I want to make a es 339 style guitar and want to know what you guys think about the tone woods for the guitar. The center block will be mahogany and the wings will be korina with flame maple veneer on the top and the back.. the neck will be mahogany too and the fretboard will be ebony. The pickup will be pafs (maybe 59 neck and bridge/phat cats) Will it sounds too dark with this combination of woods? I also thought to make it without the F holes and make it even a smaller and thinner (as thin as les paul junior) so I still can rock the hell out of it without looking awkward.What do you guys think? Will it sounds great or just a waste of money?
Trying to custom build a ES 339
- Thread starter NewWave
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Re: Trying to custom build a ES 339
sorry to be confusing here.. but of course, a local luthier of mine will do it for me. I trust him enough to do it because I believe he has done it sometimes in his life (he is very old and professional). My question is for the experienced builder out there about the tone wood I chose for the guitar body.. because I find es 335 sounds shrill with all those maples
sorry to be confusing here.. but of course, a local luthier of mine will do it for me. I trust him enough to do it because I believe he has done it sometimes in his life (he is very old and professional). My question is for the experienced builder out there about the tone wood I chose for the guitar body.. because I find es 335 sounds shrill with all those maples
3'scompany
New member
Re: Trying to custom build a ES 339
May I ask why you are going to do this? I guess it would probably be cheaper and you may like the looks more, but please don't tell me it is to deal with uncontrollable feedback. I hear this complaint a lot and have found it to be without merit. I own an ES335 and played it through a Bogner Uberschall. That amp is about as high gain as it gets and I've never had any problems with feedback. And I used to crank it in a practice space that was pretty tight quarters. Would it feedback? Yes, but only when I wanted it to. It would feedback with a little more ease than my solid body guitars, but never uncontrollably. Maybe I lucked out and ended up with a magic 335, but I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I hear someone talk about ES335s being unusable for any music with any moderate or heavy gain because of feedback. The feedback was so incredibly easy to control.
While looks are purely subjective, why do you think it will look awkward to play a 335-sized guitar? Are you particularly small? I find that 339s are the guitars that look awkward more often than not, almost like a knock-off from a company that got the proportions wrong. If you like the sound of 339s more than 335s, I say go for it. But if you're doing it just for the looks, for tonal reasons it may not be in your best interest to so, but I have more questions about your desired tone below.
I am kind of confused here. I would call ES335s several things, but shrill is not one of them. They're actually very big, balanced sounding guitars to my ears. I hate thin or treble-y sounding guitars. When I had to thin my collection my 335 was the only electric to stay because it sounded so huge. Maybe my experience was shaded by the amps I have played it through. Maybe your impressions were because of the amps you have tried them through. Who knows.
Because you haven't said anything positive about the tone of an ES335/339 I have to come to the conclusion that you want to build a 339-style guitar not because you like the way 339/335s sound, but because of the way they look, which is fine - I totally get it. But you're delving into uncharted territory here. Will it sound good? I don't know. There are plenty of limba guitars out there that people like. However, I've never seen an ES335 made out of the stuff. And if you think an ES335 with 57's in it sounds shrill, I'd stay away from phat cats.
May I ask why you are going to do this? I guess it would probably be cheaper and you may like the looks more, but please don't tell me it is to deal with uncontrollable feedback. I hear this complaint a lot and have found it to be without merit. I own an ES335 and played it through a Bogner Uberschall. That amp is about as high gain as it gets and I've never had any problems with feedback. And I used to crank it in a practice space that was pretty tight quarters. Would it feedback? Yes, but only when I wanted it to. It would feedback with a little more ease than my solid body guitars, but never uncontrollably. Maybe I lucked out and ended up with a magic 335, but I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I hear someone talk about ES335s being unusable for any music with any moderate or heavy gain because of feedback. The feedback was so incredibly easy to control.
While looks are purely subjective, why do you think it will look awkward to play a 335-sized guitar? Are you particularly small? I find that 339s are the guitars that look awkward more often than not, almost like a knock-off from a company that got the proportions wrong. If you like the sound of 339s more than 335s, I say go for it. But if you're doing it just for the looks, for tonal reasons it may not be in your best interest to so, but I have more questions about your desired tone below.
