ES-335 Dot? What do you guys think?

[James-Italy]

Here we go again...

 

I've got the chance to pick up a 6 month old ES-335 Dot reissue from a guy strapped for cash for around 1800 ($2000). Remember I'm in Europe where almost everything musical costs 25-50% more than the US and a new one goes for about 2700 discounted.

 

What do you guys think sound wise? I'm thinking it would make a nice addition to the Wolfgang and LP Standard. Is the ES-335 the "thing" for that bluesy/twangy sound or is there something else I should check out? I don't want to waste the guy's time and only want to try it if I'm sure I'm ready to buy it. If you all give me the green light I'll try it out on Saturday. I respect your combined wisdom more than my guitar knowledge.

 

I play a lot of rhythm and am trying hard to solo/improv. I play lots of different types of music, but am strongly influenced by blues and classic rock. I don't play jazz, country, or rockabilly however, and that seems where this guitar is really strong.

 

Is the ES-335 gonna mix well layered with the LP?

(Guitplayer, I ran a search before posting and saw from an old thread you had a Echotone 335clone. Do you find yourself playing it still?)

 

Some of the posts from the search also revealed some strong views that a Strat or Tele would be better than a 335, and I'd consider either one, but I'm really in a Gibson love phase and naturally look there first.

 

Hopefully this is gonna complete my little collection of guitars for a while, unless I decide to upgrade the Takamine Santa Fe....

[Caevan O’Shite]

Hey, James! At it again, huh?

 

On the one hand, it sounds like a fair deal if the guit is in good, clean shape. But, trying it out should only imply that, if you like it enough, then you are prepared to talk genuine business. Don't think you're wasting his time just by trying it out, as long as you actually can buy it should the guitar, and the price, be right for YOU.

 

Dickie Betts said that two Les Pauls "blended" better than a Les Paul and a Strat, and he should know more than anyone. I would think that an ES-335 would fit comfortably into that niche, as well; perhaps the subtle variants would even enhance such a recording endeavor. And, bluesy/twangy-ness should be there enough, as well.

 

Now, these are the suppositions of a guy on the other side of the Atlantic from you and, more importantly, this particular Gibson ES-335 "Dot". Go thou andst tryeth this, the guitar! If "the guitar loves James-Italy", then talk turkey with the man!

 

Best of luck, "Dances With Valves"! -k

[James-Italy]

Caevan, yeah man you know it.... I'm hopeless. But guitars are cheaper than mistresses and they won't get me in trouble with the wife!

 

I'm pretty sure if I try it I'll buy it, unless there's something that really bothers me about it. I always know right away if I DON'T like a guitar. But when I like it after 2 minutes I'm not expert enough to know what else to check. It's only after playing for a few days and the newness wears off that I can tell if it's true love. (For example I'm lovin' the LP more and more each day)

 

Someday I hope to have the skills to merit these guitars....

 

Dances with Valves?? That's Guitplayer or Myles, I'm "Burns fingers on tubes"!!

I did find a local instructor BTW! Gonna meet with him shortly to see if he's the right guy for me or not.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Hey, post back with any news or reflections on the "instructor" thing. As well as the twang-quest thing! (BTW, didn't I tell ya that you'd love the Les Paul?!?) -k

[Gato]

What about buying an EKO ?????

[trses335]

The Gibson ES-335 Dot Reissue (1994-95) is my main axe. It would be real nice for blues and R&B.

Sounds great clean and overdriven through a nice tube amp. A jazz player used it once and made it sound amazing. I wouldn't recommend it for hard rock/metal, though.

I layer it with a Tele sometimes for contrast, not sure how it would fit with a Paul. Try it!

[Prague]

Just to double-check yourself (and your urges) I would go play a Strat or Tele first. Especially the clean tones. That way you know what the 335 does NOT do. You'll have a bit more info to work with.

[michael saulnier]

James,

 

ES-335's are well regarded by many and used in many blues, jazz, and even classic rock genres.

 

If you haven't heard Eric Johnson's latest live cd with his friends in Austin, "Alien Love Child", you should get it... there are fat, heavy 335 type sounds all over that cd! Eric is amazing as usual and he's playing some mean blues and rock stuff that's very cool.

