The Gibson can't be too old as the first ES339's were made in 2007. For a guitar that at worst is 8 years old there's a lot of checking in that lacquer. I reckon this guitar has seen a lot of temperature variations to check like that so quickly.
Awesome2ThePowerOfSick Looks very much as you have said, temperature up and down a lot. Most likely kept in a warm and moist place as well for quite sometime. I had an '88 Gibson ES-335, and when I last saw it was still looking very nice. The state of the guitar could also be down to whether the finish is ploy or nitro, looks like nitro to me.
+Awesome2ThePowerOfSick Year ago had a friend that left his brand new Martin in his freezing cold car overnight. Then brought it into his warm house & opened the case. That was the end of that one! That was way worse than this but I think you're on to something here.
That's the difference between a Nitro finish and a Poly finish. Customs shops are made with a Nitro finish which allows them to age like they did 50 years ago. This is a 2007 model based on the serial. There is a lot of checking for an 8 year old guitar, but when they get scratched and age they will look cool VS a poly finish on a Tele that just looks like a glass coffee table in a Cocaine addicts bachelor apartment.
Yup it looks like it was left near a heater or fireplace. Just straight up negligence. The nitro on these guitars are usually pretty badly done with some easy peeling. But the wood should be fine if kept well. You don't need humidifiers with them but you also can't put them in stupid places. It's not a custom shop either lol
Ok, I can confirm a few things because it's my Gibson... She's the very first run 2007 Vintage Burst Custom Shop ES 339. These were recreated to be just like the 1957 ES335 only smaller. I'm the second owner and I just got her a week ago. I wanted Nelson to do a comparison with his cool Epi 339. I don't know if the lacker is meant to have that finish to showcase an age thing or if the guy just played it a lot in various weather. She plays nicely to my ears so I got her... Nelson your Vox has a Tremolo going through it. It might be a good test to try without it with a few licks and chords..? Just to see a little more about the tonal differences. ...Only if you want to. The Gibson has Classic 57 PAF pickups and I know the Epi you have has a similar Epiphone PAF that's is designed to sound pretty close... I'm sure if you extended tests it would be close... Cheers! No more babies in my case... 😉
I tried a new Epiphone ES-339 several years ago at Guitar Center. Looked ok. When I turned the bridge volume pot it kept turning once it got to minimum. I set it back down and moved on. Last year a local chain music store got a Gibson ES-339 in stock. I fell in love as soon as I picked it up. Took it home. It stays in tune way better than yours does.
Depending on room temperature, humidity, whether or not the guitar is hit by direct sunlight... These will all have an effect on how long this finish will last. And just like everything else in life, sometimes you just get a lemon... I am curious to know which guitar was which? A or B???
The nitro finish on the Gibson is way more desirable. It’s doing what nitro is supposed to do. The checking is a result of how you treat the instrument. IMO, poly chokes a guitar and gives it a cheap import feel.
i own a 2010 Gibson ES-339 and its one of the best playing guitars I have next to my number 1 which is a 2014 Gibson Les Paul LPJ vintage sunburst finish medium/light relic, cream plastics Gibson 57' classic in the bridge and Seymor Duncan 59' classic in the bridge. you would never expect the sound that the lpj gets but its probably just one of the rare ones that gets an amazing cut of maple and mahogany that makes for amazing tone wood. I buy guitars all the time and play them for 2 weeks and then sell them cause my lpj just sounds the best to me. I keep a 2008 Gibson Les Paul Standard around but it was a gift from a friend. the 339 is the only guitar I have kept around to play and I actually pull it out for gigs and make my LPJ take the bench for a couple innings if that tells you anything. I cant bring myself to going back to an epiphone unless im going to smash it on our last song of the night.
$2500 es 339 Gibsons aren't custom shop. They're basically a standard. Memphis gloss. I have one. The nitro on my "$2500" (they're $2800+ now) es 339 memphis gloss 2019 has flaws. But my friend owned it and I fell in love. So I stole it... jk I bought it from him lol. Love my Gibby. Nothing sounds so sweet & I owned alot of electrics lol. Custom shops are usually $4k+ these days.
I let my grandson play on my SG all the time. It's a satin finish so fixing it will be a breeze if he wrecks it. Can't wait to see the look on his face the first time I plug it in.
Before I got my Epi ES-339 P90 Pro, I was able to play it side by side with the Gibson HB version. This was in 2013 and both guitars were new. They were essentially the same guitar, but the P90's on the Epi were the deal maker.
Just bought the same gibson from the same year for 1250 euro. It is a fantastic guitar. Mine has some little crackling (not like yours) on the headstock, but, because of the heat variations and the lack of moisture, there are hairlike cracks in the binding continuating the frets. The guitar feels and plays like a beast, and is quite more comfortable than a es 335. The tunes hold well in tune and, pretty much, if you set up this beast correctly, it is a keeper (IF YOU TUNE IT). I am surprised how much you hate the gibson, it is an old guitar, the way it holds it's finish is a little bit disappointing, but you can definitely see quality there over the epiphone. Obviously, the epiphone for VALUE/PRICE is much better (2500 euro vs 500), but, it does not comes with a case, woods, electronics, pickups and hardware in general are not the same and it doesn't say Gibson (gibson charges too much for that, as their quality controls are not that high). If you change a little bit the electronics in the epiphone, it can be an excellent guitar, but, I recommend you to go for a korean sheraton if your budget is low.
