The ES-335, 345 and 355, all came with a semi-hollow body: the wood of the top and back was maple and there was a maple center block inside the guitars which ran the length of the body all the way to the mahogany neck, with a rosewood fingerboard.

What the variotone did is allow users to switch to predefined frequency scoops which kept highs and lows.

One reason was that the ES-345 and the ES-355 each required a 'Y' cable and a TRS jack to separate the pickup signals.

The original ES-345 came with nickel parts covered in gold and PAF (pickup)s.[1] In 1959 and 1960 the pickguard was long, extending all the way to the bridge but it was shortened in 1961.

[3] From 1959-1963 Gibson had a Stoptail bridge but beginning in 1964 they began installing a gold trapeze tailpiece on the ES-345s.