 

Larry Carlton is the "king of the 335" and most of his cd's feature the jazzy side of what these sound like. I like the Larry and Lee cd that also features the great Lee Ritenour who is also known

 

I really like my Hamer EchoTone, and on the day I bought mine, the one I have sounded as good or better than the 335's at the store I was at... So I bought it. There's a major difference in price, (I got mine for about $350 US), but the playability and sound are fine.

 

Recently I also bought a new Gibson ES-135, natural finish with Gibson's '57 pickups. It plays and sounds great, and I prefer it slightly to my EchoTone... it's a bit smaller and lighter, but covers much of the same sound range. It was a bit more expensive, ($999 US), but it is certainly worth in imho.

 

I've found that these types of guitars can vary quite a bit, so I've always played several at a time and picked the one that played and sounded best at that moment within the set I'm picking from.

 

You probably won't be sad about getting a dot re-issue... have you compared the prices to new? There's a new Gibson 335 model for a little over $1000 US that's made in Memphis like my ES-135 I believe. It's probably pretty nice.

 

Heritage also makes great 335 type guitars, (you may know that they are the former Gibson people and equipment that stayed in Kalamazoo, MI when Gibson relocated to Nashville and elsewhere). If you can find a nice used Heritage guitar, you might be able to get a great deal because they're a little more discounted in the used market.

 

Good luck with your hunt... let us know what happens or if you have more questions.

 

guitplayer

[Prague]

OT briefly: Guitplayer, thanks for that bit of info on the Gibson ES-135, natural finish. I've been drooling over that exact model. I'm gonna trade out y SG for it.

[gtrmac]

A good 335 is a nice axe but not my cup of tea. I would go and play it with an open mind and see if it has something that appeals to you. 335's are certainly great guitars for blues with the right amp and you can get a nice jazz tone too. I've always wished I could like them more myself. I owned an original 1959 briefly but I wasn't comfortable with it fot gigs so I sold it. I'm a Strat guy anyway.

 

I suppose If I could afford it I'd have at least one of every model guitar anyway! 3 Strats, 1 Tele, 1 Les Paul, 1 P-Bass, an acoustic and two other electrics and I'm still looking at guitar catalogs and drooling!

[Caevan O’Shite]

gtrmac- believe me, James-Italy has the "right amp"! -k

[gtrmac]

Oh yeah, I see he has a Univalve!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Yeeeaagh, a Univalve and a Bivalve are on my "wishlist"... along with a Tone King Comet 40 2x12"-combo, a Bad Cat Hot Cat, a Diezel 2x60-watt stereo head, and a couple of Buzz Feiten 2x12" cabs... -k

[rog951]

Bluesy? DEFINITELY. Twangy? Not at all. I bought my dearly-departed ES-335TDS after going through a big Steve Howe phase (this was back when Asia was popular). I still regret selling it. Great guitar but don't expect it to be the polar opposite of your LP. If you're looking to branch out into different tonal areas, I'd go with a Tele, considering what you already have. If you don't like Fenders, maybe you could find something with P-90s...that would also give you lots of versatility when added to your current arsenal. That said, you know you wanna get the 335 dude, so just buy it! Once you're bitten, you can't get away!!! Good luck...

[Sunshy]

I have a 335 from the 70s and it's nice. I don't play it as much as my Japanese Strat though It's all about YOUR preference in sound and feel--big difference. Stay golden pony boy . . . stay golden.

[Mickey Mack]

I've owned a 335-dot for 18 years and it was my main guitar for much of that time. I found it to be a most versatile guitar, covering rock, r&b, world-beat, and most other pop styles. A has a wide dynamic range that is very sensitive to touch. Nice warm tones for soft passages, big fat output for rockin'. It's a great addition to one's arsenal

[James-Italy]

You guys are great! Thanks for all the comments.

 

Got home tonight and played my toy guitar (Wolfgang) for about an hour. It's so light... and the neck is so smooth that my hand slid up and down the neck with ease... and the frets are higher so it's got a different feel.... and while I like it a real lot, I came close but never got the LP sound out of it.... so I took it off and put on the super heavy gal (LP) and played another hour with a frickin' smile on my face...

 

I really like other guitars, but man o' man does this LP do it for me. Gibson's got me hooked. I'm gonna try out the 335. Wish I'd picked up an LP years ago. Now that I've got one, I can't imagine being without it. Maybe it will be the same for the 335. I've got a bad case of GAS, but tonight's practise really got me thinking maybe it's not just desire, but a NEED for a 335 also!