I have a Gibson es-339 from 15 years ago that I purchased and my lacquer looks nothing like this, I play it hard but its still glossy and smooth, no waves. But every guitar is different, that's what you get with a nitro lacquer. I personally love the worn in look, but to each his own.
I have an Epiphone ES-335 which is the cheapest guitar I own, but I love to play it. Let's face it: The Epi and the Gibson are both made of laminated wood. The biggest difference is the huge amount of clear coat lacquer on the Epi.
soulagent79 Epiphones are phenomenal for their price. But the Gibson 339 is a true investment and when you own both you can really feel the difference. Both great instruments for their price.
Just picked up an epi 339 in vintage burst. Love it. I did think about the Gibson but the quality is terrible on them. Like 4 grand for one of these retail with the canadian dollar being what it is? No way. There's just no quality control anymore. All the Gibson's I own are pre 2015, I feel like 2014, they just went to shit. A new epiphone will hold up better than a new Gibson. I don't know why. But they just will. Plus I prefer having my clients ( I own a studio ) play my epi's when they track guitar. They sound nicer, and I'm not too worried about them getting damaged slightly. All of those collectors out there have driven up the price of Gibson guitars, and now a player can't buy one. And if you DO own Gibson guitar, You've got to baby them, check humidity, all that crap. It's almost insulting to the consumer. I enjoy your video's. You remind me of Matthew Good. Take care!
The finish on that gibson is magnificent dawg....That's a real nitrocellulose sink-in!!!! You'll learn to love it, because, you yourself will make it your own relic. I used to be the same way, polishing guitars and making sure they shine like a bass-boat. Fuck it, play it, drop it, scratch it, and love it ITS A TOOL!!! Good video bro, and I agree with the "Serial Number" comment hahahaha
I own a Gibson 339 and it's superb, not sure what happened to the laquer on that one ... wow. Mine is honestly flawless. I paid $1999 in 2011 ... now they retail at $2699 .. pfffffft ... way to hike the price eh? At that time they didn't make Epi 339s and the Gibson 339 still hadn't really caught on I guess. Now the Epi 339 Pros being made are pretty nice. I tried every Epi Dot I could find back in the day and every one was shitty in fit and finish so I ended up buying the Gibson. I would never pay that much for a guitar again ... I'm all about used now if I can help it.
According to Gibson's Support page (www.gibson.com/support/seria-number-search.aspx): CS stands for Custom Shop; The first two numbers after CS indicate the production year; The last set of numbers indicate the position in the production run. So based on that info, your guitar is the 320th ES-339 made in 1974. I would have to agree with Thor Bear that your instrument must have been subjected to some pretty harsh environmental extremes in order to exhibit such checking and joint separation. Unfortunately, the only solutions are a) leave it as is and take good care of it going forward, or b) have it completely refinished by a professional. I own the Epiphone ES-339, Les Paul Silverburst, and Studio Dot in satin Mahogany. I also own a 1958 Gibson ES-225T, a 1992 ES-165 Herb Ellis model, and a 1965 J-45. I can objectively say that while I love my Gibsons I love my Epiphones just as much, maybe more. There is simply no justification for Gibson charging four to eight times more than their comparable Epiphone models. Gibson's quality over the past 20+ years is shameful, and unless I can buy one used at a really good price I refuse to buy Gibson-branded guitars anymore.
I preferred the neck pickup of B but the bridge pickup of A- why does that always happen?! If I had to guess I'll say that I think A was the Gibson. Incidentally, that bit at the end with young Felix reminds me of the story of my Dad's Dot 335. He was sent out to buy a cot for me when I was a few months old but he came back with a big red Gibson! Mum was less than impressed but I don't hold it against him... Although it is a bit of a pig to play...
Both are very nice guitars. I suspect the Gibson is much older than you think. It's hard for me to objectively compare the guitars without age and history of the guitar. One could have been cased for the last year while the other was on the road touring. Still like checking them out though. Enjoy watching your videos. Thanks for sharing!
+Paul Lue Also the ES-339 was introduced in 2007. Looking at the damage to the headstock on the back when he shows the serial number, and the logo sinking into the headstock. I'd agree that this guitar has been subject to big swings in temperature and humidity, and it has been tossed around a bit. In any case, poly finishes as in the case of the Epiphone are very plastic and will usually stretch rather than crack. They're more durable, but a lot thicker and feel very plastic.
I have no idea in the world how that can happen to a $2500 guitar that quickly. I own the exact same guitar, same color and all from 2008 and it's mint. I also have a 1992LP Standard in Heritage Cherry that I bought brand new back then. It's traveled everywhere. The guitar is 23 years old and the body again is mint (I'm not a gigging musician). Not one of my lacquered Gibson's shows a hint of checking. Point being, that guitar should have been rejected or taken back as soon as it started happening.
