View Poll Results: Your choice?
- Voters
- 188. You may not vote on this poll
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1979 Gibson ES-347
38 20.21% -
1990's Ibanez AS200
35 18.62% -
Eastman T185MX
23 12.23% -
Yamaha SA2200
39 20.74% -
Heritage 535
64 34.04%
Multiple Choice Poll.
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I love the way those 347s look, they beautiful guitars, but the tar back humbuckers that are typically on them are not my cup of tea! Resale value considered that would be the best bet in my opinion.
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11-03-2017 08:58 AM
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Titan Artist looks great. Bet it plays great, too. Dig the sycamore maple back!
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Man, I'd love to see some pics of this! Koa is a beautiful wood.
Originally Posted by stevus
ETA: Saw a pic of another's Seventy Seven in the Member Classifieds ... beeeyooootiful!Last edited by Thumpalumpacus; 11-03-2017 at 10:37 AM.
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I've been playing a Heritage 535 since '92, very pleased with it. The only thing I have changed is the bridge, it now has a Nashville.
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Yup, still have it. PM with an offer. Originally Posted by jazzbow
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I voted for the Yamaha since I have a Yamaha SA2000s and it's a well crafted guitar and I played a SA2200 and I liked it too. The other guitars are probably fine guitars too, but since Yamaha semi's aren't mentioned that often it is worth to emphasize them - they are worth a try-out.
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The first bottom line everybody has to cross is the cost factor.
Assuming your budget is somewhere around $1500 or a little less,
I would strongly encourage you to consider the Taylor T3/T3B.
The B has a factory Bigsby and that's the only difference. You can
usually find a pre-owned T3B in this price range and for this kind of money,
you won't find a better guitar on the planet earth, IMO. Very light, and
has an extremely comfortable neck. Taylor makes excellent quality pups,
and if you want to change them out, lots of others will fit nicely.
They are ALL made in California, you can reach them by phone easily when
you have a question, and the build quality is second to none. The body size
is a little smaller than the ES335 types, and unless you just prefer that
particular size, the Taylor is an unbeatable selection. I'm 5'7" and I have an
extremely nice Yamaha SA2200, body size like the 335. I'd trade my Yamaha
for the right guitar, but not for any 335 type. I don't use the Bigsby, but it's
there if I want it, and this model also comes as a hardtail.
Best of luck! Check the reviews on YouTube and you can't go wrong. I've been
playing and collecting for 50+ years, and if we'd had the internet tools 50 years
ago that we now have, I could have saved a lot of time and money.
Jerry
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Get one of these.
From me.
German-made Hofner Verythin Standard w/Bigsby. New. Definitely not neck-heavy.
German-made Hofner Verythin Classic w/Bigsby. Used. Definitely not neck-heavy.
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Where can I find info and pricing on these guitars?
They look good!
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Are these guitars about the same size as the 335's?
They appear to be slightly smaller. (that's good)
Do you consider trades for other high-quality semi-hollow body guitars?
Thanks-
Jerry
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I have a eastman 186 and love it.
It is very different from a 335 due to the construction so i would never advice someone to get it if the player was after a 335. But that being said, I sold my Gibson after i got the eastman. It was just a better guitar in every way, better craftmanship, in my opinion better sounding (but like i say they sound very different), i just really like the more hollow feel but still with that small centerblock. I use it for jazz, funk and RNB, it is my main guitar now.
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I'd like the Verythin more if it was Kinda Thin ..( lol ) - more like about 2.5 Inches ... Originally Posted by Hammertone
Get one of these.
From me.
German-made Hofner Verythin Standard w/Bigsby. New. Definitely not neck-heavy.
German-made Hofner Verythin Classic w/Bigsby. Used. Definitely not neck-heavy.
The Prestige Guitars from Canada make a Guitar in Korea with Canadian Woods then electronics and tweaked and set up in Canada...
Their double cut looks a lot like the Verythin but is about 2" thick and long scale 25.5"..
I haven't played one ...bad demos ( make me really appreciate Jack Z's Demos )..
Anyway ...they use a Maple Center Block...so I called them again and they are switching to a Spruce Center Block they said in 2018
The Spruce Block on the Sadowsky in- one Review they mentioned- is somehow scalloped or has openings that Cause the Air and Body to resonate as one piece ...rather than two halves like the 335 ..
I sent the info to Prestige...hope they try it..
One thinline that sounds really good in Demos under the Radar is Heritage H525 - it doesn't have Humbuckers unfortunately ...I asked Heritage about it and they said under the Bridge is a backer board but it does not go through to the back!
But they are fairly expensive. About $3600.
But I like the ES 135 with Humbuckers ...and waiting for neck measurements thickness on Hawk Jazz...
If the Prestige really resonates like crazy with the Spruce block it is only $1000.
I hope they Swiss Cheese the Center Block..or that it
Has big notches
Lots of cool options.
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For the record, I love those verythins... but for some strange reason, everytime I look to one of those. this picture comes to mind: Originally Posted by Hammertone
German-made Hofner Verythin Classic w/Bigsby. Used. Definitely not neck-heavy.
I just can't help it!
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I like the second guitar a little better than the first one,
but I still can't find any pricing or specs on any of them.
I've got a Yamaha SA2200, and I just want a slightly smaller body size.
