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Marco,
I'm thrilled for you. Here's a few things I noticed.
1. The wood figuring very nice. It's not ostentatious but is not understated either. Just right.
2. The f hole sides look blackened well, or at least they are not splotchy. Sometimes that doesn't happen.
3. The rosewood is dark. That goes well with the PG and contrasts gloriously with the blonde body.
The thing that irks me about these Memphis guitars is the TRC. I can't explain why the f hole on it is a detraction to me. I guess I'm set in my ways. It will take me five years to adjust. I have standard Gibson TRCs I could put on my guitars, but then I'd have nothing to complain about, which ironically is a situation I'd complain about. Zen mystery I guess.
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01-18-2018 03:43 PM
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Thanks Mark! You are correct about the flame, the f-holes and the fretboard. I kind of like the engraved TRC's. Different strokes, I guess.
With the titanium saddles and the Burstbuckers, this guitar is a tad bright compared to my last one, but I have some gigs where it may work out quite well. If not, I can always change the saddles and the neck PUP to my taste.
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The 335 I got from CME was perfect. Played like butter. It was another gift guitar. My friend says it is the best player he ever had. Feeler gauge arrow straight neck. Perfect nut. 2017 model.
Like I always say......when Gibson gets it right no one can touch them.
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If you read the thread on The Gear Page about the CME blowout, you will find an amazing amount of praise for these CME Gibsons, especially the 335:
New gibson 335s from CME question? | The Gear Page
In the outlaw Biker world, we used to say (I was a part of that crowd in my wayward youth): "When we do right, no one remembers, when we do wrong, no one forgets"
The same could be said about Gibson here at the Jazz Guitar Forum.
All 4 of my CME Gibsons are superb. Gibson rules.
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So I am in the market for a new jazz guitar. Semi hollow. What would you get today, if you were buying a new guitar? I am thinking of the Dot ES-335 from Gibson. How well is it suited for jazz? I do hope Gibson has improved their quality, cause I wasn't very impressed with them a few years ago. Would you rather go vintage?
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This page could be a good place to start: Jazz Guitars Buyer's Guide - The Best Guitar For Jazz [2020]
335 is a versatile model that works very well for jazz as well as other styles.
It has a bit more "modern" jazz sound and feel, compared to a full hollow body archtop.
If you want more of a "classic" jazz guitar tone, like Wes, Joe Pass, Grant Green, George Benson, Herb Ellis etc. you should perhaps rather consider a full holow body archtop.
But if you like 335 then that's what's right for you. It comes down to personal preference. It is without doubt really great guitar design that has stood the test of time.
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Without a budget target, this is an unanswerable question. Does the OP have $1000 to spend? $5000? The answers are very different according to the budget.
As a longtime Gibson owner I wouldn't even consider a Gibson today. I'd look at, among many others, Sadowsky, Collings, Godin, Ibanez, Archtop Tribute, Westville, or Eastman, depending on my budget.
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Let’s say 2000-5000 usd as a range. I am more focused on quality than price.
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with a 5k budget, you could pretty much hunt around for he perfect 335, save for some ridiculous vintage pieces...
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Well semi-hollows are great but not necessarily a "jazz guitar".
I would have a 335 or 355 but would shop very carefully. I would also check out Collings and Benedetto options.
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So I reckon you don’t recommend new. How do one find a perfect 335?
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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do you mean ....
Which Semi would you buy today ?
I'd try lots , including a Godin Montreal
I used to play a black 61 335
Cool huh ?
Didn't get on with it tho
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The only way! Play a bunch, choose the one you like best. Originally Posted by znerken
I'm big on buying used...but I know what I like, and I know enough about guitars to be able to tell if everything is in good working order. But I think the bang for the buck ratio with used is just too good to pass up. Heck, my "jazz" guitar, a Heritage 575--I couldn't afford it new! Used, I got a great guitar and it stayed well within my budget.
