Gibson ES-335 owners

[Shredtrash]

I've never owned a 335. What will I get from it that I can't from an SG or a Les Paul?

I still play rock but I also want a guitar that feels at home playing blues, country, rockabilly and jazz as well. Lately, I'm playing Gretsch's almost exclusively but I would still like a Gibson humbucker sound somewhere in my collection. Would a 335 fit the bill?

 

[Arc Angel]

Versatility. I've owned SGs and Les Pauls, but think that the 335 and the Tele are the two most versatile guitars out there ....

 

[fancychords]

I would say that if you can only own one Gibson, a 335 should be the one..

 

[skylabfilmpop]

More dynamic range from your hands, fatter tone, more complex tone, its a slightly slower guitar IMO so you become a more deliberate player

 

[lpdeluxe]

Currently, I own a Les Paul, an SG and a 335. The LP has been my main axe since I got it in 1997, but it's being sold -- since I got the 335 a year ago October, Lester has stayed in his case.

The SG is cool because it has a Bigsby...but, if push came to shove, it'd be gone.

The 335 feels good, looks good, and sounds good with any material I play on it. I almost bought one in '82 when I got my '63 Country Gent, but foolishly went for the bling. Now Chester is long gone and the 335 has found its home.

 

[indravayu]

I looove Es-335's - full/rich tone, great controllable feedback with a little overdrive, cool oversized (yet still comfortable) body, beautiful to look at.

 

[Cado]

Great guitar, but I wouldn't use one for Country or Rockabilly. It has a really thick sound and imo, doesn't mesh with those styles. Something with P90's would do a better job of covering it all.

 

[8Painting]

Great guitar, but I wouldn't use one for Country or Rockabilly. It has a really thick sound and imo, doesn't mesh with those styles. Something with P90's would do a better job of covering it all.

COIL TAP!

 

[Russorama]

335's have a warm, woody resonance yet can still cut nicely on the bridge pickup. They are semi-hollow after all.

 

[mad dog]

There's an "aliveness" to 335 tones I don't hear on solid body, dual HB guitars. I'm sure there is some trade-off in sustain and density of tone to get that quality ... maybe if I played heavier stuff, high gain, real saturated, higher volume tunes, then a Les Paul would make more sense. For the bluesy, more roots oriented stuff I mostly play, the 335 is perfect. The word "airy" gets overused, but that's exactly what it is.