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In order for me to obtain the 350 I'd have to sell the 300 and I 'd hate to do that. They are both great guitars. So which one do you prefer sound wise? My recording is as honest as it gets. No EQ, tone pots on the guitars open, no effects, no sound processing. I ran both guitars through a tube pre-amp only.
I am playing the same Joe Pass etude on both guitars.
I'd appreciate your thoughts.
DB
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01-30-2020 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog
Damn. That's not an easy choice. There's obviously a lot of similarities.
The 300 has a bit more "snap" on the notes, which I really like. The 350's attack is softer, a bit more classic bebop guitar a la Jimmy Raney sounding...it's ever so "cloudy," it's lovely too. But something about that force of the 300...I would assume a little tone roll off (or running volume just less than 100%) could probably get the sound of the 350...not sure if it would go the other way around.
They're literally my favorite type of jazz tone, and my second favorite type of jazz tone.
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Both sound great, with my personal preference being the 300. It sounds a little more vibrant or alive, I suppose. The 350 is a bit more compressed-sounding, by comparison. Very nice playing, too!
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Sound is amazing. Your choice would have to be based on how each one feels to you. I think you could get the tone of either of them from either of them. So it comes down to your subjective judgment.
BTW what Joe Pass etude is that?
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I listened more than once. Both great sounding guitars but I prefer the ES 350. To me it sounds more nuanced and sophisticated and seems to have more warmth whereas the ES 300 sounds a bit more "in your face" to my ears. Tough decision... I wish you good luck in making the right one.
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First - as always, nice playing DB !
Then- I also think the 300 has more ' snap' - but barely....
Then I also think the 350 is smoother - -but again barely.....
Those '50's non-cuts are the last of that sound......then you go to cutaways and take a little off the sounds described and heard from each.........
I keep thinking you'll eventually stumble upon something else from that period that'll pretty much dial in the sound you've been searching for.....and if that something else is an L-5, it'll give you something the 2 others don't........
I think you've done really well to find 2 blondes like that.....but seeing how close they are, I don't think I'd need the 350 that bad - -unless it were in a lot better condition......meaning for me it isn't much of a 'trade up'.....
And does either have those skinny frets ??
Good luck DB with your decision and hope this helps........(( and of course just MHO ))
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I've got it. Keep them BOTH but send one to me for archival preservation! I'm an archaeologist!
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Originally Posted by DB's Jazz Guitar Blog
The 300 is a bit more dynamic and a little brighter, and I like that a little more. But that's through a set-up that's atypical for actually playing a guitar, and without going through the range of possible adjustments (e.g., knobs on guitar and amp, pickup/pole-piece heights) to see what the full range of tones is for both. IOW, I think I'd need to see/hear the Venn diagram of tone (so to speak) through an amp to judge which I prefer. After you posted the 350 clip yesterday, I kind of guessed this question was coming, and listened to some of your other 300 clips. I thought they sounded pretty much identical to yesterday's 350 video, so I'm guessing the intersection in the Venn diagram is pretty big. If it's a tie in sound and feel, and the cost differences and hassle factor of selling are acceptable, I'd take the cutaway. But just by that video, I do prefer the 300.
John
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They're close enough that I'd go w/ the 350 only because it's a cutaway for access to the upper register.
350 sounds a little smoother/warmer to me.
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Awesome playing, how long did it take you to memorize that!?
Same strings on both? Both sets new or one broken in more? I listened twice through while looking away the whole time, so I didn't know which was which. Then a third time while watching. I prefer the 300. A dad crisper, but also louder, and that could factor in. I wonder what would make the 300 snappier/crisper, and louder? The wood? Shape? Pickup? (Strings?) But as others have mentioned, I'll bet you could approach the tone of the 350 on the 300 just by rolling of the tone a tad.
Also, I know you didn't say it's an issue, but is the cutaway something that is very useful to you?
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Both sound like Heaven on Earth to me.
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Right? It's the proverbial steak or lobster choice. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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I like both. I had a 300 of that same vintage, so I know what that's about, too.
Personally, I liked the sound of the 350 in the clip more than the 300--but liked them both a lot. The sound of that 350 is why I play jazz guitar in the first place.
Good luck with your deliberations. If you stick with the 300, you lose nothing. If you go with the 350, I think you do gain something.
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Thanks for posting. Both are beautiful guitars but, as previous posters assert, the 300 is just a tad crispier. However, not enough to make a significant difference.
Assuming all of us have been listening to "jazz/chord melody" players for years, and we can't determine any significant difference in the instruments, I'm pretty sure that the average listener could not tell the difference either. I would pick the one that is more "comfortable" to play in terms of your girth versus the guitar's girth!
Tony D.
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It's been said above. The 300 sounds slightly louder and punchier to me, but nothing that eq/ strings/ amps couldn't sort out. Pickup placement may have a little to do with it. And worth remembering that these two sounds are so close, only a guitarist would even notice these small differences. As to 'liking' them, if you like P90s and laminate, you like both of these.
For me it would be much more about which plays better - the older I get, the more important easy playbility becomes.
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Both are great guitars obviously, but if I had to choose one I'd go with the 350 (unless it was a lot more expensive and cost was a consideration). I prefer the cutaway and two pickup flexibility (which I think add to potential resale value if you ever decide to sell). I think the 350 sounds a little better to my ear too. I'd have to play them both to really decide and only you can do that.
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Oops...sorry......I missed the cutaway part on the 350........
So that being said I'd probably make the trade, because that cutaway sounds so close to that non-cut.....and sounds really good.....and the cutaway of course gives you that added upper fret playability.......
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I liked the electric tone of the 350 more. It also has a cutaway. 300 might sound better acoustically though.
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Great video DB!
Both guitars sound great to my ears. There are subtle tone differences between the two but nothing you couldn't correct with the tone knob, I think.
There are probably other criteriae than the sole guitar tone that could guide you in your choice. I am the happy owner of a 46' ES-300 and a '55 ES-350 and the feeling in hands is completely different. Also, cut vs. non cut guitars could make a difference to you.
As for me, I would keep the ES-300.
Cheers.
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Judging from what I can hear now the ES-300 is my favorite because it has the more "dense" tone, nice and fat on the high E string.
In order to really appreciate the minor differences between the two instruments I'd have to hear some SLOW lines, some strummed chords, some picked chords, just a demonstration of the various tones that these guitars have to offer, including the effect of the volume and tone controls. Some un-amplified playing would also help.
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I would chose the 350 for the cutaway and slightly softer high end.
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They both sound great DB, with your usual skillful playing! I liked (by a slight margin) the brighter sound of the ES-300, but as mentioned earlier, a slight twist of the tone knob would likely get either guitar into the other's territory!
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Thanks for listening and commenting Jeff! Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
DB
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The etude can be found right here in my Blog. It's in TAB. The original etude "Modern Blues" is on page 40 of the Joe Pass Guitar Style book. Also the blues on page 35 is in that Blog post. There's videos too in which I play them. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
I played the etude from memory in my sound test. Hope it is still correct ...
DB
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Thanks. Yes they have the skinny frets I think. But they work fine for me. The 350 has had a refret in the past, the 300 still has the original frets which are in great condition still. Originally Posted by Dennis D
DB
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