I am kind of confused here. I would call ES335s several things, but shrill is not one of them. They're actually very big, balanced sounding guitars to my ears. I hate thin or treble-y sounding guitars. When I had to thin my collection my 335 was the only electric to stay because it sounded so huge. Maybe my experience was shaded by the amps I have played it through. Maybe your impressions were because of the amps you have tried them through. Who knows.
Because you haven't said anything positive about the tone of an ES335/339 I have to come to the conclusion that you want to build a 339-style guitar not because you like the way 339/335s sound, but because of the way they look, which is fine - I totally get it. But you're delving into uncharted territory here. Will it sound good? I don't know. There are plenty of limba guitars out there that people like. However, I've never seen an ES335 made out of the stuff. And if you think an ES335 with 57's in it sounds shrill, I'd stay away from phat cats.
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Re: Trying to custom build a ES 339
@3's = First of all, thx for your time reading and replying, And from your opinion that your es 335 is one of your 'favorite', I want to make one even more (I never own a es/ any hollowbody guitar) actually, why I want to make an es style guitar is, because I like how my les paul (a tokai) sound but not it's weight, of course there's an SG as an alternative but I hate how it looks like a wide plank of wood and whenever I see one, The first thing that came to my thought is angus young (I don't say he is the only famous sg player but that came to me always) so, I want to make a guitar that sounds killer clean and still able to make near ac/dc like rock and roll.. So it came to my mind to make my own signature guitar in the shape of a es 339 and with all those mahogany and korina and ebony..
And secondly, Tone is also subjective that's why there are a lot of options, but I think es 335 are trebly guitars (and 339 even more? because of its smaller body?) and thats why from what I saw, BB king rarely put the volume knob of his guitar to 10, If you could do me a favor, look for a video of buddy guy with the title 'first time I met the blues' (his playing is sick too) and you will understand what I'm talking about.. and about the F holes, I want to make my guitar look more personal, I mean not to make it look like typical es guitars which is famous with those f holes..
And I will also make it smaller so I can still do rock and roll showmanship onstage.. (just think what happen if angus main guitar is an es 335, I don't think he will be able to jump around and don't look awkward?) I know I can roll back the volume knob to 8 or 7 to make a guitar sounds fatter but I just want to try something new and if I'm lucky maybe I can make a very distinctive and enjoyable sound, and make it my sound..
@3's = First of all, thx for your time reading and replying, And from your opinion that your es 335 is one of your 'favorite', I want to make one even more (I never own a es/ any hollowbody guitar) actually, why I want to make an es style guitar is, because I like how my les paul (a tokai) sound but not it's weight, of course there's an SG as an alternative but I hate how it looks like a wide plank of wood and whenever I see one, The first thing that came to my thought is angus young (I don't say he is the only famous sg player but that came to me always) so, I want to make a guitar that sounds killer clean and still able to make near ac/dc like rock and roll.. So it came to my mind to make my own signature guitar in the shape of a es 339 and with all those mahogany and korina and ebony..
And secondly, Tone is also subjective that's why there are a lot of options, but I think es 335 are trebly guitars (and 339 even more? because of its smaller body?) and thats why from what I saw, BB king rarely put the volume knob of his guitar to 10, If you could do me a favor, look for a video of buddy guy with the title 'first time I met the blues' (his playing is sick too) and you will understand what I'm talking about.. and about the F holes, I want to make my guitar look more personal, I mean not to make it look like typical es guitars which is famous with those f holes..
And I will also make it smaller so I can still do rock and roll showmanship onstage.. (just think what happen if angus main guitar is an es 335, I don't think he will be able to jump around and don't look awkward?) I know I can roll back the volume knob to 8 or 7 to make a guitar sounds fatter but I just want to try something new and if I'm lucky maybe I can make a very distinctive and enjoyable sound, and make it my sound..