 

BTW- Have my first lesson next Wednesday evening. Guy is no blues master, but he seems serious. He charges 70 ($75) a month for 4 one hour sessions at my home. I think he's undercharging, but we'll see how prepared he is. I'm hoping my timing is good because he's a new instructor and is probably gonna give 120% since he's learing how to instruct. I'll keep you all posted.

 

I've got the guitars (well at least a few good ones, with room for more!), I've got the amps, now I've got an instructor.... now I have no excuses!

[myles_rose]

Personally, I like these alot.....

 

Here is one of mine, very tiger stripe example in a bad photo I did, where it is actually more striped at the bottom of the picture than in the mid of the body, but my photographic skills stink:

 

http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/ES335_flame_Gibson_CS_rebuild_61.jpg

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by trses335:

The Gibson ES-335 Dot Reissue (1994-95) is my main axe. It would be real nice for blues and R&B.

Sounds great clean and overdriven through a nice tube amp. A jazz player used it once and made it sound amazing. I wouldn't recommend it for hard rock/metal, though.

I layer it with a Tele sometimes for contrast, not sure how it would fit with a Paul. Try it!

trses335 ..........

 

Not for rock? Go rent the Woodstock 69 movie, check out Alvin Lee .... perhaps the best set in the show .... and from my point of view (as a 53 year old who was there ) he even excelled over Hendrix.

[James-Italy]

Myles-That guitar is gorgeous!!!

[James-Italy]

Man, Myles- just came to take another look at it.

Does it play and sound as good as it looks?

WOW!

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by James-Italy:

Man, Myles- just came to take another look at it.

Does it play and sound as good as it looks?

WOW!

James.....

 

folks that play it love it. It was redone by the Gibson Custom Shop. It was originally Cherry, and when it was time to refinish, they said the wood was so cool that it would be a shame to do it in anything other than natural.

 

I have the stock tuners, but had grovers put on it about 20 years ago. It is a 1961, and I bought it in 1967 for $90.00 in Venice CA from a fellow that needed $90.00 immediately at the time for some critical situation, without going into a lot of details here

 

He said .... anything in my apartment ... ninety bucks.... it was either the guitar or a Sansui 5000 receiver that had 2 Pioneer speakers. I picked the guitar. Probably the better choice.

 

It does not get played that much, these days I am mostly a P-90 player and a Strat player, but when I do play it, I do wonder why I do not play it more often.

 

It is a very versitile guitar, and the action is better than on my Les Pauls, Teles, or Strats. It was set up by Jeff Lund, who is quite a player.

[Gato]

..... $90.00

[michael saulnier]

I bet Myles has a BUNCH of cool guitars. When Lee visited LA for the pop show, Myles let her borrow his nice alpine white Les Paul Custom... I remember him saying at the time that it hadn't been played in a while...

 

We know about the LP Custom, your 335, and your PRS P90... and I remember you saying something once about having a few Carvin's...

 

What other gems do you have tucked away in their cases?

 

guitplayer

[trses335]

trses335 ..........

 

Not for rock? Go rent the Woodstock 69 movie, check out Alvin Lee .... perhaps the best set in the show .... and from my point of view (as a 53 year old who was there ) he even excelled over Hendrix.

 

--------------------

Myles S. Rose

 

Yes, of course for rock. I guess I meant not for real heavy tones. I was a huge Alvin Lee fan back in the late 70's when he was with Ten Years Later. I'll have to go back and put on his albums!

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by guitplayer:

I bet Myles has a BUNCH of cool guitars. When Lee visited LA for the pop show, Myles let her borrow his nice alpine white Les Paul Custom... I remember him saying at the time that it hadn't been played in a while...

 

We know about the LP Custom, your 335, and your PRS P90... and I remember you saying something once about having a few Carvin's...

 

What other gems do you have tucked away in their cases?

 

guitplayer

guitplayer .........

 

You first have to realize my age ..... 53.

 

I have a fair amount of guitars and amps that were not all that pricy when new. I'd work the summer during Jr. High and High School, and at the end of the summer, but a guitar or two or an amp.

 

In 1965 (10th grade) I bought my Fender Deluxe Reverb ... for $239.00, tax and license, out the door. In 1966 I bought my Marshall JTM-45 1/2 stack .... for $325.00, out the door.

