Your Favorite Gibson ES-335 Copy?

[Clamps]

Gibson ES 333's are plentiful, and not too far above your price point (maybe it depends on where you live..)

[mrblues]

thanks guys

unfortunately gibsons are not in my price range.

Hammertone:I saw a Höfner model, which specs and tone I like very much, but didnt find it on Höfner website. Dont know if it is still produced or can buy only a used one. Tho I havent seen any used one...
That one is the Höfner John Stowell signature model. Regarding to the specs I can say it can be more jazzy.

I am thinking about the Ibanez AS153 as well. It's chinese, but it got good reviews. Trying to try one.

[Hammertone]

The Höfner Verythin John Stowell is very similar to the Höfner Verythin Classic. Very similar specifications. Less stuff on it. Your right, it's not in the current catalogue, so it's not on the website display of current products. They do come up used but tend to be a bit more expensive because of the cool ebony parts. Very nice guitars indeed.

[tonedeaf]

Heritage 535s can be found occasionally in that price range. They should definitely be on your list. Made in the old Gibson Kalamzoo factory by ex-Gibson employees, etc, etc.

The one I have is the sweetest playing guitar I own.

[Doctor Jeff]

I'm going to throw the Epiphone 339 Ultra into the mix. If you want a modern and versatile sound, this would be it. MRSP is $800. It is I think made in China.

Epiphone Ultra-339 Electric Guitar Review - Premier Guitar

If you are hung up on the MIC thing you could get an older Epi Dot or Sheraton made in Korea or Japan.

I'll also mention the Fender Tele--look at the ones with a piezo saddle pickup. Lots of opportunities for modding your tone, and as we all know Teles are great for jazz. ;-)

[RyanM]

Just get an Epiphone Dot or Sheraton and upgrade the pickups.

[Playerizor]

Heritage 535s can be found occasionally in that price range. They should definitely be on your list. Made in the old Gibson Kalamzoo factory by ex-Gibson employees, etc, etc.

The one I have is the sweetest playing guitar I own.

If you try hard enough you should be able to find a Heritage 535 in that range. They are a better version of the Gibson 335.

[oleinik]

I own a Hofner John Stowell violin finish Verythin. It's great to play and sounds very good. I always get compliments on the look and sound, specifically how it has a "jazz box" sound.

[GNAPPI]

FWIW, I don't think the AS73 is a very good copy of a 335 at all. I have a 335, and AS73 and any similarity is visually that's where it ends. I got my AS73 as new with OHSC for $300 out the door in a pawn shop. If you went out and "upgraded" it with all Gibson parts it still (IMO) doesn't play like a Gibson.

I think a Gibson Midtown Custom is a LOT closer and better than any Ibanez clone, so is an Epi Dot or Sheraton.

In my collection, the closest to a 335 is a Harmony MIK. It was $200 (used) in a guitar show with HSC and I slipped old Dimarzio and Schaller pups and it equals my 335 in every respect in sound and playability.

I think that Epi is a real good bet overall, check EBAY and they are surprisingly affordable especially the MIK models which IMO are very well made.

[John A.]

I know you said you want to be able to play the guitar in a shop before buying, but for $800, you'll do much better with something used on ebay. About two years ago, I picked up a completely mint condition D'Angelico EX-DC for $810 when they were selling for $1800 new. New ones are available again from a few sites for about $1200 now. I think this is a significantly better quality guitar than something like an Ibanez AS93

[kenbennett]

Why not Chinese? If I wanted the best looking, dimensionally correct, cheap violin I would definitely go Chinese.

I finally got an Eastman guitar in the shop for repair, actually a mod (it came without a tone control and the guy wants me to add one).

The Eastman plays and sounds good. It's not as pretty as a well-sculpted, hand-carved archtop, but you're going for cheap, right? So you have to expect some compromise.

As far as Epiphone goes, people used to bring new ones in for pickup changes all the time, mostly Dots and Les Pauls. The worst thing about those guitars was the pickup selector switch which tended to fail quickly or never work right at all. But they would bring the guitars in for pickup changes, so we had lots of virtually new Epiphone pickups in the shop. Nobody wanted to keep their old pickups. They literally paid us to take them off their guitars and off their hands.

