ES335 not symmetrical??

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Hi guys. Anyone out there with an ES335 style guitar (preferably Gibson or Epiphone) willing to check theirs out and help me?

I recently started a 335 build and got some templates off Amazon (it's that really common 335 temp that you see everywhere) and I made the templates and cut the mahogany body... Then my build took a break and only today I got back into it. I pull out the body and look at it and there it is.... The body isn't symmetrical at all. It matches my template which was supposedly drawn from a real 335...

The body, when viewed from straight on, is much larger on the right hand side (where the knobs would go). It sticks out much further than the left side. It kind of looks like the whole top section where the cutaways are and the neck would go have been pushed over to the left hand side and the righ side kinda juts out. The right side waist is also a tad higher than the left.

The right side sticks out about 1-1.5cm further than the left on the lower bout...

Can anyone out there confirm whether or not the plan is right or wrong? Are they supposed to be symmetrical or is this ok? How are your 335's in terms of symmetry? Is one bout of the bottom bigger or further out?

I don't want to continue the build if its gonna look lopsided... If its a major problem I'm gonna convert it into a 336 or Les Paul body and then attempt another 335 body.

Any help appreciated
Thanks!

 

[Securb]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Looks pretty symmetrical to me.

 

[JeffB]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

I know the horns and cutouts vary.....some.are bigger, rounder, smaller, pointier,.etc..pretty obvious when you know to look for it.

I will check mine out and lyk.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

One of the things that really tripped me out when I bought mine was when you're playing it and looking at the cutaways, they don't lay flat, the cutaways are actually raised at a slight upward angle. I didn't realize that when I was initially showing interest in them.

 

[Aceman]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Not a 335 guy - but I can completely believe it isn't.

 

[ErikH]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

My Hamer EchoTone is a 335 copy and it's def not symmetrical. Maybe the wider half of the body is but the horns are not.

Yeah, I know it's not a Gibson or Epi but thought I'd share it anyway.

Always dug 335's for what they are but never thought I'd own one and dig it as much as I do.

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Ah thanks for that info guys. Mine is not symmetric on the wider and narrower parts... The thing is it doesn't look very bad unless you're paying attention to it.

That plan Securb sent seems to be very symmetric though...

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

I have an Epiphone Dot that is perfectly symmetrical. Assuming they use the same body shape as the 335, your template is bad.

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Ah thanks.... I suspected as much....
I'm
Not sure how I would go about fixing this then.
ImmortalSix is your epi symmetrical on the horns as well?

 

[constant mesh]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

What did you actually buy off amazon? A 2D printout you stuck to a piece of wood and you bandsawed it out to get a template?

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Yep. That's how all my templates are. The les Paul and others are pretty accurate (checked em yesterday)
I stuck it on, bandsawed it and then sanded it flush with the template

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Ah thanks.... I suspected as much....
I'm
Not sure how I would go about fixing this then.
ImmortalSix is your epi symmetrical on the horns as well?

I'm not at home anymore, but I will look when I get home and report back, but it's symmetrical if I recall correctly.

Here are two pictures of it from above:

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Sometimes the offset can help with strapped-on balance (if this model suffers from such a thing), as the neck is "shifted" away from the control half, thus putting more body weight on that side.

I'd continue the build as-is just to see how it turns out, not only for the "what went wrong" but for the possibility that it could actually be an improvement on the design.

Looking at I6's pics, I'd say you got Dot plans, not 335.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Sometimes the offset can help with strapped-on balance (if this model suffers from such a thing), as the neck is "shifted" away from the control half, thus putting more body weight on that side.

I'd continue the build as-is just to see how it turns out, not only for the "what went wrong" but for the possibility that it could actually be an improvement on the design.

Looking at I6's pics, I'd say you got Dot plans, not 335.

But the Dot looks symmetrical and his plans are asymmetrical.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

I'm looking at where the Dot's starting point in the cutaways joins the neck, specifically at which fret.

In your pics, it appears the lower cutaway's cutaway starts at the 19th fretwire, while the upper cutaway starts at the middle of the 20th fret space, maybe at the wire.

In the plans Securb posted, the cuts start at and the heel pocket ridge crosses the 19th fret wire.

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Sometimes the offset can help with strapped-on balance (if this model suffers from such a thing), as the neck is "shifted" away from the control half, thus putting more body weight on that side.

I'd continue the build as-is just to see how it turns out, not only for the "what went wrong" but for the possibility that it could actually be an improvement on the design.

Looking at I6's pics, I'd say you got Dot plans, not 335.

I think I will continue. the difference is not that huge (under 2cm wider on one side). It doesn't resemble a fender star caster or anything like that. It's similar to the way ImmortalSix's is not symmetrical on the top but only the bottom is a bit more off. but if these plans were drawn from a real guitar, it couldn't have been that bad looking.

Doc, what would be the difference between 335 and dot plans? Mine says "Gibson ES335" on it though

But thanks for the input guys. I think I may just make a half template to match the smaller side and then flip it and rout out the larger sides excess until it matches

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

I'm not at home anymore, but I will look when I get home and report back, but it's symmetrical if I recall correctly.

Here are two pictures of it from above:

Woah actually looking at these pics, yours kinda does exactly what mine does. Look at the right side where the controls are, it sticks out and is more rounded than the left side. It's very slight but if you look hard enough you'll see it (unless its just the photo or because the grain slants) but that's pretty much how my template is.

I think I should be fine if the build ends up similar to the dot in the photo. It's a damn good looking guitar

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

i measured this guy just to be sure, but the middle of the 16inch body is the middle of the strings. I also measured the narrowest part. Its symmetrical.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

I looked at my brown Dot this morning and the body meets the neck at exactly the same spot on both sides of the neck; the nut-side edge of the 19th fret.

Exactly as pictured in the blueprint posted above.

So, it might look askew in the pictures I posted, but it is not - the upper horn and lower horn meet the neck at exactly the same spot.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: ES335 not symmetrical??

Note: my guitar may look askew because the grain on the body is at a slight angle - it does not run straight / with the strings.