Used 2013 Gibson Memphis Chris Cornell ES-335 Signature – VOS, #37 of 250

Sonic Evaluation

Playing this Chris Cornell Signature ES-335 was a genuinely special, moving experience for me. Like many people with excellent taste and perfect opinions, I love Soundgarden, especially Badmotorfinger. Let me tell you, when I tuned this serial to drop D and played the opening riff to Outshined, it was absolutely magical. The best signature guitars are like portals in the universe of your favorite artist, and this guitar made me feel like I was IN Soundgarden. In a word, it was awesome! I felt like I was wielding one of my favorite recorded guitar tones in real life, and that got the creativity flowing immediately, so much so that I had to unplug and turn the faucet off or else this evaluation would never get written!

In practical terms, what made it so inspiring? Well, the Lollartron pickups are simply marvelous, for one. The have this amazing snarl and bite that seems to bring out the meanest parts of your disposition, and an an uber-articulate attack that captures the percussive qualities of your pick or finger strike quite clearly. The bridge pickup sounds big but well-defined, and it has ample low end to go with gorgeous sparkling highs and midrange that bites like an underfed junkyard dawg. The neck pickup walks right up to the line of "too much," then backs off a little, and it sounds juuuust right--Goldilocks-approved! The low-end response is massive, the midrange broad and throaty, and the highs sweet and surprisingly weighty. Both pickups have excellent clarity and can handle complex chords even with a good amount of gain.

Though this Chris Cornell Signature ES-335 is certainly a collector's item as only 250 were ever made, it's also a true sonic titan capable of inspiring you to break your rusty cage and run. I'm sure whatever lucky player winds up with this serial will agree that it cannot be outshined!

Condition Report

This Chris Cornell Signature ES-335 is in marvelous condition! It shows hardly any signs of use, and the only real imperfections worth noting are some areas where the VOS finish has burnished slightly from normal use. It comes with its original hardshell case and a certificate of authenticity, too!