Epiphone Futura ES-355 Midnight Ember Shift

A Legendary ES Designed for the Futura Series

The ES-355 is part of the great history of semi-hollow guitars, appreciated for their unique balance between the warmth of a hollow body and the stability of a solid body. With the Futura ES-355, Epiphone retains the DNA of this iconic design while adapting it to current needs: comfort, reliability on stage, and truly usable electronic options in rehearsal as well as in the studio.

This version emphasizes "performance" choices: stainless steel frets for minimal wear, ebony fingerboard with a crisp feel, compound radius for smooth chord transitions and bends, and locking hardware for better tuning stability. The result remains an ES at heart, but with a more direct response and decidedly contemporary ergonomics.

For Which Guitarists and Styles?

The Futura ES-355 is primarily aimed at intermediate to advanced guitarists who want a semi-hollow capable of delivering in concerts, recordings, and content creation, without limiting themselves to a single genre. Its ES-335 format (semi-hollow) makes it especially comfortable when looking for an expressive, dynamic instrument with nuanced attack, whether using a pick or fingers.

In terms of styles, it excels in blues, rock, pop, indie, soul, and modern jazz, while retaining the attack needed for thick crunches and singing leads. The coil split and phase options also allow access to thinner, sharper textures, useful for funk rhythms, clear arpeggios, or layering in production.

A Semi-Hollow Sonic Signature with Electronics Tailored for Versatility

The semi-hollow format delivers the sought-after blend of warmth and openness, with a "lively" feel under the fingers. The maple center block enhances stability, improves sustain, and helps control feedback when the volume rises-a crucial point if you play saturated tones or on stage with a full drum kit.

The pair of ProBucker Ignite pickups targets an articulate humbucker range: full lows, expressive mids, and highs clear enough to maintain definition in a mix. On clean tones, the guitar can shift from a broad smoothness to a more "edgy" response by playing dynamics and pickup position. In crunch and overdrive, it delivers a dense grain with harmonics that stand out well, ideal for blues-rock riffs and "singing" solos.

The push/pull controls on volume and tone open very useful colors: the coil split thins the signal for airier rhythms and sharper attacks, while the phase reversal offers hollowed and biting tones, perfect for standing out in an arrangement. The 3-position selector remains simple and effective: neck for warmth, bridge for attack, and middle position for nuances.

Recommended Compatible Accessories

To complete the setup, a standard guitar strap is compatible with the strap buttons (Posi-Lok) and suitable for rehearsals and concerts. A universal guitar stand (floor or wall) and a microfiber cloth are also recommended for storage and maintenance of the glossy finish, especially if the guitar often accompanies you on stage.

Technical specifications

Category	Hollow body	Strings	Steel
Left handed	No	Nbr of strings	6

Type	semi-hollow electric guitar	Nut	Graph Tech
Shape	ES-335	Bridge	LockTone Tune-O-Matic
Wood	laminated maple and poplar, 5-ply	Tailpiece	LockTone Stop Bar
Binding	multi-ply (top and back)	Tuners	Grover Rotomatic locking
Finish	glossy lacquer	Hardware Finish	nickel
Profile	Modern C	Pickup Covers	nickel
Joint	set neck	Knobs	knurled
Fingerboard	ebony	Plastics	black
Fingerboard Binding	single-ply	Neck Pickup	Epiphone ProBucker Ignite
Inlays	pearloid split-block style Super 400	Bridge Pickup	Epiphone ProBucker Ignite
Frets	22 stainless steel (medium jumbo)	Controls	2 volumes, 2 tones
Radius	compound 10" to 14" / 254 to 355.6 mm	Push/Pull Functions	coil split and phase reversal
Scale Length	24.75" / 628.65 mm	Selector	3-position toggle