ES-335 love..anyone?

[eggman]

Howdy,

These days I'm really enjoying my 1980 Gibson ES-335CRR. I've replaced the stock "Dirty Fingers" with SD '59s and it's a big improvement. Now I can get my "Ya-Ya's out" through my little '68 Vibro Champ while playing along with Keef, Mick and the guys right here in my living room! : party:
This guitar plays like butter and sounds really big and fat through my 6L6 powered Fender amps ("The Twin" and "Super 112". Both with red knobs and great tone, thank you.). It's a bit heavy at 9 lbs, but those HBers enable me to really overdrive my tubes in ways that are impossible with my Rickenbackers and Fenders. These P/Us are under-rated for clean, and my Fender "The Twin" is good for that. And the sustain? It's there, trust me. Anyone else wanna share some ES-335 love? Climb aboard!

Eggman

PS: Be sure to include your favorite amp(s) for your ES-335; maybe we can learn a thing or two about achieving some great tones.

 

[darnright]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I have (2) 335 copies left (I had 5 at one time). I love 'em, there is just a little more...I don't know exactly what. Maybe it's the hollowness, but they just have something. Great clean and great dirty. One has Phat Cats and one has 59's (I think). Both sound great!! I play them through everything; Line 6 AX2-212's, Vetta, Hughes and Kettner Tri Amp, Fender HRD, Peavey Classic 50 (4x10 + 15" extension cab) Laney pro tube PT30 MV and Tubeworks RT-2100 among others.

-dave

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

i've been thinkin about how badly i want one of these lately. i kinda want a Les Paul but i think a semihollow would add more diversity to my rig.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I GAS for a 335 all the time but I've yet to pull the trigger on one...one day! I'll tell you this...I used to go to a local shop and play an early 60's 335 through a 58 Bassman all the time...that was tone! I loved the sounds I could get out of that rig but it was just a tad out of reach price wise...

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

For the Geezer Rock band I walked in last week with my Epi Dot Studio with VIntage Vibe Pickups and the Valvetronix amp and found myself THAT much closer to where I wanted to be tonally.

I may change the amp around a bit but the Dot had exactly the tone I was looking for; nice and warm with a little bit of highs and mids from the Vintage Vibe pickups.

Honestly....I'm probably going to go with the Trace Elliot Velocette as the amp since I'm looking for a mostly Marshall tone anyway and throw in the Wasabi Overdrive for diversity and call it a day.

Another case of going with a 335 and a good tube amp and being where you need it to be!

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I've played so many of them... and so many versions of them by other companies. I love the looks. I also love the players: BB King, Carlton, Scofield...

BUT,

I just hate the tones I get when I use them. They are not for me.

 

[Captain Tightpants]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I'd be lost without mine. She's only an Epi, but I love her!

 

[Pastor of Muppets]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

When I used to play in a two-guitar band I played an LP and the other guitarist played a 335 through a Marshall - he used to get an amazing tone and the two sounds meshed well. My bass player is selling his 335 ('97 model, cherry dot, very subtle flame) and I am very tempted to buy it from him - neck pup is awesome for creamy solos, and mid-position is funktastic.

 

[NevermindUs]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I dont have an 335 but i do have an ibanez artcore model, and its amazing! for a year straight it was the only guitar i played. now i go to shops and go right to the semi's cause i want to step up to a 335 but i dont want to spend that much for a guitar thats so similar to one i have now a semi gretsch, thats a different story...

 

[sosomething]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

Can I play too? I don't have a 335, but I have this...

It's pretty close I guess

 

[thespricket]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I would love to get a nice older 335 copy. I really cant afford a gibson or an epi. I feel it would compliment my strat nicely.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

For the record, Epiphone Dot Studio (read: no frills) models can be had for $250, NEW.

I just got one for $269 last week, and I really like it.

It's built well, my mom dropped it right on the headstock at a height of about 36", and it lived through it. The finish in the neck cracked, but the headstock didn't snap off or anything. It stays in tune better now, for some odd reason.

Check em out, they're cheap and higher-than-expected in quality.

 

[Bludave]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I own a 1985 dot RI. The Pickups are stock, and I would never consider chaning them. They are awesome. The pickups in mine are the PAF RI that Gibson was using during this period. Its my favorite HB guitar.

I play through a varitey of amps. I own 1 67 Deluxe Reverb, a 1968 Super Reverb, a Marshall 900 50W combo (I use this with my band mostly) a Bogner Shiva and a Komet 60. I espicially like the tones through the Komet and the Bogner. The Komet has a little more character than the Bogner, but the Bogner gives beautiful cleans as well as some serious grind to it. The Komet just does what it does a lot better than anything else. Since I have the Bogner and the Komet, I really don't use the Fenders as much, but for certain things the Fenders are the right amps. The 335 has always been on my have to have list. I have always felt that guitar players need 4 electric guitars. A Les Paul, a 335, a Strat, and a Tele. Those 4 guitars define Blues and Rock.

 

[blueman335]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

Lots of love here. A 335 with '59's...you have excellent taste. Other than the possible exception of some Les Pauls, it's really hard to improve on that set up.

Since I like a lot of warmth on my bridge PU's, I use 250K's with a .100 cap (500K's on the neck with a .022). If the wood is still little bright, I'll also put an A4 in the bridge. That assures me tons of mids & just enough treble to cut through. For blues, classic rock, & jazz it's magic.

 

[gilles27]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

lots and lots of love for those. anything semi - hollow gives me severe GAS issues. anyone on here got a 355 we can gawp at? I'm thinking about either an Epi Sheraton with seths/'55s or an Ibanez AS93c with the same. not sure which tho

 

[JOLLY]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I GAS for a 335 all the time but I've yet to pull the trigger on one...one day!

Same here man. I've come sooooooooo close sooooooooo many times.

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

335 through Fender? Oddly enough, it dosn't really do it for me. 335 through Marshall? Now yer talkin'

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

ALSO - I love the look of my modded Epi dot - I'll stick a pic up later. JSR

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I love a good one and wish I had one. I've owned a few, but the best Gibson electric I ever owned was a '60 or '61 ES-355. Got stolen about 1980. It was my main guitar and after that I never found another Gibson that I bonded with. Lew

 

[Bludave]

Re: ES-335 love..anyone?

I love a good one and wish I had one. I've owned a few, but the best Gibson electric I ever owned was a '60 or '61 ES-355. Got stolen about 1980. It was my main guitar and after that I never found another Gibson that I bonded with. Lew

The 355's are great also. I actually prefer the 335 or 355 over the Stereos. I find the choke on the Stereos don't really do much. The inlays on the 355 are really sweet.