Click on the images to view a larger version.
This guitar started life with a rather nondescript version of Gibson's walnut finish. The present owner is a Moody Blues fan, and bought it with the intention of getting it refinished in translucent blue. Apparently Gibson made a couple of blue 335s in 1974 when Justin Hayward was cutting his Blue Guitars album. Hayward had one, and the other was given way as a prize in the US. This was quite a tricky project, as the walnut stain had to be removed from the wood without sanding through the top veneer. Strangely, the wood used for the back was of a much better quality than the front. As usual, re-installing the electrics was an exercise in patience.