ES-335 style guitar love thread, no telecasters allowed

[blkjazz]

1985 ES 335 Dot and 2021 ES 335 '64 Reissue

[mr. beaumont]

This stupid thread is going to end up costing me money, I can just tell.

[jzucker]

yamaha sa2200

[pawlowski6132]

My parents bought me this brand new in 1984. I didn't use it much and it sat until COVID.

I pulled it out and traded it for a '59 ES 330 single pickup (which I also subsequently traded.)

I never looked back.

[omphalopsychos]

Can't beat these inlays.

[gitman]

[QUOTE=John A.;1324295]Interesting structure you have there in the background. I guess you must play catatonic scales?[/QUOT


Catatonic is absolutely correct !!! Our two furry-nosed landlords have these down pat…. ?

[docsteve]

Rhlett already created a thread for this:
Bent side, full or semi-hollow, thin-line love thread; NO SLABS.

True, but this thread has the cooler title

(and more posts - somebody should merge the two).

[hotpepper01]

1977 Ibanez 2467

[enalnitram]

Collings I35LC
Lollar P90s

[Gilpy]

My ‘64 335. Well worn, I’ve played hundreds of gigs with it. The original owner must have played thousands. Check out the case!
A great guitar.

[enalnitram]

My ‘64 335. Well worn, I’ve played hundreds of gigs with it. The original owner must have played thousands. Check out the case!
A great guitar.

We’re not worthy! Also a fan of top wrap.

[Jimmy Mack]

Speaking of inlays:

[KRosser]

The tobacco burst on the left is a 1987 335, everything stock except the pots were switched out at some point when the originals went wonky. The pickups in this are great, a tech once told me they were Tim Shaws but I have no way of verifying that. I just know I like them, whatever they are. It's been refretted once. Its birthday is March 27 according to the serial number, so the big 3-7 is coming up.

The natural finish on the right is a 2007, I bought this to basically be a backup for the '87 since I was gigging with these constantly at the time. It came with the '57 Classic pickups, which I didn't like, so I replaced them with Fralin Pure PAFs, which I really like in this guitar.

Anecdotes! I got my first 335 when I was 15 years old, it was a late 70s walnut finish with a trapeze tailpiece and the coil tap switch in the upper treble bout. Before that I had a semi hollow Lyle, a terrible import instrument that wouldn't stay in tune. I had started doing gigs by then, so my dad took me out to get the Gibson. I played that guitar all the way through high school, I loved it so much. Then I went to college as a classical major and got into my head that anything more than one guitar was a distraction, so I sold the 335 and bought a classical. A few years after my undergrad in the early 80s I got back into the 335s and I've had at least one ever since.

These feel quite different, the burst is a little heavier and has an ebony fingerboard. I probably take the '07 natural out more now, it would be easier to replace if something happened to it. I'd like to get one with a trapeze tailpiece, that has a whole other feel that I liked as well. Maybe cherry...I've never owned a cherry finish 335.

I know I could shop around and try all kinds of other things but these guitars just feel like home, and I'd rather not fuss over the gear so much. More money for records!

[Danny W.]

I've was a fan of the Gibson ES-355 for standup (rock/pop/soul) gigs from 1961 to 2003 and have owned about a dozen of them. I no longer own any, but here are a few:

1971 TDSV:


1983 TDSV, from last catalog batch made:


Custom order 1985 TDSV


Early 1980's custom order:


Early '80's ES-357 (ES Mitch)

A few from the '90's:


What I play now (the smaller ones!) CS-356 and Johnny A:



Danny W.

[Hammertone]

Höfner Verythin Standards, made in Germany.

[Flat]

...and got into my head that anything more than one guitar was a distraction...

Sacrilege!

More money for records!

I really like the record shelves! I need to get something like that. I worked in used record stores coming up and have a few hundred LPs.

Can I ask where you got them? I'm also in SoCal.

[Little Jay]

Nice axe!

I had a red '03 that I let go a couple years ago because I liked my Edwards more, mainly because the slim taper on the 333 required constant adjustment and I could never get the action as low as I wanted without excessive buzz. It was spending too much time in the case so down the road she went. I polished mine to a shine also and played it at many hundreds of gigs. The finish on the neck was starting to wear thru. People were constantly asking me "man, how old is that guitar?" every gig I played..

They came originally with 490r/498t which was actually a good sounding set but I too switched them for '57 classics. Gibson cancelled them because they were cutting into their 335 sales I think. What's not to love? A whole heckuva lot easier to do a pickup swap on a 333.

