I will NEVER SELL this 335 guitar BEST I own !
Written: Aug 04 '02 (Updated Aug 05 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Classic style, retains value, quality, versatile, reliable, INCREDIBLE TONE
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: The best guitar I have ever owned at any price. The best sounding and playing guitar I have found. Tone to die for.
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| dougmjones's Full Review: Gibson Es335 Solid Body Electric Guitar |
If you have never owned a great Gibson and thinking of spending alot of money on some other brand or style guitar you should stop for a moment and demonstrate a dot reissue. It might change your thinking. I have bought, sold and demonstrated several of the latest models and this is a very accurate and consistent model.
How to break down the serial numbers to all recent Gibsons that are 8 digits. All numbers and no letters. Example YDDDYSSS = Y=YEAR, D=DAY, S=Serial of the day. 21112333 would be year 2002, day 111, and the 333rd guitar made that day. This is all available on www.gibson.com under service section.
HISTORY OF MY 1989 ES-335 Dot REISSUE (SERIAL 81399533): After owning almost every era of ES-335 built, I bought this 1989 ES-335 Dot Reissue for an incredible price and it has been the best guitar in my collection and I could never sell it.
In fact I sold an original 1960 model identical to this one in sunburst, also a 1968 ES-335-TD sunburst, and a few other new reissues but I have kept this one.
It has a mind blowing tone and unique character that sets it apart from other guitars and even improves my sound, playing and on stage presence.
DURABILITY:
I have abused it through 3 to 4 nights per week bar gigs for over ten years. You do the math but this guitar has never failed me. I had to replace one of the pickups after about 10 years of banging and have had one refret job for 100.00 but it plays better now then when I bought it. The guitar is MUCH tougher and more durable than you could ever imagine and this one still looks great after years of falling off stands and stage dings. The maple must really take abuse well. I have worn some of the finish off of the back of the neck and can see the mahogany. It is well broken in yet solid as a rock and ready to gig some more.
I have recently purchased, enjoyed and sold several of the new ones (2000-2002 year models) and they seem identical to my 1989 reissue. All of these are remarkably accurate reissues and they dont take the liberty of changing small items at Gibson. My friend who at one time was sponsored by Gibson owns a sweet 1959/60 original dot 335 but in side by side comparison these new DOT reissues possibly the ONLY reissues on the market that actually live up to the originals. They age the same, weigh the same, sound as good and play and feel almost identical. Many people don't realize how much Gibsons age like fine wine but the lacquer finish cures and becomes part of the wood. The semi hollow body woods dry and the sap becomes crystalized and the tone only improves with the years and they increase in value.
The dot 335 does not have the stereo wiring and fret inlay of some 335 year models or the ES-345 and ES-355 Lucille models but they have a special workhorse quality of their own and once you get used to it you will not feel fully satisfied on any other electric. Especially if you play traditional styles like country, classic rock, southern rock, blues, jazz.
SPECS:
The Necks are a long slab of mahogany with an ebony or rosewood fretboard like the original '59-60 Slim Taper necks. In my opinion they are legendary necks and are a HUGE difference in comparison with some of the lesser Gibson models. This slim taper neck brings new meaning to accessability to frets, blazing speeds and comfort. Bending and chording are comfortable and buzz free anywhere on the neck. The radius of the neck is perfect and provides a true balance that should satisfy the most demanding professional or a intermediate players. Guitars with this same feel include special model SGs, Les Paul Black Beauty and the top ES models. If you have not played a slim taper neck you are missing out on something special. The back of the neck where your hand goes is a roundish sleek and tapered feel that gets larger as you go up the neck and very comfortable. It doesn't have that flat shape of models.
The stock frets are medium jumbo sized and not huge like on a Jackson and not as small as a Fender Stratocaster. The frets have a flat finish on the top instead of a more rounded top. The inlay on the neck are plain MOP dots starting on the 3rd fret and tasteful. The neck binding has a nice vintage tint with easy to see black side markers. The Gibson headstock logo and crown emblem are both mother of pearl. It is very easy to set the string action down very low if you favor that type of setup and this guitar is a lead and blues bending monster. Plays like butter and sustains at will.
The body is a laminated (layered) arched top figured maple with a maple block core so feedback is not a problem at high volumes and the tone is very versatile. Tone's range from mellow sweet blues and jazz to razor sharp and cutting rock solos or even out of phase funky or country sounds.
The 1957 Replica PAF nickel plated classic humbucker pickups and the 2 tone and 2 volume knobs provide a wide variety of sounds. The pickups when examined use the old vintage braided wiring and are identical to the old PAF classics that made legends.
The stop tail piece is not fancy but for a real Gibson player it provides rock solid tuning and sustain qualities and is my favorite bridge. I do not like or want a tremolo on my Gibson.
The tuners on mine are the old nickel plated heavy duty Grovers and I tend to like them alot better than the more attractive Kluson style ones with the square body and pearl like knobs. These Grovers are the most indestructable and solid tuners I have ever experienced. My guitar is in tune when I get it out of the case.
The weight and size is not a problem, in fact, the ones I have played have a nice feel and weight. They are not as heavy as many Les Pauls I have played. The size of the body is a little large when you first hold it but it gives me more control on stage and I have become very comfortable with this size body. It is not thick like some jazz guitars and the ES-335 body is contoured on the front and rear and is very comfortable and shapely.
TONE:
I plug this thing into a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp with NO effect pedals or gadgets and I have the best tone in town. It even makes me play better, sound better and I cut through the band, drummer, cymbals, bass and other guitar players with a rich and pleasant to hear tone. I can lay back and get warm sweet rythym sounds and then pick harder and raise the volume without ever touching a knob. I think more about my playing and less about knobs and gadgets. When I start a solo the crowd turns and LOOKS. The tone is an awakening like the smell of coffee in the morning.
THE FANS:
People just love this guitar. Not many Strat gun slinging SRV players around town play ES-335s for some reason and I use this to my advantage. People flock to my side of the stage and this "guitar" steals the show often. When I am hired for a gig as a second guitar player the band leader specifically instructs me on the phone to bring that BLACK GIBSON 335 guitar ! What an endorsement. One guy said my tone and style brings authenticity to his band. WOW my head is now swollen with ego ! I have a simple style but the guitar really complements my playing and I could never play anything else. This ES-335 has become a part of my style.
BOTTOM LINE:
This guitar is a classic and you cannot loose money or go wrong in buying one. The tone and versatility lends to any type of music or style. People love the look and style of the guitar.
WEB PAGES WITH MORE INFO AND SOUND BYTES: http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/classic/ES-335.html
REVIEW:
Article on Larry Carlton returning to the trusted ES-335
http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/2000/aug1a.html
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dougmjones
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Location: Atlanta , Ga
Reviews written: 78
Trusted by: 24 members
About Me:
Computers, Music, Quality toys and gadgets. Like to review products that I demo or purchase.
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