Talk me out of buying a Gibson ES-335

[Hammertone]

Talk you out of buying a Gibson ES-335?

[Marty Grass]

I have had several copies of the entire 16" Gibson semis over the decades. Here are my conclusions.

1. There are basically two models: hollow and semi-hollow. These are different even with the same scale length.

2. The large majority don't use the stereo output and rarely take the Varitone off of one. There are exceptions, but I have yet to meet someone without a Varitone who traded upward to have that feature.

3. There is a mystique about having the Gibson logo on the headstock. Not everyone gets off on it. Those who do will miss it.

4. Despite all the chatter, the 335, 345 and 355 sound about the same when using the same pickups, and strings.

5. Buying a Gibson is a decent investment if you keep it long term.

6. Gibson pioneered some electric guitar staples, including the P-90 and the humbucker. Clearly the P-90 is a Gibson invention. You can decide whether Seth Lover or Ray Butts invented the humbucker. How Was the Humbucker Invented? I like the idea of supporting a company with a heritage going back over 100 years.

Currently I have a 345. I chose that only for sentimental reasons. I played one for years as a teen. It costs extra for the inlays and binding, but that's what I look at while I practice. I'd go up to a 355, but that doesn't have the familiarity of a thousand hours that the 345 has.

These are my shallow reasons for my preferences. If I were more practical, I'd probably get an Asian build, which I have in the past. It doesn't have the same ambience for me.

[DawgBone]

Chatter: The Ebony fretboard on a 355 is different. Brighter and less woody sounding. Faster attack. The rosewood and Ebony boards both sound great. Some Gibsons are richlite counter top material which would make a great gigging instrument. I would suspect the micarta boards, knife and gun grip material, on a seventy seven exrubato JT would also.

[Stringswinger]

Chatter: The Ebony fretboard on a 355 is different. Brighter and less woody sounding. Faster attack. The rosewood and Ebony boards both sound great. Some Gibsons are richlite counter top material which would make a great gigging instrument. I would suspect the micarta boards, knife and gun grip material, on a seventy seven exrubato JT would also.

I have had 4 ES-335's and 1 ES-355. Honestly I could not hear the difference that the Richlite board on the ES-355 made. I have had 4 Les Paul's with Ebony boards and 4 Les Pauls with Rosewood boards. Again, I could not hear the difference in the fretboard material (but I did hear a big difference in the one Les Paul Custom that had a mahogany cap rather than a maple cap). I also had one ES-175 (1977) that had a maple neck along with 7 ES-175's that had mahogany necks. The one with a maple neck was brighter, though arguably, that could have been the pickups (late patent stamped T-Tops). I am convinced that neck material and top material make a difference, but I am unconvinced about fretboard material making a difference. But it might, perhaps my ears are not sensitive enough to hear it.

I will say that the idea that my fretboard was formica did bother me on the ES-355 that I had. I know that it is all in my mind as the guitar played and sounded fine. It is too bad that an authoritarian government took all of Gibson's Ebony. That should never have happened. The government should have to prove you have illegal wood before taking it. Sadly, in our modern system, the government can come take your property and you have to sue to get it back. Which can be tough to do if they take all your money as well.

[RJVB]

The title says it all.

OK then ... here's what you really want but didn't know

[JGinNJ]

If you really want a thin-line double cutaway, check out a Guild Starfire. I had an original 1967 one for many years. There's a re-issue now, I don't know if it's as good, but the vintage ones are underated.

[John A.]

Overall, I think most semis are broadly similar, to the point that I don’t think anyone could listen to a recording and reliably say “no, that’s not a 335, it’s [Yamaha, Guild, Ibanez, whatever], except for obvious things like weird varitone sounds.

But there are subtle differences in the playing experience that can matter to the player. It’s easy to answer the question “what are some good semis for less than
$X?". Not so easy to answer "what’s exactly like this [335,
AS200, whatever] for less $.

I’m happy with a less-$ non-Gibson semi, but I can see why someone else might not be, and for those people something else is not a better value.

[spencer096]

Anything else is a compromise. It’s up to you whether you can live with it. You’ll get best resale value from a Gibson by far if you don’t dig a 335.

if I was gonna talk you out of it I’d say that if your platonic ideal of tone is an archtop, a 335 ain’t getting you there. And even then, I prefer archtops but still take my 335 out of the house the most. It’s an easy guitar torture fit into different bands…but it won’t scratch the archtop itch. It’s hard to find too many negatives w a 335 tho.

[Marty Grass]

Here's an alternative that's decent. It's the Heritage H-535. It's pretty much a 335 with different shaped horns and 1/8" less depth.

