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so I'm looking for a good jazz guitar with a hollow body. I offered a trade on my Gibson ES-335 and this guy suggested that he would trade his Epiphone elitist broadway with a bonus of 1000$. I didnt really find a lot of information about this guitar. I would like to know if this trade is good for and how much his guitar is worth. Thanks!
Last edited by joe pass; 01-14-2014 at 12:55 PM.
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01-13-2014 01:19 PM
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I believe user Dave B has one; he bought it in the UK, though. Dave?
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The only sold listing on US eBay went for $2370 shipped. Surprised me.
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they tend to go in the $1800-2200 range, as all hollow body elitists do. just depends on the day, the availability and how much of a boner a buyer has at any given time. they sometimes go cheap and they can fetch much more than that, too. they went for $2000 new, if memory serves. the bursts were discontinued a year or two before the blonds, so they are a little more scarce, though i don't think it affects the value one way or the other.
that craigslist guitar is a little worrisome; evidently, the seller wasn't communicative/helpful and it isn't clear if it comes with the case, let alone the provenance or better photos. but he's apparently willing to deal. :/
i would expect it to be a great guitar, and given what it is (an mij l5), it'll retain some value and interest. but if you really wanted one, and are willing to be both patient and brave, you can find japanese market broadways from the 80s and 90s on ebay for less every now and again.
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Feet is right on with his prices. I want to add that I have a Broadway Elitist and can vouch for its quality. It's a fine instrument with quality electronics that can setup to perfection. For reference, some of my other instruments include Heritage, Hofner, John Kinard Dell Arte, and 1940's Epiphone Triumphs.
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I've been looking for a Broadway Elitist for years now!
To my knowledge, it is the best L-5 copy for the price.
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Thank very much for all the help but i still dont understand if trading my es335 and adding 1000$ is a fair price. Thanks!
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do not add 1000$!
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Provided I understood you correctly you get the Epi and a $1000. If I were in your shoes it would depend on how special that ES335 is - both to you and in a more 'collectors market' meaning. If it is a readily replacable production model that you just 'like' ( as opposed to being totally crazy about - but then you would 't consider, right?!) then I would go for it. The Epi is a pretty rare bird and by all acounts a very well made guitar and will likely continue to rise in value. Many comments say it should be 'every bit as good as a L5' ... Don 't know about that and can only tell that my Elitist Byrdland is a really really fine guitar - but doesn't have 'the mojo'. If you are really after a L5 style guitar, IMHO the Heritage golden eagle is the real deal - and not just 'for the money' (implying it would be lesser than the G****n).
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"best L-5 copy." For my money that is the Ibanez 2470, or 2461, or even the 2460 which I've personally owned. I'll take 70's built Japan mojo, over anything built later, every time.
Originally Posted by AmundLauritzen
It's a strange market when an all carved MIA Golden Eagle, selling close to the price of the solid topped Japanese Epi L5, doesn't create the same enthusiasm...a strange market indeed. Originally Posted by FrankLearns
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AH! I thought that the dude would be giving you an Elitist Broadway and $1000 in trade for your ES335. The other way round and it is a rather raw deal for you, if I may say so myself. The Elitist Broadway is a nice guitar but it is not worth an ES-335 and $1000. The other fellow has seriously overvalued it. As feet said, if you have a boner for it, it is worth at most $2000 and it has to be in practically new condition at that. Originally Posted by joe pass
Keep your ES-335 and use your $1000 on a nice Ibanez AFJ-91. You will have a nice wad of $500 or more left over. Or sell your ES-335 for about $2250 or more and use the $3250+ on a really nice archtop of your choice.
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Japanese-made archtops from Matsumoko, Fujigen or Terada have always been very nicely and consistently made from the 70s to today. Almost all of them based on the L5CES have pressed solid spruce tops (each supported by a thin layer of wood to hold the arch, with the grain running in the same direction as the top). I don't know if any was made with a carved spruce top. If there is one thing you could say about Japanese archtops like these, it is their consistency.
I think that the contemporary Terada-made Epiphones can hold its own against the 70s Ibanez and Aria archtops.
I bought a Blonde one new from Ishibashi Japan in 2010 for JPY180000. That was about USD2100 at that time. I bought an old scuffed L5 tailpiece on ebay and have been meaning to swap out the Frequensator and change the pickups. Never got around to it. It plays and sounds fine as it is.
