used to create it. That's why repurposed woods are all the rage among luthiers - not only is it conservation minded and good for not only the earth but for business in today's social and cultural climates ... it is simply the best way to get kickass wood in your build.

The magic of Fullerton-era Fender and McCarty-era Kalamazoo Gibson? That wonderful old growth wood, plus a fraction of the demand and subsequent quantity compared to today's global demand-fueled product output. Logs indicate Gibson made 434 Les Paul guitars in 1958 and 643 units in 1959. I can't find an exact number but I'd speculate that's about the number of units Nashville produces DAILY nowadays, of which most are various Les Paul models.

Wood is only one variable in the formula. Think about what it takes to produce say 300-400 high-end electric guitars a day, aka 40-50 guitars EVERY 60 MINUTES. From the number of employees with specialized skillsets, to how much time they can devote of their skillset to each unit that moves across their bench. Even if payroll wasn't an issue and you could fill the factory with the best of the best (and they don't) ... let's just thank gosh for modern tooling, CAD programming, CNC routing and pickup winding and other technologies that can work better, faster, longer and cheaper than humans.

It is amazing the guitars are as good as they are, quite honestly.

Just got wife approval....although it wasn't enthusiastic, haha

When she shakes her head and askes... "How many guitars do you need to own"... respond... "IDK, How many pairs of shoes do you need to own" and duck.

The guitar is now mine. Got it for $2100. The blemishes on the neck are difficult to find. The scratches on the front must be from cufflinks or a roght hand watch. They don't bother me at all. Hardly noticeable until you're up on it. Although I do still love my PRS Custom 24 se, this thing does sound sweet through the blues junior clean and I'm all giddy to play the limited amount I can play with it, haha.

When it's in your hand, does it play you? Is something magic happening, does it have something that inspires you?
If you pick it up and still play the same old thing, but it just sounds a little different, don't spend the money. Keep playing what you have, maybe make it better, and get better yourself. Wait for that perfect guitar.
My Takamine N10 sold the other day, such a fantastic guitar, but the cedar top just didn't have the sound I wanted. The guy that bought it, is a really great player, and the look on his face, when he first started playing it.. I just nod my head as he kept digging in.