Every couple of years I take a tour of the Heritage factory. Much earlier I visited the Gibson plant in the same building. It looks like those two models are made about the same way.

[jads57]

Like many here I’ve owned many 335,345,355, as well as Heritage 535,Roy Clark,Milleniun Ultra, etc.

Here’s my take on these guitars. All were really good instruments,and basically filled the same function for their design.
Sure there a variations amongst all of them,pickups,hardware, neck wood, etc. But they were all still thinlines with a center block construction.

The newer Gibsons are probably the best standard versions they’ve made aside from the originals. And they are way more consistent to each other. Love the Calibrated pickups and the heftier neck shapes.
I would look for a used one at a local store if possible. And or a reputable dealer like Dave’s Guitar La Crosse Wisconsin. That way you have a return policy. Also a used Heritage 535 is probably the closest and less expensive as well.
If you can deal with wider necks, used Eastmans Thinlines are a Steal!

[jazzfrog]

I have owned 4 different ES-335 over the years.
They all sounded different given different amplifiers.
It's a versatile and great sounding guitar given the correct amp.

There are so many points to consider.

1. it's good to switch between multiple guitars, your tele and the 335 are going to feel very different
2. scale is slightly different between telecasters and 335s (shorter on 335), but I do personally feel like the 335 is better balanced than a tele. Neck feel will definitely be different
3. the 335 amplified on your great sounding tele/amp combo might actually sound thin

As a back story. My guitar teacher in his mid-60s, has had the same 80s 335 for over 40 years.
He still tells me that it's a harder to play guitar than his Sadowsky.

Not trying to talk you out of it, but just adding a few points for you to consider.
Trying one would be ideal. In your case, I'd make sure you can return it.

[Gitterbug]

If you want one, get one. The Gibson headstock onstage is the standard. The price, however, is way above competition (Tokai, Yamaha, Ibanez etc.), but so is the resale value and ease of eventually getting rid of it. A lot is being said about good and bad samples. Competitors must have individual differences, too. The 335 is an electric guitar after all, so I wouldn't overemphasize the acoustic feel. Also, individual guitars mature at their own pace. More and more performing artists seem to be drawn to the Epiphone alternatives. My fave remains the Yamaha 2200, but I sense the brand commands a negative high school aura.

[John A.]

Regarding scale length, Gibson’s nominal 24.75” is actually a tiny bit shorter because they use an archaic formula for fret spacing. However most ostensible copies use a true 24.75” scale length. Some exceptions are the PRS McCarty 594 guitars (a reference to their 24.594” scale) and Seventy Seven.

I’ve never done a true all else equal comparison, but I think it’s plausible that some of what people think of as Gibsons’ unique vibe comes from this.

[Jimmy Mack]

I've had Guilds, Epiphones, Gibsons, Squiers, and of course Fenders, and a couple of Kays, plus some acoustics.
Each one of those categories proffered up some perfect guitars, and some that needed slight adjustments, and some that didn't last in my arsenal at all.
When you get a good one, keep it. Or else return it. A good Epiphone is better than a poor Gibson. Get what your heart and your ears tell you to get. But when you find a really good Gibson, you'll be glad you searched and found it.
I found the best Epiphones have or had installed better pickups - if you're going to compare it to the sound of say a Gibson. My current Epi ES 335 Pro with Alnico Pro pickups from the factory are great. Until I play the Gibson. The Gibson's are better, but not by much. (Still the same 335 sound in each guitar)
My feeling overall ( due to my experience) is that it might be harder to find a great Epiphone. Got to be lucky and be able to play them first, and then return them.

Happy search.

[Gitfiddler]

If I were in the market for a high quality semi-hollow (ES-style) guitar, I'd give serious consideration to the following:

US Made: Gibson ES335/333 or Heritage H535/530.

MIJ: Ibanez. I'm partial to the Scofield models, but even their other off-shore models are great build quality.

[DawgBone]

If you want one, get one. The Gibson headstock onstage is the standard. The price, however, is way above competition (Tokai, Yamaha, Ibanez etc.), but so is the resale value and ease of eventually getting rid of it. A lot is being said about good and bad samples. Competitors must have individual differences, too. The 335 is an electric guitar after all, so I wouldn't overemphasize the acoustic feel. Also, individual guitars mature at their own pace. More and more performing artists seem to be drawn to the Epiphone alternatives. My fave remains the Yamaha 2200, but I sense the brand commands a negative high school aura.