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Bludave
New member
Re: Trying to custom build a ES 339
I own a 335 and a 359. My 335 hands down is my favorite humbucker guitar. The 359 is a great guitar too but there are things about my 335 that I can't put into words. What makes a 335 what it is, is partially the wood but personally I would really study the guitar first before you build it. IMHO mahogany will make it too dark. And I would never describe a 335 as shrill
I own a 335 and a 359. My 335 hands down is my favorite humbucker guitar. The 359 is a great guitar too but there are things about my 335 that I can't put into words. What makes a 335 what it is, is partially the wood but personally I would really study the guitar first before you build it. IMHO mahogany will make it too dark. And I would never describe a 335 as shrill
phil_104
Cheesesteakologist
Re: Trying to custom build a ES 339
I hate to quote myself for anything, but when I got my 339 I reviewed it, and I still stand by those impressions.
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?227162-Gibson-ES339-Review
Now, it won't sound like a LP and it won't sound like a ES335, but what it will sound like is a guitar with some of the features and qualities found in those models. I love the cleans on mine, but they don't have the depth that a full 335 would have (fine with me, as I usually dig a snappier strat clean type tone). Dirty, you'll get more complexity from a 339 in the chords that you would from a LP, but a lot less focus and punch. You also won't get as much complexity as a 335, but more punch (you get where I'm going with this I'm sure).
Unless you've played a 339 extensively, it's hard to understand that the guitar really is it's own thing, with a very different and unique sound that separates it from the two guitars it's most often compared with. When we see it, we think ES335 mini, which is really is not.
Personally, I like the maple construction. I've never thought of the guitar as bright (the construction adds just enough low end response), and I feel the maple really gives definition and clarity to a sound I wouldn't want to muddy up too much. The 339 is probably my favourite guitar ever, because I feel it stands out in the mix more than a 335, with it's added focus, and has more complexity and bloom than my LP. Be sure that this is what you want though. If what you are really after is a solidbody sound but lighter, you might just want to search for a chambered LP, which will sound different but lighter, or just forget about looks and play an SG, which is a great guitar with a variety of awesome, awesome tones in it. As for playability and ''rocking out on stage'', the size of the 339 won't help you much. The 335 is just as easy to rock out with from my experience. All that to say, if you want a 339, be sure it's what you want before ordering up a build.
I hate to quote myself for anything, but when I got my 339 I reviewed it, and I still stand by those impressions.
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?227162-Gibson-ES339-Review
Now, it won't sound like a LP and it won't sound like a ES335, but what it will sound like is a guitar with some of the features and qualities found in those models. I love the cleans on mine, but they don't have the depth that a full 335 would have (fine with me, as I usually dig a snappier strat clean type tone). Dirty, you'll get more complexity from a 339 in the chords that you would from a LP, but a lot less focus and punch. You also won't get as much complexity as a 335, but more punch (you get where I'm going with this I'm sure).
Unless you've played a 339 extensively, it's hard to understand that the guitar really is it's own thing, with a very different and unique sound that separates it from the two guitars it's most often compared with. When we see it, we think ES335 mini, which is really is not.
Personally, I like the maple construction. I've never thought of the guitar as bright (the construction adds just enough low end response), and I feel the maple really gives definition and clarity to a sound I wouldn't want to muddy up too much. The 339 is probably my favourite guitar ever, because I feel it stands out in the mix more than a 335, with it's added focus, and has more complexity and bloom than my LP. Be sure that this is what you want though. If what you are really after is a solidbody sound but lighter, you might just want to search for a chambered LP, which will sound different but lighter, or just forget about looks and play an SG, which is a great guitar with a variety of awesome, awesome tones in it. As for playability and ''rocking out on stage'', the size of the 339 won't help you much. The 335 is just as easy to rock out with from my experience. All that to say, if you want a 339, be sure it's what you want before ordering up a build.
3'scompany
New member
Re: Trying to custom build a ES 339
There's a lot going on here.
