Before 1952 Gibson produced only hollow body
guitars, which are prone to feedback when amplified loudly. That
year saw the introduction of their first solid body, the Gibson
Les Paul, based on Les Paul's experiment, "The Log," which was
merely a fence post with a neck, hardware, and pickup attached.
By 1958 Gibson was making a few solid body models which had much
lower feedback and better sustain, but lacked the darker, warmer
tone and unamplified volume of hollow bodies. The ES-335 is an
attempt to find a middle ground: a warmer tone than a solid body
with almost as little feedback. Though semi-hollow bodies like
the ES-335 are essentially a compromise of earlier designs, for
the same reason they are extremely flexible as evidenced by the
ES-335's popularity in a wide range of music, including blues,
jazz, and rock.