Anyone who craps on Yamaha musical gear or associates it only with high school band level stuff has outed themselves as a snob or a clueless moron. Yamaha is amazingly high quality gear for actual sane prices, something pretty much no manufacturer has been able to match for the same extended length of time they have. Some of the gear, such as their Custom series saxes aren't really sanely priced anymore but are def amazing horns. I have several pieces of Yamaha PA gear that is 97 percent of anything that says QSC on it for about half the money and I have used a lot of QSC stuff working area clubs.

[Flat]

Not a Gibson, but really great. My Heritage 535.

[jads57]

There a plethora of great choices,especially in the used market.Also consider it little brother the ES-339! They don’t get near the love and are a steal used at under $2K

[rpjazzguitar]

My thinking goes first to the ergonomics.

How does the neck feel?

How does the body size fit you?

The 335 feels too large to me. I play a Comins GCS-1 which is a little thinner and nearly 2" narrower in the lower bout. Feels right. Apparently about half the price of the Gibson.

I played a 2009 or so D'Angelico EXDC for several years. A little too big. And, a pretty dark sound, for want of a better description. But, a perfectly usable guitar if those characteristics suit you and way cheaper.

My favorite neck feel is my Yamaha Pacifica 012, which, from the size of the neck, is probably being marketed to kids. But, it feels great to me.

It's probably true that a Gibson will be easier to sell and for a higher price. But, are you going to play a suboptimal guitar because of potential resale advantages?

My advice is always the same. Buy with a return privilege.

[entresz]

Thanks everyone for the replies, they make for enjoyable reading!

Nobody has talked me out of buying one though .

The local Gibson dealer here does have a couple in stock, so I will make a trip there and have a play of them to get an idea of how they feel to start with.

I'm used to playing 17'' archtops so a 335 shouldn't be an issue ergonomically but always good to check it out anyway.

[213Cobra]

There is no reason to talk you out of buying an ES-335. I have two: a 1990 Gibson USA cherry throat-gripper I bought new, and a 2024 Gibson Custom Shop 1964 faded cherry Reissue, Ultra-light Murphy Lab, that has a ton of chime and charm. In the context of my stable of carved & laminated archtops (acoustic & electrified), flattops, Telecasters, Gypsy jazzboxes, etc., my 335s are the most versatile electric guitars I own and as satisfying as any, on a day to day basis. Even unplugged, it just feels good to noodle on them. I've owned some Eastmans and cannot fault them in any way, but their 335-equivalents don't fully replicate the 335 feel and sound in the way that their hollow-body archtops bring fully authentic tone. They fabulously express an excellent Eastman variant. I think you can get closer to Gibson 335 reality if you want that, with a Guild equivalent (vintage, or new) but still it has a strong strain of Guild, not Gibson. You can make a fabulous Partscaster that satisfies as a Telecaster or Strat, but you can't fully make a non-Gibson 335 feel and sound exactly like a Gibson 335 by just changing pickups and hardware.

You can get close. You can also get not-close and still get a good/great but different feel and sound. The Guild Starfire is great. So are the Eastman 335 equivalents. Heritage is altogether competitive or better on craft and workmanship. The Gibson will retain more of its value and be easier to sell if you must, later. And deliver in feel and sound exactly what drew you to it in the first place. Back in 1990 when I first put electric guitars in my mix as a more than two-decades acoustic player, I auditioned a wide variety of alternatives, so this was when Japanese origins were pressing USA makers before Korea, Indonesia, et al. After visiting a lot of music stores in that pre-internet era, I landed on my 1990 ES-335 and never looked back. It remains stellar. Now, I say that as a long-term Guild loyalist. My longest-owned guitar is a Guild that I've owned for 50 years, so far. I went on to own as many as 10 Guilds at a time, and still currently own four. But much as a Starfire would fit both my 335 and Guild inclinations, I never pulled trigger on a Guild center-block electric. I doubled down on two 335s. You can find many high-quality, great sounding and playable 335 stand-ins, and you should feel comfortable owning them if you choose one. But Gibson owns the genre and their semi-hollow electrics intrinsically feel and sound like they can back that up, in my experience with them. -Phil

[jim777]

I personally haven't had good luck with Gibson 335s, and usually ended up playing Ibanezes instead, which is in the ballpark but not a 335. However, I recently got a Tokai that fixed that, and if I can get back to playing seriously I'll sell the Ibanez. You would have to look at the headstock to tell who made the Tokai, and it is a basically flawless guitar. One of my kids will get it in my will

The Tokai is on the far right here:

[jumpnblues]

I purchased a new ES 345 about 4 months ago. It sounds superb and it's extremely well made. Highly recommended.

[Marty Grass]

[Alder Statesman]

Here is a slight twist on the idea. I almost weakened, but finally decided to pass when no one could let me know how much shop rash the guitar had after 9 years on display.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Blemish...37005001003.gc