Favorite Gibson thinline guitar

[Rob MacKillop]

I love my Gibson 345 - the 2015 reissue of the 1964 model. Although they refer to it as a 2015 model, I got mine in 2014.




The varitone is useful. Position 1 is bypass mode, effectively giving you a 335.

Great page on Gibson site here: Gibson.com: Gibson Memphis 1964 ES-345TD

I use it for blues with a hint of jazz, rather than outright jazz. Great slightly underwound PAFs - their attempt at recreating the 1964 spec.

[John Leduc]

@greentone IMO you are exactly right about the 335 being more like a solid body, and the 330 being a true hollowbody. I've heard many people say something about a "feedback problem" with the 330 hollowbody. I've used a number of different amps, my fave is the Fender Twin Reverb. In the '60's I used a Fender Bassman. I went from the Bassman to an 8 12" speaker Marshall stack in 1969, to a 2 12" Ampeg (which I didn't care for much). I now have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe that I really like. I can make my 330 feed back if I choose to, but I've never had uncontollable feedback, even with the Marshalls. I rarely let it feed back- I mean it's gotta be loud loud, way louder than the level I play at. I have a Fender Jazzmaster, a Gibson es-125. I used to have a few other good guitars, but my es-330TDC is by far the one I'm most happy with. I usually put in a couple of hours every day. John L.

[Flyin' Brian]

My #1 guitar is a Heritage Prospect. Ultra thin, ultra light 15" body with floating block that allows a much more open sound than a full block. This was ordered with a few extras but was under $2K new in 2006. It would be a bit more now I suspect.

For a larger body, I have a Sweet 16.

[mr quick]

Does my ES 139 count?


I dig it because it's a proper semi-hollow ES for half the price of a 335. I dig the simple controls and its no-nonsense looks.

I love it because it makes me sound like Carlton. The Burstbuckers truly are fantastic.

[Bluedawg]

Does my ES 139 count?


I dig it because it's a proper semi-hollow ES for half the price of a 335. I dig the simple controls and its no-nonsense looks.

I love it because it makes me sound like Carlton. The Burstbuckers truly are fantastic.

I would say it counts

Those sound like they are great guitars ...

But I don't think they are making them anymore ... probably competes too much with the ES Les Paul they are trying to push now.

[mr quick]

Probably so. I like that, I've spent all my life justifying my guitars; "No no, it's good!" "Just listen, listen", but now I have a rather rare guitar which I love and don't need to justify. Feels great, but it's too bad that other people won't have access to such a good guitar at an agreeable price =)

[nickyboy]

I've got an 88 es335 that I've had since I was 17, it's well gigged, been refretted, had new pickups and pots etc..
It's an awesome guitar that I couldn't part with.

It's the only thinline I have so I can't really compare it to any others (although my Gretsch 6120sslvo is kinda thin compared to my L5)..

My feelings on the 335 is that it can do a superb impression of a les paul, sg etc..but can still be a 335 :-)
It's one of the most comfortable designs Gibson have created, effortless reach all the way up the fretboard.

In fact, realistically, if I wasn't such a greedy bastard (:-)), I could probably sell all my guitars except for the 335 and still fit it with all genres whatever band I joined
.