One of the Greatest Electric Guitars Ever Made
Written: Mar 10 '07 (Updated Sep 22 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tone, playability, looks, weight, all fabulous
Cons: Cost. This ain't cheap.
The Bottom Line: The Gibson 335 is one of the great electric guitars. It's combination of killer tones and playability make it perfect for many genres.
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| buffoonery's Full Review: Gibson Es335 Solid Body Electric Guitar |
The Gibson ES-335 was and remains one of the most important thin-body electric guitars ever manufactured. It remains a mainstay in the arsenal of serious country, jazz and mainstream rock guitarists. What’s so great about it? It’s playability up and down the neck (thanks to the double-cutaway structure that foreshadowed the Gibson SG), the combination of hollow-body mellowness and solid-body sustain, and the wide variety of clean, crisp leads, full body rhythm, and mild distortion that the two 57 Classic humbuckers deliver for the discerning player.
Under review is the current ES-335 manufactured at Gibson’s workshop in Memphis, TN. At around $1,900 list this is not cheap, but it’s less expensive than the highly desired late 50s and early 60s models that will cost well north of $15K. It goes with out saying that current prices are a far cry from the $267.50 this would have cost you in 1958.
The 335 was first issued in 1958. Gibson was searching for a design that would combine the playability of a solid body Les Paul with the appearance and feel of an archtop. It had been experimenting with thinline archtop models such as the Byrdland and the (in my view, anyway) less successful ES-350 when it stumbled upon a revolutionary design in the 335. This guitar assembled a potent combination. The double cutaway offered excellent access all the way up the fretboard (much superior to the Les Paul’s and any traditional archtop). Second, the slim tapered neck was fast and quick, at least as fast as the Les Paul and faster than archtops like the ES-175. But it was the construction of the body that was the real advance. Gibson folded together a thin archtop body made of laminated maple with a solid center block of maple that split the body into two separate hollow chambers, which creates the guitar’s distinctive sound, sustain and desirability.
The current version of the 335 has a maple and poplar body including a one-piece maple center block Binding single-ply. As befitting a semi-solid body, the body is only 1.75” thick, making it quite comfortable for performing. The 1960 model mahogany slim taper neck has 22 frets and is joined at the neck at the 19th fret, affording easy access to all frets. The inlays are pearloid dot, although recent models have included parallelograms. The neck is 24 ¾ inches long and the fretboard is a bright-sounding rosewood.
The electronics include two 57 Classic humbuckers, although other pickups are available e.g. 490/498 Alnicos that are often produced on Les Pauls. The guitar includes chrome hardware, four controls for tone and volume, a three-position selector switch, stopbar tailpiece and Grover tuners.
The contruction I have seen on various guitars over the yeas has been excellent to superb. These guitars will hold out forever, a true guitarist’s guitar.
You’ve probably figured out that I like this guitar a whole lot. Part of it is that I am a Gibson man to begin with. The other part is that it is a superb guitar and well worth the price. I particularly dig the cherry red look, although it is the vintage blondes that are most desirable. Nonetheless, this standard current issue Gibson factory made model is well worth the investment, even if it lacks the vintage cachet.
Final recommendation: Who should buy this guitar? Given its price, first and foremost this is an instrument for the professional and serious amateur. The wide variety of tones make it ideal for blues, jazz and straightforward rock players. It can deliver ringing leads, bends that will make a blues man weep, and great rhythm. Jazz guys will like this very much, although more traditional players who really want the pristine sounds of a 175 should buy a 175. Finally, rock guys should not ignore this guitar. It’s been used by an enormous range of rock and roll players including Eric Clapton (who had a model named after him). You can get very nice sustain and mild distortion out of this. Any 50s through 70s player will like this a lot, and it’s cool for pop rock, too. However, it will not provide the distortion that hard rock and metal players demand and, frankly, it’s a crime to destroy this guitar’s tone by playing it through a modern high gain amp.
It’s hard to miss with the ES-335. Every serious guitarist should have the privilege of owning one, it’s that good.
Technical Specifications:
BODY
Size: 16.5" wide x 20" long x 1.75" thick
Top Species: Curly Maple/Poplar/Maple laminate
Back Species: Curly Maple/Poplar/Maple laminate
Rim Species: Curly Maple/Poplar/Maple laminate
Center Block Species: 1-piece Maple
Binding: Single-ply top and back
NECK
Species: Mahogany
Profile: 1960 slim taper
Peghead Pitch: 17°
Thickness at 1st fret: 0.800"
Thickness at 12th fret: 0.875"
Heel Length: 0.500"
Neck Joint Location: 19th fret
Headstock Inlay: Holly
FINGERBOARD
Species: Rosewood
Scale length: 243/4"
Total Length: 18.137"
Nut Width: 111/16"
Width at 12th fret: 2.062"
Frets: 22
Inlays: Pearloid dots
Binding: single-ply
HARDWARE
Plating Finish: Nickel
Bridge: ABR
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Knobs: Black tophat
Tuners: Grover
ELECTRONICS
Pickups: Two '57 Classic humbuckers
Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way switch
CASE
Exterior: Black smooth levant hardshell
Interior: Charcoal Plush
Silkscreen: Gold 'Gibson' logo
STRINGS Brite Wires .010-.046
Schechter Diamond C+1
PRS Single Cut
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Recommended:
Yes
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