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Love my Eastman El Rey. Have the ER 2 first then got the ER 1. ER 1 is my main gig guitar. Light and warm. No feedback issues. Wide jazz neck. Perfect.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Then the choice is very limited. Either a Gibson ES-339 or an Epiphone ES-339, depending on the budget. Originally Posted by bluesman50
Unless you don't mind having a single-cut body, then the choice is broader. The first coming to mind is the Ibanez GB-1.
If budget's not the problem, then the non plus ultra would be the Sadowsky Semi Hollow:
Semi-Hollow – Sadowsky Guitars
Enjoy!
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Lol. The Cat is super cute but he looks worried .. Originally Posted by LtKojak
For the record, I love those verythins... but for some strange reason, everytime I look to one of those. this picture comes to mind:
I just can't help it!
But I have heard some REALLY cool dark in a good way Resonant Neck Tones on Demos from those Verithins that is not just turning down the Tone Knob - there is some Mojo Resonance from the Construction/ Scale Length / ???? something..
Which makes me think- Damn- IF they made the darn thing thicker than an Oreo Cookie - it might be all kinds of Great..
Is the Hofner Verythin 25.25" scale ?
I suspect from Demos that there is a low frequency somewhere in the Oreo Cookie Body that 335's don't have.
Why doesn't someone tell Hofner that we don't need it THAT thin and exploit this further ?
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Originally Posted by Robertkoa
Yes, the German-made Verythins (and Jazzicas, New Presidents, and Chancellors) use a 25 1/4" scale.
In terms of a "deeper Verythin", this has essentially happened - the German-built Verythin was replaced by the German-built Thin President several years ago:
-25 1/4" scale
-ebony board
-1-piece maple neck
-all-laminated body
-spruce block (with various parts of it removed)
-@16" wide
-@1 3/4" deep rims (as opposed to 1 1/4" deep rims)
-16th fret neck/body joint
-Venetian cutaway
-full-sized humbucking pickups set into the body
-standard colours are white or black
-similar model with Florentine cutaway also available (one will be at NAMM in January, with a black paisley finish on the top)Last edited by Hammertone; 01-01-2018 at 02:26 PM.
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But it looks like a Gretsch.....
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OOOH looks good -Can you get them to remove the can opener thing on some Versions ? Originally Posted by Hammertone
Stoptail or Trapeze in other words.
Will this be a much Phatter sound do you think than the Verythins- ?
And Price, Availability in USA ?
70% Off for Forum Members ?lol.
Is there some special Resonance with The Chambered Spruce ?
Even before I knew it featured the Spruce Open Block
I noticed the Sadowsky Semi Hollow had that deep but airy sound ( when I heard Jack Z Play it ).
Not sure another half inch deeper will be as big a difference as I am hoping for ...
2.5" or so seems better- but I don't know much about Guitar Construction so a wild guess based upon ES 137 ES 135 etcLast edited by Robertkoa; 12-31-2017 at 06:50 PM.
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-A few have been made with stop or trapeze tailpieces - a no can opener version can be made. Originally Posted by Robertkoa
-Marginally fatter sound is my guess.
-Yes, special discount for Forum members. But only if you know the secret handshake.
-Yes, special resonance if that makes you buy one from me.
-Price is more than 2K, less than 4K.
-Availability is limited but a substantial cash deposit opens the door.
Step right up!
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I had a similar experience. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
I have owned the following semis:
Gibson ES-335 (2 of them)
Gibson ES-347
Ibanez AM-50
Heritage H-555
Gretsch Country Gentleman (almost a semi)
The one I kept was a Gibson 335
Keith
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Can't go wrong with a semi-acoustic. ES-335 is iconic. However, the offerings by Heritage and Ibanez are superb.
I owned a 335 for years. Great guitar.
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I have a similar experience: Originally Posted by floatingpickup
Gibson ES-335 (2 of them)
Gibson ES-347
Collings I35 LC
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Quite by accident, I stumbled across these, from ESP, which are sold under the Edwards brand:
The two I have had the opportunity to inspect both had big fat necks (spec says 43mm | 1.693" wide at nut), something not easy to find in most Gibson ES-335 or comparable guitars from Epiphone, Tokai, Greco, Orville, Ibanez, Yamaha, etceteras. The black one is way off that spec - width at nut is 44.64mm - wider than 1 3/4". I looked around ebay and found what appeared to be identical ones with SA-125LTS, SA-130LTS, SA-145LTS, SA-160LTS designations. The model number appears to correspond to their list cost in Japan - ¥125,000, ¥130,000, and so forth. There's a higher number series (currently called the SA-180LTC) with ES-355-style trim - lots of binding, ebony board, gold hardware, big block inlays). S probably means "Standard" and C probably means "Custom."
Gotoh hardware, Seymour Duncan pickups (SH-2N or Jazz in neck, and SH-14 in bridge), matte nitro finish, which (as is the case with the black one above) can be buffed up to a nice shine. Things get a bit strange here - this model has SOLID CARVED maple top and back plates, mahogany block, mahogany neck/rosewood board. They are not distributed in the US, and all typically come from Japan. Things get even stranger - they are remarkably inexpensive both new and used.
I read something about how ESP makes the various Edwards models with wood parts fabricated in China in their own factory, and guitars assembled in Japan, but I don't know the details. It doesn't really matter as far as I can tell, because the two I played are superb guitars. The whole thing is just plain inscrutable.Last edited by Hammertone; 03-31-2021 at 05:09 PM.
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