Eric Clapton’s 1964 Gibson ES-335 shows that despite the unqualified success of the ES-335, Gibson could not resist “upgrading” it’s basic semi-hollowbody model.

Late in 1959, little more than a year later after the ES-335’s introduction, Gibson added an optional cherry stain finish.

Early in 1961, the pickguard was shortened by a few inches. Also in 1961, white nylon saddles replaced the metal saddles in the tune-o-matic bridge.

And in mid-1962, small pearloid block inlays replaced the orginal dots on the fingerboard.

For the most part, the changes were small and insignificant from a player’s point of view, and they did not impede Clapton’s performance with this guitar on Cream’s recording of “Crossroads”.

Gibson continued to meddle with the 335. Unlike the cosmetic upgrades, the replacement of the stopbar tailpiece with a trapeze in late 1964 was detrimental, and the addition of a coil tap in 1977 was gratuitious. Gibson finally came back to it’s senses in 1981 and reverted back to the original “dot-neck” version.