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Responding to the query about the weight of the Norlin instruments: nope--they are heavy, too, just like most 335 guitars. Every 335 I have ever played weighted somewhere in the 8.5-9 pound range, I would estimate. They tend to be lighter than Les Pauls, but heavier than most other guitars.
I am a big person, so even 70s Les Pauls never really bothered me (11 pound guitars). This isn't to say that some of the best-sounding guitars I have played weren't the lighter ones. My favorite Telecasters and Stratocasters were some of the really light ones--but I have played some heavy ones that were great sounding, too.
Responding to Kojak: I would bet you are right about the tarback pickups accounting for a bunch of the sonic difference between the Norlin 335s and others. OTOH, when I had a set of Seymour Duncan pickups in there (SH-1 in neck/SH-4 in the bridge), the guitar also sounded more jazzy and more acoustic than the '64 and '67 335s I was comparing it with at small venue gigs last year. (If I had to own just one guitar, it would probably be the '67 that my buddy has. It is a great all-around guitar.)
Wow! Rewinding a tarback pickup! That must be a very special skill. I cannot imagine even trying to take the cover off of one. I understand, however, that Bill Lawrence used ceramic magnets. Whatever...the pickups on my (now my son's) Gibson L-6 are two of the best sounding pickups ever.
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07-05-2015 02:06 PM
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Semis Hollows: My Fav First
Slim-lines: My Fav First
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Think you are on to something about 70s 335s. I have a 74 converted to stop tail bought it in 1981. Think the shorter block and neck tendon may be thinner neck make it sound hollower .It's a great guitar!
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I think Larry Carlton had something to do with that also...
Originally Posted by Greentone
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My first good guitar was a Gibson ES-335 in the mid-sixties. I played it for a couple of years and then traded it in on a new ES-175 in 1969 (which I still have). I have had a number of other guitars since then, but have generally played 175's or L5's more than anything else. Recently, I purchased a 335 again (2013 50th Anniversary VOS in Cherry Red). I really like this guitar. They got the old style color just right. I am not ready to give up my 175's or L5's, but this experience has reminded me of the versatility, comfort, convenience and great sound of a 335. It sounds excellent for jazz, albeit more electric sounding than a hollow body, but a little less so than something like a telecaster. If you wanted have only one electric guitar that covers different styles of music, this would hard to beat. I notice that one of Canada's finest jazz guitarists, Ted Quinlan, plays a 335 most of the time. Just curious, if forum members use 335's for jazz?
Keith
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That's a good looking guitar. My first great guitar was a '73 335, which I still have. I find it difficult to play because of the ultra-thin neck, but I love the sound. Compared to my 175 it is a fatter sound with more sustain. You are right -- it's a more eclectic sound. However, if you've ever done a side-by-side with a Les Paul through a clean amp, you realize how much of that hollow goodness comes through, in addition to a very pleasing dip in the mids that doesn't pulverize your amp's front end. Dang, now I'm gonna pull out my 335 and see if I can't get myself used to that neck.
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I have a '69 ES 175 and an '85 335. The 335 works fine for jazz. It is also, as you observed, very versatile in terms of musical styles. Beautiful guitar by the way.
Last edited by blkjazz; 06-17-2017 at 11:57 AM.
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Keith,
Years ago (mid 80's) I bought a 335. I found it to be neither 175 nor Les Paul, so I sold it and bought a 175 and a Les Paul (I had already had a 175 and a Les Paul and liked both). Those were the days where I was short on the funds needed to have many guitars.
About 15 years ago, I decided it was okay to have more than 3 guitars (a self imposed limit for many years) and I decided to give semi-hollows a second look. They do have their own sound and feel and are wonderful for jazz. I tried a few, a Heritage, 535, a couple of Guild Starfires, A Gibson Pat Martino, a Gibson Howard Robert Fusion and a couple of Gibson 335's. I kept one of the 335's.
If I were to pare my collection down, the 335 would go before my Les Paul or either of my 175's. But I do understand the appeal and agree that if you were to have only one electric guitar, the 335 would make a fine choice. It is the most versatile to be sure.
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ES 335 (and its sister models) is my favourite style of guitar. I made a living playing one for a couple of decades and I have four of them ('82 Gibson 335 Dot, '79 Gibson 355, MIK Epi Riviera and a Tokai 335). I have used them for learning jazz before I got the itch to get a hollowbody with a wooden bridge to get a bit more of a "classic" jazz tone. If I could only have one guitar, it would be a 335.
Congrats on yours - beautiful guitar!
Are you gonna get a Marshall stack and learn "Crossroads"?
(just kidding....
)
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I have an ES345TDC-SV I bought new in January, 1966, from a Sam Ash store in Hempstead, New York. I used it as my main instrument in a rock band for about two years.