So one day I decided to build a guitar that cost me absolutely nothing. A free guitar. People had given me wood and various parts. Once I got the body and neck made and assembled I brought it in to work and told my boss about my plan to spend NO money on it. He went to the drawer and pulled out a set of those Dot pickups and said, "Why don't take these?" So I did.

Here's the deal. As soon as that guitar was done--it was a poplar solid body with a spalted maple top, maple bolt-on neck, and rosewood fingerboard--I took it to a rehearsal where I had never met the keyboard player and bass player. At the end of it, those guys were saying how they loved my sound. The bass player said it--quote--"sounds like a ES335!"

There you go. Why not get a Dot or a Sheraton and DON'T change the pickups? Apparently they can sound pretty good.

[ooglybong]

I own a Hofner John Stowell violin finish Verythin. It's great to play and sounds very good. I always get compliments on the look and sound, specifically how it has a "jazz box" sound.

John Stowell's great album 'Banff Sessions' is a nice showcase of this guitar's tone since it's essentially a low key duo project with the great Don Thompson on bass (a few tracks with Dave Liebman on sax). The JS model John's playing gets a wonderful, woody, acoustic tone throughout. One of my favorite jazz CDs. Check out the samples (and 5-star reviews) on this page...

Amazon.com: The Banff Sessions: John Stowell: MP3 Downloads

Mr. Hammertone: Past the lovely, minimal ebony appointments, is the JS tone and feel common to the other Verithins (certainly those with the trapeze tailpiece)? Are the neck pickups the same across the line?

[Hammertone]

Yo, Mr. ooglybong:

Short answer:
Yes, the Verythin JS and the Verythin Classic have the:
- same feel - same scale, same neck dimensions, same frets, same materials
- same tone in the neck position - same pickup.

Long answer:
The Verythin Classic was introduced in 2000, the Verythin JS in 2001.
Until mid-2004, the guitars were identical except for the hardware configuration.
So a Verythin Classic and a Verythin JS will sound identical in the neck pickup position, with any (incredibly minor) variation in sound solely the result of the different bridge and tailpiece. Several Verythin Classics have been converted to the JS spec, which simply means replacing gold parts for ebony parts. Very easy to do.

Early JS models had the pickup ring screwed to the top of the guitar. This was changed to having the pickup ring screwed to the end of the fingerboard, effectively "floating" it, but the change in sound is trivial.

In mid-2004, Hofner changed the neck set on the Verythin Classic (and the Verythin Standard) slightly, sinking the neck and the pickups slightly further into the body. This was in response to comments from some that the pickups sometimes couldn't be lowered enough for those who like more air between the strings and the pickups. The Stowell neckset was not changed because the "floating" pickup requires the original neck set.

So.... IMO, any Verythin Classic can sound like a JS.

The Verythin Standard was introduced in 2002. Until mid-2004, this model was similar to the Classic/JS in that it had
- spruce block
- same pickups but nickel-plated
- same neckset
It as different in terms of
- stop tailpiece instead of trapeze tailpiece
- top wood laminated anigree instead of laminated spruce
- rosewood fingerboard instead of ebony fingerboard.

In mid-2004, the neckset was changed on the Verythin Standard as was the case with the Verythin Classic, but the pickups were also changed to full-sized humbuckers (in response to comments that it would be nce to be able to swap pickups for other, standard-sized boutique humbuckers). In 2005, the block on the Verythin Standard was changed from spruce to mahogany.

So.... IMO, any Verythin Standard up to the change in the block 2005 can sound really similar to a JS. And you can always remove the stop tailpiece and install a trapeze tailpiece on a Verythin Standard if that floats your boat.

We now return to your regular programming.

[mrblues]

thanks guys

Well, I found a guitar, but cant find too many reviews on her. Its a Hohner ES35 PRofessional. These guitars are not made anymore, I think they are all Korean made.

Anyone know this model?

[Little Jay]

That Hohner SE35 is a hidden gem! Well, maybe nothing too special, but a fine guitar for little money.

