Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

[Hagbard Celine]

I have long desired a Gibson ES-335. The thing is, I'm not going to shell out the bucks for one any time soon. I have enough guitars for my needs and can't justify the expense in this economy. Plus my wife will kill me, er, I mean, I respect her opinion in the matter and take it into consideration...:scared:

I DO have an Ibanez Artcore AS73 semi hollow body currently. I got it with gift cards plus 50 bucks or so. I had a Jazz neck and a Pearly Gates sitting around and put those in it along with new Gibson 500k pots.

My question is, how much am I missing with the Ibanez vs. the Real Thing? I like the Artcore neck just fine and frankly I'm not merely indifferent to cosmetics I'm a little antagonistic to them - I like simple designs.

 

[apj]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

The ES 335 obviously plays better to me, and just a feels a bit more solid, but then again look at the price tag. I went through the same thing a few years ago, I actually ended up getting a dot that sounded great to me, I looked at the ibanez and I just liked the feel of the dot better. For the price, to me, I can't justify spending that much on a guitar considering I'm not a pro musician. I replaced all the pickups in the dot and it sounded great and played great. THe only thing that I didn't do that you might want to look into with your ibanez is possibly replacing the nut, that can make quite a big difference also.

 

[brentrocks]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

How about a Heritage 535?

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

I have a Gibson 335 and an Ibanez Artstar AS-120. The Artstar is Korean made, and I think these are the best budget 335-clones around. I love the Arstar, haven't needed to do a single mod to it. Love the neck; fit and finish are great.

But the Artstar isn't a Gibson.

The Gibson has charisma and that undefinable cachet. Yep, you're gonna pay for it. It is a Gibson, with all the finish flaws and foibles Gibson is known for. Years ago, Larry Carlton endorsed the Yamaha SA-2000 making one interesting comment. To paraphrase: every SA2000 felt the same--beautifully made, just perfect. But when it came to 335s, every now and then you find one that is "special", and the SA2000 just can't touch a special 335. (I doubt that Carton even owns a SA2000 anymore.) Heritage, Hamer and Collings are all making thinline guitars that can compete with the 335, better even--the Collings costs about twice the going rate of a 335--but none have the name recognition and impact of the Gibson.

No doubt about it the Artcore offers very good value, as does my AS-120 Artstar. So do the MIJ AS-180, AS-200 and John Schofied models. While these guitars have maintained their value well, they certainly haven't grown in value like vintage 335s. If you are thinking of long term investment--it's another plus for the Gibson.

So enjoy your Artcore for what it is. I wouldn't spend a lot of money trying to make it something that it's not, but a good setup and good pickups and pot upgrades are no-brainers. And when the time comes to move up to a 335, your Artcore can still serve you well as a back-up and as a guitar to take to places you don't want to risk your 335 in.

A good 335 really is a special thing. These guitars work so well for so many different kinds of music. It will become an heirloom--a guitar that your grandkids will be fighting over after you're gone. To me, the 335 IS worth the extra money.

Good luck and enjoy your Artcore!

Bill

 

[gkoelling]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

You could also look for a Guild Starfire IV. They average $1,200.00 on the used market.

I found this one for a fantastic price and have no desire to pay for a Gibson. Yes, Gibson has a stronger name and they're great guitars but I don't see that they're worth double the money, cache, or not.

Good luck in your search.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

IMy question is, how much am I missing with the Ibanez vs. the Real Thing? I like the Artcore neck just fine and frankly I'm not merely indifferent to cosmetics I'm a little antagonistic to them - I like simple designs.

For most of us, spending a lot more for a Gibson isn't an option. They ain't the working man's guitar they used to be. With a few upgrades, like PU's, you have a decent playing & sounding Artcore. At a gig no one in the audience could tell the difference, so why sweat it? You'll never know what it feels like to own a Ferarri either, but that's not keeping you awake at night. We buy what we can afford and there's always something better out there. You have to balance that in your list of priorities, like family, house, standard of living, etc. Dump too much into guitars and there's a price to pay; sure you'll be a hero here with the boys, but your home life could be stressful because of it. Why get hung up on brand names? Gibson's produced plenty of guitars of questionable workmanship, so who are you impressing if you have one of their duds? Play what you can afford & be proud of it. Most of the sound is in your fingers. That's where to focus your energy, not on wishing for things you can't afford.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Tokai makes a very good 335 copy.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Thanks for the replies. Bill's answer makes a lot of sense to me, both the good and the bad parts. But Blueman is spot on practical.

What about the musical, sonic differences. I have to admit, I've never played a 335, it's been an unrequited secret admirer kind of love so far. Does that make me a guitar stalker?:bigeyes:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

What about the musical, sonic differences. I have to admit, I've never played a 335, it's been an unrequited secret admirer kind of love so far. Does that make me a guitar stalker?:bigeyes:

335's have a great tone, due to the design, so even one made of maple sounds warm & full. Remember that wood varies in grain, density, mineral content, water content, etc, so that Gibsons don't all sound alike themselves. They key is matching wood to PU's and magnets, so that they all work together to give the tone you want. There's no guarantee that a $3,000 335 will have the ideal PU's in it for the sound you want (look at how many guys here replace their Gibson PU's). With a few upgrades, a used $300 Epi Dot may sound very nice, and not that much different than a Gibson that costs 10 times as much. For the extra money, the tone quality won't improve by 10 times. Lets say a stock Gibson sounds 15% better than an upgraded Epi; is that worth $2500 more to you? And would your wife & family agree with that cash outlay? And what If you personally really couldn't tell much, if any, between from a stock Gibson and an upgraded Epi? The law of diminishing returns kicks in. Granted a Gibson has a higher standard of materials and workmanship, but I've read many posts here about players prefering a mid-priced import over a Gibson.