Honestly...You'd be best served at this point to do a lot more research and listening...find players with tones you like, look at what their using...it's not so much about copying as it is finding commonalities...you might find out quickly "hey, 3 of my 5 favorite tones are on short scale small bodied fully hollow guitars" or something.
Or, just buy an ES-175, as they've been used on about 10,000 jazz records, and pretty much always sound just right.
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I would love to try tons, but unfortunately there’s no places in my whole country probably, where I can do that.
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I play jazz (and other music). An ES 335 design works well for those purposes. I like 335s. I have no qualms recommending one, but happen not to have one. Given any array of guitars of that style sitting in front of me (Gibson, non-Gibson, new, used, vintage, etc.), I'm going to pick the one I like best subjectively that falls within my price range. I don't pick by brand or by arbitrary attribute like age. I pick the one I prefer in terms of sound and playability. I bought a semi-hollow seven years ago. I tried a bunch, including several 335s, 137's and 339s, Ibanez, Heritage, Guild, D'Angelico, etc, on top of the many different variants on this them I've tried over the years without having a purchase in mind. I picked a D'Angelico (shrug). Given the same array, you might pick a 335 (shrug). I've played mine next to a friend's 335 countless times. There are differences and similarities (shrug). Don't overthink it. Try some guitars. Buy the one you like. If you can't try and have to buy cold online, buy one from someone with a good return policy in case you don't like it. Asking other people what instrument is suited for your music and subjective preferences is highly unlikely to yield a useful answer.
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The perfect ES-335 (for you)? "Late model" or vintage? Re vintage, I'll defer.
Re "late model" (I'd say about 2013-2018), I'd highly recommend a reissue. Not only will you get generally a "better" 335 model, the sound is intentionally designed to be more vintage and coincidentally more jazz friendly as far as I've been able to tell.
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I guess I should make a new thread that says new 2019 ES335 vs vintage
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Gibson's new instrument prices are a guarantee of getting the least guitar for your money relative to vintage examples. The caveat is that you must be able to safely buy a vintage guitar. You must have the knowledge to assess an offering for potential issues and dishonest marketing, the ability to sample and return it if necessary, and the availability of a local repair person to fix reasonable problems - stuff like that.
If those things do not describe your skills and purchasing profile, you should probably buy new guitars from reputable online dealers. This, of course, includes new reissue models.
The '335 has some really nice reissues. There's the block inlay '63 (my fave), the Larry Carlton signature, and the '59 Historic Dot.
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It seems that the OP has his heart set on a Gibson ES335. No idea where he's located in the world, but buying new from a large, reputable Gibson dealer (CME, Sweetwater, etc.) who offers a return policy, would help avoid potential after sale issues.
Buying used or vintage without the benefit of inspecting and playing is a crap shoot. The used market is flooded with 335's and other quality semi-hollow guitars. Huge seller competition and a shrinking buying market has brought out the sharks.
Caveat emptor, and good luck.
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One thing I can’t quite understand is the reissue models. I see most of them are from 2016-2018, so is this guitars no longer made? Or?
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I think $5600 for a 335 is insane.
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You have to LOVE the neck, on whatever you buy. Especially with the money you are going to spend! Don't go for: looks, pedigree, or manufacturer.
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Yes, but that seems to be the reissue price. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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I’m not really a glossy neck kind of dude, but for 335, there doesn’t seem to be much choice. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
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As Jeff said above, perhaps if you give us an idea of what style of jazz you’re most interested in we can be more of help. Also, if it’s a pure “jazzbox” you’re after his suggestion that you really cannot go wrong with an ES-175 seems very good. Or, if you’re in “old jazz” territory, I’d even say that an ES-125 (which can be had for less money than many of the guitars you listed) could make you happy. So: tell us about your tastes and we’ll help. Or else: you heave already decided that it’s a 335 or a variation thereof, which is also perfectly OK.
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