It is all original and is in perfect condition. The only "repair" needed in 51 years was a tightening of the the Tune-O-Matic retaining spring which I had done at Matt Umanov's in New York City during a five minute wait.
Gold plated pick-ups have patent number stickers on the back.
All specs are within factory limits. I would agree that it is slightly thinner in tone then my L5, but it has a distinctive sound all its own and comfortable action and I have no plans to part with it.
Tony Darienzo
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I sometimes use my 1965 es345 rather than my es165 for gigs where the extra sustain is really helpful. The subtleties of an es175 type guitar can easily be lost in a live situation once the volume goes up and you are competing with saxes and piano. The stereo wiring is a bit of a pain but as I only use the neck pickup for jazz I have made a lead that isolates the bridge pickup and thereby gets rid of the out-of-phase effects. The old early patent number pickup really comes to life with this arrangement and produces a lovely warm sustained jazzy tone through my Polytone. I think the es335/345 series guitars are possibly the most versatile out there, much as I love my es165 I might be tempted to choose the es345 if I was a professional musician with only one guitar.
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Gibson nailed the "2013 50th Anniversary VOS". My search for the right 335 started in 1982 and ended with the 2013 50th. The Burstbuckers add a bit of attitude that's not there with 57 Classics.
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I use a 339 for Smooth Jazz, and it holds its own quite well.
I don't use flatwounds with it, tough.
HTH,
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I often use mine live instead of an archtop when i know high volume is going to be a thing. At gig volume, a 335 can do the the jazz thing pretty well, whereas at home i don't feel it holds its own against hollow bodies. Also it lends itself to different playing. Mine is a 70something with a changed tailpiece (some previous owner installed a fine-tuners tailpiece for some reason
).
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Ha! I can't seem to let go of any one of the 18. So I understand. Originally Posted by floatingpickup
Here is my 335:
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335s 'sing' beautifully higher up the neck
They dig into my ribs tho
Got rid of my '63 a year ago
Needed the dough ...
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I have a mid-60s ES-345 with the stereo VariTone, patent-sticker pickups, and a trapeze tailpiece. It was my #1 gigging guitar for many years in a wide variety of musical settings, and is more than capable of getting a velvety jazz tone. I had a cord made which converted the signal to mono for stage use. Its only rival for tonal versatility is my PRS Custom 24 that supplanted it. I've also got an ES325 with mini-humbuckers that has a wide tonal range; its maple neck and narrower pickups give it a little more high end articulation, perhaps. It is its own thing. Again, fully capable of a jazz tone, and whatever else comes up. The 335 family was definitely a design winner for Gibson. Thank you, Mr. McCarty!
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Lovely guitar you have! I love the 335 overall. My all time favourite guitar is a Les Paul. It just seems perfect for me.. I feel very "at home" with a good Les Paul.. everything just seems to work for me. The look.. the tone. the controls.. but a 335 would come in as close second place. If I could only have one guitar for the rest of my life.. I'd either get a Les Paul or a 335 (even though the Les Paul has the edge for me, I might go 335 as I see it as a bit more versatile). I have a cherry red 335 too (to me that's the classic colour for a 335) and I also have a nice one in vintage sunburst that I intend to use for jazz (for some reason, I see vintage sunburst as the quintessential jazz colour!) and I think it'll be great for jazz. 335s, to me, are like the "swiss army knives" of guitars. In my humble, bedroom guitarist, opinion - you can pretty much do anything on them very adequately. They're a lovely middle ground between solid and hollow. Great guitars. I find them nice and physically comfortable too. Personally, I see no reason for a 339. I usually (always!) play sitting down and I find the 335 great to "lean" on for want of a better expression. Happy playing. I love your 335.
Last edited by JoePassFan; 06-18-2017 at 08:40 AM.
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I love my '95 dot and used to gig with it more than any other (blues fusion band)- perfect for that style. Its been through 3 pickup swaps, a broken headstock, feitenizing, coil tap and split (Peter Green tone, yes!), new keystone tuners and tone pros bridge, but the one thing I've never done is put heavy flats on it. I will need at least 2 more 335s to get the courage to try that, as it feels unethical to try to repurpose the old girl this late! So, I'm thinking a '62 (?) VOS in cherry with 11s and a blond dot VOS with flat 13s. But maybe a 330 with flats before that.
I could probably live just fine with a tele and a 335 and if it was only one guitar, it would still be a tele. 335s can do anything, with some limitations. As everyone suggests, a very versatile guitar, and I think the new ones sound pretty close to the old ones at a fraction of the price. I a/b'd mine against a buddy's real '59 and it played pretty much the same (but he had set both of them up!) and the sound was 92% there. Maybe a little more sustain in the real PAFs, but cranked up, you couldn't tell.