 

In 62, in Jr. High ... I wanted a STRAT! Not just any strat, but a sea foam green, white pickguard, maple fretboard strat. Cunningham Music on Lincoln at the time was the Fender dealer. The best price on a strat was going to be $175.00 for me. I had worked for my dad all summer, and all I had was $145.00. They would not come down on price, but did have a "new" in box strat that was a few years old, but never sold. I looked at it and saw why. It was "brown" sunburst. It had an ugly reddish brown mottled pickhuard (tortise shell), and a yucky brown fretboard, not the cool maple one I wanted. I was young, and impulsive. I figured a ugly strat was better than none at all, so I walked out of the store, $145.00 poorer, with the ugly strat. I never liked it, never played it much, but kept it. It is now wanted by a lot of folks, like David over at California Vintage Guitar and Amp in Van Nuys, who is willing to trade or pay anything for it. It was made the year he was born, 1959. It still has no fret wear at all, the original hang tags and case, and I still do not play it.

 

I have a lot of Les Paul Customs, as back in 67-69 when I was in the military, and home now and then, the retail on these was $500.00 new. I liked ebony fretboards, so snatched these up now and then. These are black from 67. My price on these from Ace Music back then was $385.00 plus tax. At that time, the Les Paul Standard gold tops with P90s were $400 retail. I paid about $315.00 or less for them, sometimes $290.00.

 

I have Ricky 360-12's, a lot of Teles from the 50s and 60s, Strats from all over, the Carvins that I love to play, and some PRS stuff. Other stuff too, but those are the more common ones. SG's and Firebirds have been in the mix, as well as the typical Gretsch stuff when that sort of sound is needed.

 

The guitar you saw Lee play at the IPO used to be very white. It is now yellow from the years, but still a great LP custom.

 

I play two guitars 90% of the time .... A PRS soapbar P90 model (no maple top, all mahogony but very light), and a late 80s strat with gold lace sensors. The strat is sort of my "mini-van" of guitars ... very neutral, so I can use it to test amps. My personal favorite amps are the two in my avitar here ... Victoria tweed deluxe and Fender BF DR.

 

David Neely (originally from Nashville and a hell of a player) is my guitar builder. He is now in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, above the Mesa Boogie Hollywood store. He has built me a lot of strats and teles. His partner at one time was Rick Turner. Rick always wanted to build me something with onboard electronics or trick stuff, but I'd always fall back to David. David always said ... "yea, I know what you like ... that $5.00 cheesy sound" and he was right.

 

If you ever want to play with any of my stuff when you are up this way, just let me know.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by trses335:

trses335 ..........

 

Not for rock? Go rent the Woodstock 69 movie, check out Alvin Lee .... perhaps the best set in the show .... and from my point of view (as a 53 year old who was there ) he even excelled over Hendrix.

 

--------------------

Myles S. Rose

 

Yes, of course for rock. I guess I meant not for real heavy tones. I was a huge Alvin Lee fan back in the late 70's when he was with Ten Years Later. I'll have to go back and put on his albums!

Not to be picky, but it was "Ten Years After" rather than Ten Years Later.

 

[James-Italy]

Barring serious problems with the guitar, I'll own an ES-335 on Sunday!

 

The guy's gonna bring the ES-335 to my house on Sunday afternoon so I can try it side-by-side with my LP and with my amps. Turns out he's also got a '67 Gretsch Country Gentleman and a '65 Jaguar. Having to raise some scratch he's parting with the one that will leave the least emotional scarring.

 

I don't want to to benefit from someone elses pain, but if he needs more cash those are a couple of tasty guitars he's got!

[trses335]

Not to be picky, but it was "Ten Years After" rather than Ten Years Later.

 

--------------------

Myles S. Rose

 

Actually, in the late 70's, Alvin was in a trio called Ten Years Later (which, I guess, it was).

I think he put out a couple of albums with them.

We saw them at the Int'l Ampitheatre with some new band from Australia, AC/DC.

[myles_rose]

Originally posted by trses335:

Not to be picky, but it was "Ten Years After" rather than Ten Years Later.

 

--------------------

Myles S. Rose

 

Actually, in the late 70's, Alvin was in a trio called Ten Years Later (which, I guess, it was).

I think he put out a couple of albums with them.

We saw them at the Int'l Ampitheatre with some new band from Australia, AC/DC.

Late 70s? That explains it ... I stopped listening to music in the early 70s