I'll admit that I may be slightly biased as, yes, 335s are my favorite guitars; both in looks and tone. But its not just blind fan-boy drivel. I've been playing guitar for 17 years now and have gone through dozens of guitars trying to find what works for me. I also have my issues with 335s and Gibson alike. Just thought I would get that out of the way for full disclosure.
I gave the track a listen. I'm with you, I think it sounds pretty shrill. However, judging how a guitar sounds from a 40-year old recording without knowing what amp he was playing through nor his settings can lead to inaccurate generalizations. And the guitar in the video is a Guild Starfire (I'm not sure what pickups they used). To further complicate matters, he may have used a different guitar than the one in the video when he recorded the song. I just don't know.
I don't mean this as a dig, but have you actually played an ES335/339 or are you only going off of clips? If you have, have you played one through your rig? The reason I ask is that you haven't pointed to any personal experience with either guitar. Maybe you've just left that part out, but I just thought I'd ask.
It seems like you're pretty set on the looks of a 339, which is great. If you're having a custom guitar built it should not only sound the way you want it to, but also look how you want it to. But I must admit that I find it somewhat comical that you are using Angus Young as your benchmark of looking cool while jumping around. His movements and outfit make him one of the guitarists with the most awkward stage presence that I can think of.
If you like the way a guitar sounds and carry on like normal on stage, it won't look awkward. Izzy Stradlin of G-n-R used a white Gibson ES175 (full hollowbody) and looked cool doing it. And both Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Malcolm Young have used semi-hollow/hollow body guitars to play rock without looking awkward. If you play cool songs and play well, no one is really going to care what you look like doing it. Some people stand nearly still and others freak the f**k out on stage. So long as you aren't forcing what you do, in the end people just see it as you being you. But no amount of "cool factor" will make up for sounding like crap. Just my humble experience.
So really, just get the guitar that sounds the way you want it to and that looks good to you. I wouldn't worry about stage presence, which is an amorphous term anyways - what looks cool when one person does it can look completely dumb when done by someone else.
This is kinda what I was wondering.
There's a lot going on here.
I'll admit that I may be slightly biased as, yes, 335s are my favorite guitars; both in looks and tone. But its not just blind fan-boy drivel. I've been playing guitar for 17 years now and have gone through dozens of guitars trying to find what works for me. I also have my issues with 335s and Gibson alike. Just thought I would get that out of the way for full disclosure.
I gave the track a listen. I'm with you, I think it sounds pretty shrill. However, judging how a guitar sounds from a 40-year old recording without knowing what amp he was playing through nor his settings can lead to inaccurate generalizations. And the guitar in the video is a Guild Starfire (I'm not sure what pickups they used). To further complicate matters, he may have used a different guitar than the one in the video when he recorded the song. I just don't know.
I don't mean this as a dig, but have you actually played an ES335/339 or are you only going off of clips? If you have, have you played one through your rig? The reason I ask is that you haven't pointed to any personal experience with either guitar. Maybe you've just left that part out, but I just thought I'd ask.
It seems like you're pretty set on the looks of a 339, which is great. If you're having a custom guitar built it should not only sound the way you want it to, but also look how you want it to. But I must admit that I find it somewhat comical that you are using Angus Young as your benchmark of looking cool while jumping around. His movements and outfit make him one of the guitarists with the most awkward stage presence that I can think of.
If you like the way a guitar sounds and carry on like normal on stage, it won't look awkward. Izzy Stradlin of G-n-R used a white Gibson ES175 (full hollowbody) and looked cool doing it. And both Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Malcolm Young have used semi-hollow/hollow body guitars to play rock without looking awkward. If you play cool songs and play well, no one is really going to care what you look like doing it. Some people stand nearly still and others freak the f**k out on stage. So long as you aren't forcing what you do, in the end people just see it as you being you. But no amount of "cool factor" will make up for sounding like crap. Just my humble experience.
So really, just get the guitar that sounds the way you want it to and that looks good to you. I wouldn't worry about stage presence, which is an amorphous term anyways - what looks cool when one person does it can look completely dumb when done by someone else.
This is kinda what I was wondering.