Play more, shop less, but it's hard to recommend against owning a 335, they can be great guitars for jazz and everything else.
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Hello, yes, have a '74 es335 purchased in 1980, in black. Will never sell it, wonderful guitar!
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Does a 339 counts ?
Why a 339 ?
You get the benefit of the short scale together with a small; light (compared to a 335) body
Enough said...
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4 for 4!
I have bought 4 brand new Gibsons without any issues at an amazing price! Thank you CMA! Thank you Vinny for making me aware of this sale. I think guitarists will be talking about this blowout sale for years and many will have regrets. Not me.
My wife says that things happen for a reason. Perhaps so. This last one happened as follows:
When the CME sale started. my thoughts were that these were priced at a private party selling price, a price that one could recover selling on EBay or reverb after all fees. Not a good enough deal that I wanted to buy 50 grand worth, but a good enough deal that I wanted to participate. If you can sell these locally without fees, you might make a C note or two. My first pick was a ES-330 (number 1), as that was a guitar that I was curious to try out. Then I thought, why not get a blonde, figured 335? I had sold a 2005 Blonde 335 for $2200 on my local Craigslist last year and I could get one of these new ones for $1700. A no brainer. While I was considering it, CME sold out of them. So I bought a Blonde figured 175 from them (number 2). But I kept thinking that I should get a 335 as these are the most marketable guitars they had on the blowout. I looked at the sunburst 63 reissue and while I was considering that one, they sold out. Then I thought about the Black ES-355 (the richlite board really bothered me). I called and got a price from David A. and told him that I would let him know the next day, as I wanted to sleep on it. They say that if you snooze, you lose. I lost. I called the next morning to pull the trigger and the 355's were sold out. I bought a 1959 VOS 175 (number 3) and thought if they got any more of the 3x5 guitars that I missed, I would pull the trigger. Fat chance as David A. at CME told me that no more of those would be forthcoming from Gibson. But I checked their website a few days later and lo and behold, a Blonde, flamed 335 was available. I called and asked about it. Shelby, the CME sales manager told me that someone had put a deposit down on it and that they failed to follow through. I pulled the trigger (number 4 and my last one). This was the one I wanted originally and by missing the 355, I got it. Like my wife says, things happen for a reason.
I have had many 335's and their variants over the years and have never bonded with them, but I will give it one more try. This one has a few changes from my 2005 ES-335 dot, most are changes for the better.
This guitar has a tubeless trussrod (like the old ones) a tone-pros locking tailpiece, titanium saddles, small pearloid block inlays (as opposed to dots), the ingraved truss rod cover) Burstbuckers instead of Classic 57's and a slightly thicker neck profile. The neck is awesome. It is a C profile and is not as thin as a 60's neck, but not as fat as a 50's neck. It has a tiny bit of taper.
Most importantly, my 2005 weighed 9 pounds even. This guitar is 8 pounds 2 ounces. Big improvement.
I got CME to throw in a set of TI 12 flats and the guitar plays like a dream. The flame is way more 3D than the 2017 figured 175 and the color is a bit darker than the2017 figured 175 as well.
CME is first rate. I am a satisfied customer. Gibson quality from these recent builds is as good or better than any period that I remember (and I have been in this game since the late 60's!) I know some guys have had problems. IMO, that is the exception, not the rule. I will defend Gibson and CME against all comers.
Here are some pictures:
Here is a group shot of my 4 CME scores:
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Stringswinger,
Congrats on your 4th buy. I also purchased a figured 335 from CME and its every bit as lively and crunchy as my friends 61' 335. The guitar has this lively inspiring vibe that just screams Gibson. Since I play many styles, I tuned mine to open E the other night and was getting this incredible Duane Allman tone playing Statesboro blues with my 35 year old glass coricedin bottle.
Do enjoy all those guitars - it certainly was fun participating in this sale. I just wish they offered a 59' VOS single pickup 175, but im grateful for my 335.
Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk
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Thanks guys!
After reading all of the horror stories about shipping issues and Gibson defects, each one of these deals presented some anxiety. I am feeling lucky, but in all fairness to UPS and Gibson, I think the horror stories are the exception, not the rule.
As you can plainly see, I have a thing for Blonde Gibson guitars with F-holes (a not inexpensive taste to be sure). Should they fire sale carved archtops, my high limit credit card will come in quite handy. A Blonde Super 400 and a Blonde L-5 are dreams that are still on my horizon.....
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I am easy to please color wise. I love blondes, VSB, and black guitars. Wine and red just OK but would own anything but blue or green. Marco already knows green is bad luck in the Hog world.
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