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Yeah, if you are asked to give your ES335 and add another $1000 I would definitely pass and if your jonasing for a L5 type guitar I second 2b's comment again ... Get yourself a used GE
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Thanks again for all the help. Now that i moved on from this epi deal i have a couple of questions. I was offered an es-135 for a good price. My question is where does it stand as a pure jazz guitar, will it fulfill my jazz needs in the long run and is it better for jazz than my 335? My second question is for the price of my 335 and maybe an added bonus is the es-175 the best I can get? Also if someone could recommend good ibanez archtops that are priced around the worth of my 335 or actually any good archtops around the same price I would be very thankful.
Thanks!!
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play jazz on 335...:-)
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The 335 is great but it doesn't compare to the 175. I could have a way better guitar for jazz for the same price as my guitar or maybe a bonus of about 1000USD or even less.
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Woah, that is a very wide open question. My quick 2-cents is that an contemporary ES-335 would be about an even trade for an ES-175 Memphis or Norlin-era perhaps plus $100 to $200. As one point of reference, a 1988 ES-175 with mahogany back and rim was offered for sale at $2495.00. And a Wine Red 2009 ES-175 Memphis was just offered for sale at $2250.00. http://davesguitar.com/products/gibson/es-175-09-2/
As for an ES-135, I see a Cherry Satin 2003 one over at a Gibson dealer asking for $1250 http://davesguitar.com/products/gibson/es-135-03/ I am presuming that you are talking about the one made from the 1990s to early 2000s with Gibson Classic 57s humbuckers? I have not played one but my gut feeling tells me that it is very suitable for a plugged-in electric jazz guitar sound. Check out some Youtube videos.
The Gibson Classic 57 humbuckers were fitted to all Gibson archtops, from the ES-175 to the L5CES to the Super 400CES, the Citation since its introduction. So, that is sort of a pointer, I guess.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 01-14-2014 at 03:22 PM.
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I don't live in the U.S. so the deals you are offering are probably irrelevant to me. However, the 135 I played is 1997 and it has p100's should I buy it, sell my 335 and make a small profit or just go for a 175?
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Originally Posted by joe pass
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That makes it a little more dicey. Just a gut response: If you can, swap your ES-335 Memphis (assuming that is what you have) for an ES-175 Memphis. Their market values are about the same. Originally Posted by joe pass
If you can't, the ES-335 is perfectly useable for "pure jazz" as you stated. Is there something about the ES-335 that makes you want to sell it for another? Have you tried stringing the ES-335 with flatwound strings, using only the neck pickup and twiddling the amp knobs, using a different pick or changing your picking technique perhaps? OK, it is still not going to sound like a laminated archtop like the ES-175 but it will be very jazz-appropriate.
The best solution is to go to a store which carries archtops and try out a few for yourself. If it is wanting an ES-175 just because you want an ES-175, well, no need for justification. But if is wanting an ES-175 just because you feel that an ES-335 is not "jazzy", you may wish to have a rethink.
No experience with the P100s so the jury is out.
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I got the 335 the jazziest i could. I practically live on the neck pickup and try to get the warmest sound i can. I turn my tone down and use my thumb for comping (but not for single note stuff). I still think that the sound i get from it isn't equal to that of a 175. my 335 is a regular dot and I think that for a 175 i'll have to sell mine and a bit.
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OK, you have convinced yourself. So, go find an ES-175, make a trade. An ES-335 is a very easy axe to trade. It is always in demand. Try not to take a bath on it. Originally Posted by joe pass
The best thing to do is to sell the ES-335 and then patiently shop around a bit for a good used ES-175. You gain maximum bang for your buck, that way. Yeah, I hope you have other guitars to play.
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I played an ES-135 a few years ago and I didn't care for it at all. It did not play all that well and it does not have that 175/L5 jazz sound. You would not be ahead by trading your 335 for it.
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I don't think the ES 135 is such a step up from the 335 in terms of jazz tone. Tne ES 175 and L5 are the iconic jazz "machines" - and IMHO also for a reason. If you really want that, than these are the way to go. Many much cheaper Ibanez guitars would bring you into that territory too.
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so you're sitting on $1000 and have an es 335 to unload toward your next guitar, too? then you should easily have it sorted with either the guitar or the money, if not both if you want to go a little nutty.
i guess i'd narrow it down to the format/template/archetype you're looking for (175, l5, etc) and take it from there. you'll find a few options in a varying price range for whatever platform you decide on. you probably won't be mad with an es 175. that's sort of the standard, no?
with your buying power, i'd take a look at offerings from heritage, hofner and gibson, and maybe some eastmans on the lower end of the price spectrum. i'd also recommend keeping an eye out for more japanese epiphones, as those are pretty awesome, and often affordable.
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