I remember a test many years ago in a guitar magazine that was a round up of budget semis and this one came out very well.

It's also a very true copy, with the right dimensions and shapes, which I like. Especially the f- holes and the 'ears'. (I know that shouldn't really matter, but somehow it does to me...)

[robertm2000]

ES-335 Alternatives: 13 Under $1300 | Reverb News

Interesting article from Reverb.com about thin hollowbody guitars in the lower price ranges. Some pretty surprising suggestions, but they seem to be pretty accurate.

[Stringswinger]

I have owned several semi's over the years, 3 Gibson 335's (1968, 1999 and 2004), a Gibson 347, a Guild Starfire 4, A Guild Starfire 5, a Heritage 535, A Gibson Pat Martino and a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion 2.

In the end, my experience is that the 335 is the best. It sounds great, plays easily and is well balanced. The only negative is the weight. No guitar is perfect. For a desert island pick (assuming electricity is present), the 335 is a strong contender.....

[mad dog]

My 66 es335 is truly something special. More than a few semis came and went because the 335 was too good. One that stays is an epi elitist Riviera. Just as good in its own way.

[iim7V7IM7]

I love sound of a 335 but alas the heavy 8-9 lb. weight and the short 24-3/4" scale are not meant for a long-term relationship with me. I am now happy with a smaller (13-5/8" vs. 16.5"), <7 lb. semi-hollow body with a wider nut and a 25" scale. But I agree, among the most flexible electrics ever. I can listen to Larry Carlton and Chris Cain all night long.

[Frethack]

The most inexpensive 335 alternative?.....Epiphone Dot Studio.

$299 is a steal. Used at half that is darn near free to get that sound. I know most wouldn't be caught dead playing one out, but if you just have to have that sound and you arent quite sure what to buy. Buy this. Its like a rental.

[Al Br.]

I just got the Epi ES-335 Pro model for $400 from AMS. Had to spend an additional 75 to get it set up right. Now it plays beautifully. The split coil pickup feature gives it a nice range of tone selection and the overall build quality looks really nice. The neck is a bit slimmer than the Gibson 335 I had some time ago, now that I'm used to it I have no complaint and it feels good on the hand. Seems to make playing at speed a bit easier. Overall, very satisfied with the purchase.
Was also considering the Wabash HB-35. Could not get hands on one so went with what I could try out.
For 100 more than the DOT you get a nice looking, fun to play, good sounding kit that would not be an embarrassment to play out.

[jzucker]

If you favor jazz over rock i'd recommend the Eastman T386. It can do rock to but it's a great jazz guitar and you can get them used for under $700. There's a couple on the gearpage right now.

Would not recommend the epi or washburn or any of the cheaper ones. The eastman is the way to go if you want high quality on a budget. Otherwise, stick with gibson 335 or 339.

[LtKojak]

For 335 greatness on a budget, I'd take an Epi Sheraton and I'd pimp it up to the max. I like the ones made after 2011 because of the shape of the body and the laminated maple necks.

CTS TVT 500K pots, .022 PIO or polyester-in-oil caps, Switchcraft toggle-and-jack, wired with braided wire, Electric City Pickups Freedom set, Gotoh TOM and lightweight tailpiece.

I've made over a dozen or so for my customers as a backup guitar for their expensive ones... but most of them just ended up using their expensive ones as backups, LOL!

HTH,

[Munk]

I am looking to buy something like a 335 but I dont have possibility to try it before. If I choose a Gibson, I guess this means extra for marketing, name, story etc. But apart from that, I dont want to spend money on a fancy look, so I wonder why there are so very different prices on new 335s. Is a 335 studio for example the same guitar in a dark room? And is a 339 almost the same sound just smaller and a little less acoustic?

About Hofner Verythin. When I look at Thomann, (which is my usual internetshop), I see their most expensive Verythin is about half price of a 335, and called a
Verythin Special-HVSP-DC-0 with 2 Hofner Diamond humbuckers. I have no idea of what this means or if it is a ‘cheap'Chineese copy?

[jzucker]

careful with the hofners, some are neck heavy