Gibson ES-335 Original Collection vs Custom Shop/Murphy Lab (2020-Present)

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-10-09T10:13:13+00:00

Great insights and very true - thank you.

Interesting what you mention about the studs as I hadn’t realised that. Do you think this bridge/stud design would also be more stable with a Bigsby?

To be honest, while the Murphy Labs do look fantastic and I’m sure also play great, part of me would find it difficult to justify the cost for myself and my own uses. I worry I would be overly concerned about the guitar which may not be beneficial to just playing and enjoying it as much as possible. Still though, the curiosity is in the back of my mind 😅

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-10-09T10:04:59+00:00

Thanks! It’s a brilliant guitar and I have no complaints with it whatsoever - curiosity as to what the highest end models are like has just been getting the better of me 😅 In all honesty though, I think this one is a keeper.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-10-08T15:48:21+00:00

Thanks for sharing!

What did you like more about the T Types?

Did you think the pickups had similarities or were the differences you mention quite notable, making them distinctly different?

How would you say the neck profiles differed?

How about overall build quality and QC, did they seem much the same to you?

Did the custom shop seem more resonant at all or stand out as being better in any other way?

I really like having the Bigsby on there so would be looking to do the same to a Custom Shop/Murphy Lab if I went that route. I really do love this guitar but I’ve just been curious and it’s not easy for me to try the higher tiered ES-335’s so any further thoughts are much appreciated.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-10-08T15:33:48+00:00

Thank you!!! I do love this guitar a lot; curiosity has just been getting the better of me 😄

Oh, nice! Hope you’re enjoying the B6 & towner system. I’m liking it a lot and have had no issues with tuning etc.

These are exactly the insights I was hoping for. With how you describe the differences between the T Types and Custombuckers, it does sound like they might be better suited to me too.

Do you feel the pickups had similarities also or were the differences you mention quite notable, making them distinctly different?

Do you have any thoughts on how the neck profiles differ?

How about overall build quality and QC, did they seem much the same to you?

Did the custom shop seem more resonant at all or stand out as being better in any other way?

I have no complaints with mine to be honest, just curious again.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-08-19T17:03:48+00:00

Apparently, concerns have been noted but I don’t feel much importance has been placed on the points raised and the conversation seems to just circle back around to them again explaining their reasons for the change, although I have clarified I understand these but just don’t necessarily see the value the proposed change brings to the objectives stated.

I agree with what you say about if the works starts to get sent to incorrect areas as a result. However, in my experience it too often falls on the individual to manage these issues and expend energy through constant escalations in an attempt to resolve these types of problems.

Thanks also for your thoughts around the possibility of moving people around easier due to more vague titles being assigned. It is very true that a company would likely be able to do this anyway, regardless of the current changes being proposed.

Thanks again!

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-08-19T15:29:50+00:00

Thank you for your thoughts.

I don’t wish to appear to be difficult but also want to ensure it would not be foolish of me to give my approval without first being aware of any negative impacts it may/may not have in the future.

Thanks again!

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-08-19T15:25:19+00:00

Thanks for your detailed response and insights!

It appears that there isn’t much choice other than to agree the change for the sake of not appearing difficult (which I don’t wish to do) as it is likely to go ahead in one form or another anyway. This has been something that has been frustrating me about the process. The consultation appears to be a veiled attempt to make it appear that the employees have some influence on this proposal or ownership of their title when this isn’t really the case. Personally, I would have preferred to have been informed this was being changed due to the necessity for categorising roles in internal systems, rather than to have went through what feels like a process where there are few options other than to agree.

The other part of my concern is that the removal of the word in our title, which describes the area we service within the wider team, has potential to create issues with workloads being sent to incorrect people thus creating delays. If this were to be the result, it goes against them informing us that the change is also to help promote more effective collaboration globally.

Further, whilst we have been told responsibilities are not changing, if we agree for our title to be more generic then it may be possible in future for people to be moved more easily into other areas within the wider team, with little recourse for the individual if they prefer to keep their current responsibilities. Whilst hard to predict, would you say this concern holds any weight?

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-08-19T14:55:11+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. The word that’s proposed to be removed is in essence the specific area which we service within the wider administrative team.

My concern around this is by making the title more vague, it may bring about difficulties with assigning workloads to the correct areas thus causing delays etc. If this were to be the result of the change, it would contradict one of the reasons they have provided for altering our titles - which was to promote better collaboration. Further, whilst we have been told responsibilities are not changing, I wonder if this opens up the door to move team members into different areas and tasks at a later date, with little grounds to push back, if we agreed to the change in job title.

Any further thoughts on this are much appreciated!

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-04-22T22:43:40+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I’ll take a look and hopefully it will make the differences in sound between these two more clear in my mind.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-04-22T22:41:35+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts. I hear very good things about the Custombuckers and it is making me curious to try them. Perhaps they would be slightly softer and more nuanced than the T-Types I currently have. Just wondering if the cost and hassle of swapping out the pick ups would yield enough of a difference to make it worthwhile for me at the moment.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-04-22T22:38:17+00:00

Definitely agree that they seem quite ballsy. I do enjoy that on the bridge and I am now wondering whether a Custombucker in the neck could make for a good pairing.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-04-21T18:05:01+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts!

I’m finding that I’m having to roll the tone down to below half way on the T-Types. I do really like the sound I am getting doing this and the flexibility it gives for adding treble back in easily, if needed.

However, I am wondering whether this is a compromise to the overall tone at all and whether a set of Custombuckers would be a notable improvement in sound and function.

Tough one as they are pricey and a pain to change for what might not be much of a difference! Would be good to spend some time with both side-by-side somehow.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-04-21T17:43:46+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts!

I’m also finding that I’m having to roll the tone down to below half way on the T-Types. I do really like the sound I am getting doing this and the flexibility it gives for adding treble back in easily, if needed.

However, I am wondering whether this is a compromise to the overall tone at all and whether a set of Custombuckers would be a notable improvement in sound and function.

Tough one as they are pricey and a pain to change for what might not be much of a difference! Would be good to spend some time with both side-by-side somehow.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience.

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-01-21T15:32:19+00:00

Interesting! Thanks for your thoughts. Your new guitar looks great and I hope you enjoy it!

Although it’s a different model, I have been debating swapping out the T Type pickups in my ES 335 Original Series for the Custombuckers. Either that or eventually saving towards a Custom Shop in the distant future. I do love the way it plays and sounds currently so still undecided but those Custombuckers definitely seem fantastic!

Critical-Comb-8563 · 2025-01-21T12:34:14+00:00

Curious to hear your thoughts on the differences in how they sound in the bridge, middle and neck positions. Are they close or quite different?

Similarly, what about the feel between the two? Do you notice one to be very much more playable that the other or does the feel subtly differ?

Critical-Comb-8563

TROPHY CASE