I have an assortment of mid-priced imports myself (Sheraton, Dot, Dot Deluxe, Riviera, Echotone) and by general tweaking and upgrading PU's, get excellent tones from all of them. PU combos that work for me:

- C8/'59N
- '59B/'59N
- '57 Classic (A4)/Phat CatN (A5-A4)
- DMz Al Dimeola/Phat CatN (A5-A3)
- Carvin C22's
- Pair of Schallers

The world's full of things I'd like to have but can't afford. Live within your budget, whatever it is, & be happy. If you ever fall ino a pile of cash, you can indulge yourself, in the meantime return to the real world & remember that a guitar is only a tool; music is in your head & hands. How many of us have laughed at a local player on stage with a high-end guitar that couldn't play worth a crap? Talent can't be bought. So play more & dream less! Someone's always got a better house, better car, better-looking wife, or better guitar than you. "Love the one you're with."

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

to paraphrase some of what blueman said about semi-hollow design....

the fact that the guitar is a semi-hollow means that it'll have a certain tone no matter what, and it'll usually be a good one. the reason being is that despite being made of laminate wood(even gibson es-335s are to my knowledge) it's a more resonant design than a solid body and will naturally have a big, woody tone since it's designed a certain way. as long as the guitar's neck/nut/bridge/tuners/electonics are in good shape, then it'll be a good guitar.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

the fact that the guitar is a semi-hollow means that it'll have a certain tone no matter what, and it'll usually be a good one. the reason being is that despite being made of laminate wood(even gibson es-335s are to my knowledge) it's a more resonant design than a solid body and will naturally have a big, woody tone since it's designed a certain way. as long as the guitar's neck/nut/bridge/tuners/electonics are in good shape, then it'll be a good guitar.

+1. They just seem to always sound good. Put in a good pair of PU's and you'll be pleased.

 

[FBloke]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Allow me to be the devil on your right shoulder......buy a 335....you know you want to...I've owned two and wouldn't settle for anything less. The tone, look and feel are inimitable even if they are very expensive. Risk the divorce, make yo'self happy.....:firedevil

 

[blueman335]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Risk the divorce, make yo'self happy.....:firedevil

And if he loses his house in the divorce (and the guitar)? This is the best advice you could come up with?

 

[FBloke]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

And if he loses his house in the divorce (and the guitar)? This is the best advice you could come up with?

I wasn't giving advice, I was being the "devil on the right shoulder" - a light-hearted perspective to throw into the mix. You know, humour.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

For most of us, spending a lot more for a Gibson isn't an option. They ain't the working man's guitar they used to be.

THey never were. If you adjust prices for inflation, a LP has always been in the same ballpark (cost-wise).

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

The Artcore axes are quite good for the $$$.

 

[baritone]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Before I bought my Artcore, I tried out hollow and semi-hollow guitars from Ibanez, Epiphone, Gretch, Gibson, and a few others, ranging from $200 to $6000. Considering build quality, sound quality, and price, I went with the Ibanez Artcore AF75 - full hollow.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

I have a 335 as well as a 359. They are both made of laminated woods. This is to minimize feedback issues not to cut cost. A solid wood guitar will resonate better, but it will also feedback way too much. All 335's, 345's 355's 339's &359's are laminated. The 336 is a solid wood guitar. The sides and back are actually one piece of wood(the interior of the body is routed out) and the top is solid I believe also. Because of this I elected to go with the 359. The 359 & 335 are my favorite humbucking guitar I own. Great tone great playability.

If I were going to go with a budget I would probably go with an Epiphone Sheraton. It's a better guitar then most 335 wanna bees, but they play and feel great also.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Considering build quality, sound quality, and price, I went with the Ibanez Artcore AF75 - full hollow.

Of course, that's not a 335, which is what he was asking about. I like hollow bodies too, but you have to be prepared to deal with feedback issues on stage. Unless you're really cranked up, 335's deal with that effectively.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Question: ES-335 vs. Ibanez Artcore - Obviously not a fair comparison, but...

Every time I see a lefty semi-hollow in a store, I grab it and give it a try. I don't care what brand or model it is, or what it costs. My thinking is: if I play one that is absolutely magical, I'll buy it.

So far, I've only played one that was really, really special, and it was an Artcore AS-83. I didn't buy it at the time because I was totally broke, but man, sometimes I wish I did. I haven't yet played another semi-hollow that gave me that magical feeling. Some have come close, but nothing has really jumped out at me.

I guess my recommendation would be to keep playing your Artcore if you dig it. If you feel it's lacking something, go play as many semis as you can. Pick the one you bond with. Don't pay attention to what the headstock says.