I also had a Sheraton II Pro for a while. That guitar had insanely low buzz free action. I actually had to raise it. The five piece neck is awesome and VERY stable.The probuckers were decent and at a gig volumes no one was the wiser when I switched the 333 out. The issue was that canoe paddle headstock it made it a neck diving son of a gun and uncomfortable to gig with since I also sing. Every time I let go of the neck it would dive. I tried putting lighter kluson tuners on, no dice. I sold it. Should've bit the bullet and thrown a nice big gold Bigsby on there. Would've fixed the problem but that was over half the purchase price of the guitar. It was a good enough guitar to make it worth it though. Shouldn't have let it go.

Okay those 333 necks apparently varied quite a bit then because mine has the exact same width (42mm) as my 1950 ES-125, but less deep (but still substantial enough), I really like it. The neck of the Sheraton II is indeed comfortable. My Sheraton (still have it also) is an early 90ies one, Samick-made I guess. Great guitar on it own right, with a very mellow tone perfect for smooth jazz. But the 333 just has an edge over it in terms of wood in the sound and a bit more acoustic ‘ploc’ in the tone (a hit of ‘thunk’ perhaps?). Also the electronics of the 333 were much better (but I upgraded the Sheraton’s electronics with full size Alpha pots and braided wiring, feels much better now).

Here’s my Sheraton:


Quite a few changes over the years: StewMac humbuckers, different pickguard and yes, even a trapeze tailpiece (as an attempt to give it more of an archtop feel and sound - I think it did help a little).

I never noticed the neck dive so much, only when playing sitting down and not using the strap. It was my first ‘jazz guitar’ after owning only a Strat and made a world of difference for my jazz playing.

[Little Jay]

Can't beat these inlays.

Beautiful!!!

[Little Jay]

Only one 330 so far? I have grown to like the fully hollow 330 design even better than the 335 with its center block. Another chance to show off my Cooper 330. DIY, got the body and neck from China and finished and assembled everything myself. Great work horse guitar, does everything from rock to jazz, pop to soul, ska to funk, etc.

[Marty Grass]

This guitar I recently got back from a friend I sold it to years ago. I had originally got it from another friend on the opposite coast. This shuttling has nothing to do with the quality of the instrument. Rather, it is a manifestation of the psychopathology of GAS.

The model is Heritage's version of the ES-355, and it was made with the same tools, processes and even hands of those who made the old ES-355s. The woods were sources by the same guy who did the Kalamazoo Gibsons.

Here's what's different. The body is 1/8th inch shallower. There's no Varitone. The input jack is on the rim, which is a good thing. The headstock is different, which I will comment on now. The design allows a straighter string path from nut to tuner, which in theory could maintain tuning better. It also lowers headstock weight, which reduces neck dive. But it doesn't have that beautiful open book Gibson shape.



The pickups are Schallers. Many people want to swap them out, but my belief is that much of that impulse has to do with the perception that these are "cheap" pickups or that they sound inferior becaused they are stock with the early Heritages. At the inception of Heritage, the company got some sort of package deal with Schaller in using the tailpiece, bridge, tuners and pickups. Eventually they switched to SD pickups and other components. My observation is that many didn't like the Schaller bridge and tailpiece, which are maybe overengineered and too heavy.

This particular guitar has more "Gibson" type hardware but Schaller pickups. I think the pickups suit it very well. They also have the slight advantage of being able to slant, shifting coil emphasis for tone.

Here is a video comparing the Schallers with Seth Lovers. You can judge yourself about the sounds.

This particular guitar has a one piece maple neck. Newer ones have mahogany. Some older ones had three piece maple necks. Here's my other H-555 with such a neck.


The blonde H-555 was custom built for Vince Lewis. The neck is a medium carve. The action is very low. What I heard about this guitar is that Vince prefers a bigger box. I don't doubt this.

[Geunther]

Little Jay, LOVE that DIY 330! Any chance you got a link for the body/neck source?

Wait, never mind, I found your prior posts on the build, awesome!!!

[m_d]

My ‘64 335. Well worn, I’ve played hundreds of gigs with it. The original owner must have played thousands. Check out the case!
A great guitar.

No way... that guitar is about what Excalibur is to blades.

[pingu]

some lovely guitars on here
thanks for the thread !
(I don’t play one cos they’re not comfortable for me)

not as many Ibz 335 style guitars
on here as I thought there would be

carry on

[ESCC]

Heritage 535 I bought new in 1993. All stock except the bridge which I replaced 10years ago. Definitely a keeper.

[jumpnblues]

True, but this thread has the cooler title

(and more posts - somebody should merge the two).

My thread has better tone.