Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

Are you looking for a Gibson, or high-end copy (Heritage, Edwards, Epi Elitist), or Korea/China (Epi/Hamer)? Got to narrow it down a bit.
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

check out some early 80's Dot's---they vary a bit in neck size and they have the Nashville bridge and the 'circuit board' pickups, but I found a pretty good one with the bigger neck for under 2K. A few tweaks, new pu's, and it's a great gig guitar...
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

blueman335 said:
Are you looking for a Gibson, or high-end copy (Heritage, Edwards, Epi Elitist), or Korea/China (Epi/Hamer)? Got to narrow it down a bit.
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Sorry I thought only Gibson made the es335. I knew other manufactures make the same profile but Im really only interested in a Gibson. I played a knew Larry Carlton 335 artist model today and it was sweet but I think I can spend the same or maybe even a little less and get a fine 335 with a little character to boot. Hoping anyway.:)
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

ES350 said:
check out some early 80's Dot's---they vary a bit in neck size and they have the Nashville bridge and the 'circuit board' pickups, but I found a pretty good one with the bigger neck for under 2K. A few tweaks, new pu's, and it's a great gig guitar...
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+1

I've got an 83 or 84 that I got this last month and it's a KILLER guitar. However mine has the 80s patent # pups not the Shaws or circuit board pups. It sounds like an A5 PAF style pup.

The early 80s dots are still pretty reasonable too.

The Gibson 335 satin is a great guitar. The guy I got my 335 from in Memphis had one with a 59/JB set, and it wounded VERY nice. Also Gibson put out the fatneck 335 and lots of guys on TGP have good reports on them.

Luke
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

I would personally get a Sheraton II and put in Gibson '57s. Virtually the same guitar.
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

If you want to do a stop tail conversion, there are bargains to be had in 70's trapeze 335/345's as well...gotta shop for decent necks though.

That blonde Dot 335 of mine was one of those deals where I knew the guy (a hairmetal dude) who bought it for some reason back in the mid-80's and I actually worked on it sometime in the late 80's (fret dress/setup). Three years ago, I saw it in a local shop, virtually unplayed, and bought it...
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

NeoDog said:
Sorry I thought only Gibson made the es335. I knew other manufactures make the same profile but Im really only interested in a Gibson. I played a knew Larry Carlton 335 artist model today and it was sweet but I think I can spend the same or maybe even a little less and get a fine 335 with a little character to boot. Hoping anyway.:)
Click to expand...

I've found that when I'm really looking for the "right" axe, kind of in the manner you are, I do well by just biding my time and playing everything out there.

I spent the better part of 15 years looking for the perfect hollowbody. I played a slew of Gibsons, Hamers and Heritages.

I ended up, ironically, with a low-end Epiphone Dot Studio. After a pickup swap the thing is just a tone monster.

Don't feel like you have to or should buy right away. Half the fun is in the hunt.
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

Skarekrough said:
I've found that when I'm really looking for the "right" axe, kind of in the manner you are, I do well by just biding my time and playing everything out there.

I spent the better part of 15 years looking for the perfect hollowbody. I played a slew of Gibsons, Hamers and Heritages.

I ended up, ironically, with a low-end Epiphone Dot Studio. After a pickup swap the thing is just a tone monster.

Don't feel like you have to or should buy right away. Half the fun is in the hunt.
Click to expand...

Good advise. I tend to be like a terrier with a bone, when I get on something Im on it.
I will look around but I need this guitar before Sept. 20th. Thanks again man.
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

ES350 said:
check out some early 80's Dot's---they vary a bit in neck size and they have the Nashville bridge and the 'circuit board' pickups, but I found a pretty good one with the bigger neck for under 2K. A few tweaks, new pu's, and it's a great gig guitar...
Click to expand...


I have a dot RI from'85..... It is my favorite Humbucker guitar hands down.

Mine has the stock PAF RI pickups in it and there is no question these are great pickups. No circuit boards on mine. The neck is pretty comfortable and it sustains foe days (espicially thru a Marshall type amps). I would agree that early 80's thru around '87 are good ones. The new ones don't sound or play as good. Mines a keeper!!
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

NeoDog said:
Sorry I thought only Gibson made the es335. I knew other manufactures make the same profile but Im really only interested in a Gibson. I played a knew Larry Carlton 335 artist model today and it was sweet but I think I can spend the same or maybe even a little less and get a fine 335 with a little character to boot. Hoping anyway.:)
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Are you planning on making this purchase soon? You might want to wait. The Texas Guitar show is coming up in September. You can usually get a pretty good deal at a show!
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

Get an Epiphone Dot Studio and change the p'ups with a Jazz set for a session years' Larry Carlton sound or with a Jazz bridge in the neck and a C5 in the bridge for a higher output PAF vibe. Stimated price: 5-600 bucks.

You can buy a lot of lessons with the difference!

HTH,

Pepe aka Lt Kojak
Milano, Italy
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

Friend of my father's just bought a historic reissue 335 with 57 classic humbuckers, which I got to play for a while through a good fender amp. That is the only guitar I have seen in quite a few years that made me really jealous. That thing just oozed tone, and looked nice doing it.
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

ES350 said:
If you want to do a stop tail conversion, there are bargains to be had in 70's trapeze 335/345's as well...gotta shop for decent necks though.
Click to expand...

I remember seeing a few early/mid 70s 335s that were hollow between the pickups and behind the bridge- I don't remember if they were trapeze TP guitars or not though...
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

Although a lot of folks don't like the '70's era Gibsons, my friend has an early '70's 335 that is killer sounding. Another option is the Heritage version (535 model I think)
 
Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

LtKojak said:
Get an Epiphone Dot Studio and change the p'ups with a Jazz set for a session years' Larry Carlton sound or with a Jazz bridge in the neck and a C5 in the bridge for a higher output PAF vibe. Estimated price: 5-600 bucks.

This is the way to go! You can afford to get 3 or 4 Epi Sheratons & Dots, and put a different combination of pickups in each. Like one with a pair of '59's for a vintage sound, another with a Jazz in the neck & a Custom 5 in the bridge for higher output, and another with Gibson Burstbuckers. Every time you play, you have choices that you never dreamed of, and fantastic tones. There are only a handful of people on this planet that could tell the sound of those from a Gibson 335.

I have an ebony Sheraton with a '59n & a Custom 5 that is one of the best sounding blues guitars I've ever heard; warm with lots of punch & bite for solos. Their Dot Deluxe comes with a flame maple top & is just beautiful, especially in red. A Sheraton or Dot in natural is very nice on the eyes. You can get one of each and still have the cash to put Duncans and Dimarzios in them! You can also et a used Epi '63 Dot reissue (MIJ) for the same price range, and their quality is as good or better than a Gibson. I'd put the tone quality of my Epi's up against a Gibson 335 any day.

Think about this with a Gibson: Take away $300 for the retail cost of the pickups & hardware, and you have a nice piece of wood that cost you $2,000+. Is the wood that nice? Or do you just have too much money? Besides, getting a nice assortment of imported 335's gives you a huge variety tonally, and are loads of fun to select pickups for. Why get hung up on a name, when you can get almost the same quality for a fraction of the price? There's plenty of people who've been disappointed in the quality of Gibsons, considering what they paid for them. Paying through the nose doesn't guarantee that you're getting the extra quality. Think outside the box.
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Re: Looking to pick up an es335 but don't know

There's a whole range of fantastic 335 clones out there that are much better value than a Gibson. Tokai, Yamaha SA1500 (Beautiful guitar for about half the money), Epi's, Edwards, Orville (Japanese Gibson), Heritage, Hamer.

Go out and try some you might be surprised at what you find. Listen and play with your ears and hands not your eyes.

But if you want a Gibson just splash the cash but a regular 335 is probably not going to be the same as the Larry Carlton you've played.

I wouldn't trade my Tokai with Seths for anything.

Enjoy the hunt!
 
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