***** That's an understatement. ha As most know, the checking usually happens due to extreme changes in weather and temps because the wood shrinks and expands. Now, I'm no expert, but I'm going to assume the lacquer they spray today is probably slightly better than what was used in the 50's and 60's. The only thing I get on my lacquered guitars is a slightly faded forearm wear spot, but never checking.
Thor Bear I also have several Gibson's that are about the same age as the 339, and a 1997 Gibson Les Paul, none of my guitars show any signs of lacquer checking. This 339 looks like it was just not taken very good care of.
raytheprinter Could be.......it's simply the wood expanding and contracting due to extreme changes in temp and moisture which causes the lacquer to crack or "check". If it was excessive heat, lets say kept in a garage in the south, then taken out in the winter and the case immediately opened, that would certainly do it. With that said, man, this guitar has an awful lot of checking.......something just doesn't seem right. I've seen 50 yr old vintage guitars with much less checking.
I have a 2001 Gibson ES-355 that cost me $3700.00 and the finish started hazing and checking after about 6 years of ownership. It drives me crazy that I paid that much for a finish that did that, but I was told that leaving a guitar with a nitro finish in a case more than it is out can speed this process up. The gold plating on the Bigsby, bridge and pickups started tarnishing by the 10th year and is almost gone in many spots.
I bought a GIBSON339 last year. The Satin around 2200 USA dollars model. I played it and sent it back the next day. The EPIPHONE is MUCH ballsier and the neck seems more sturdy. The gibson just didn't feel right and the pickups were too clean. No chunk or honk to it.
the finish on the gibson is nitro so its gonna age a lot quicker a patina faster than the epi with a poly finish. its mostly taste really. even though nitro lets the guitar breathe better.
+The guitar boss I can't listen,too far out of tune. Guitar tuners are cheap.Tune the damn thing!Cant figure out why people neglect this .He is complaining about things on the guitar,but can't even tune it!
Answer of the request : Guitar Info Serial number unrecognized Your guitar may have been made prior to 1977, in that case you may need to use the Vintage Panel, simply select all the options that best describe your guitar. If you are still having difficulties please contact the webmaster.
Personally, I've never noticed that much of a difference between Epiphone and Gibson. It's more about the feel for me. I prefer the feel of a Gibson. And I like the laquer. How it wears in if you play the shit out of the guitar. But that's all personal preference. The joke at the ends was quite funny. Made me laugh.
bhr 8149 I agree, I have a ES-335 and to me it feels AMAZING. I can play it all day, while strats make my hand cramp up. Does it sound 2000 dollars better than a Epiphone? Of course not. Does it feel 2000 dollars better? To me it does. And thats enough, because I will have it for ever :)
There are a few things people can do with knowledge of your serial number. For instance, counterfeiters can use it to fool people because they can match the correct model and color and when someone looks it up and be mislead to think it’s legit. Also, if this happens and your serial gets printed on multiple guitars and at least one doesn’t know it’s counterfeit and they have their guitar stolen, now your guitar is recorded as stolen property. There are many more scams people can use by knowing your serial number with the exact model it goes to.
We're offered the opportunity to decide which we prefer, based on the sounds of A and B, but he doesn't tell us which was A and which was B - the sound comparison is, therefore, useless, which makes the video a waste of time best spent elsewhere. And, when reminded years ago that he neglected to identify the guitars via posts below, he doesn't respond. Someone asked about why all the dislikes - this is the reason for mine.
A Nitro finish ages and cracks and takes on scratches and dents very naturally (in the historic sense of the word natural). They are more responsive to the vibration of the stings and humidity etc. It's mostly a long term aesthetic preference. A poly finish like the one on an epiphone will not age. As the scratches accumulate and as time goes on, oxygen trapped in the wood beneath the 12 layers of shit paint will escape and fog up and become less glossy (likely over 20 years). But in 20 years, a Nitro finish guitar will look like a war relic or museum artifact and a poly finish guitar will look like a dildo that has been steam rolled and laminated and then sanded over. Some folks prefer Nitro custom shop finish because they want their guitars to look like Kieth Richards forehead after a decade and other folks prefer Poly because they want their guitar to either be frozen in time and not played or played heavily and look like the fogged up headlights of a Hyundai. Either way, a guitars condition and longevity are a direct reflection of an owners standard of maintenance and knowledge of relative humidity and temperatures effects on wood. I own both a 2017 Epiphone 339 Pro and a 2008 Gibson custom shop ES 339. They both sound phenomenal, they both look cool in my opinion. They are both better than any guitar in their respective price range in terms of actual physical integrity and sound. But the Gibson looks luthier made and feels like picking up a Thompson sub machine gun handed to me directly from Al Capone. Perhaps because I had to work my ass off to afford it or perhaps because it just looks and feels like it was sanded with Sam Elliot's chin stubble and humidified by pure testosterone moisture that has dripped off of John Lee Hookers and Clint Eastwoods testicle sweat and vaporized by an orange hot cigar cherry 4 inches in diameter being smoked by Fidel Castro himself.
I'm no Custom Shop serial number expert, but the info I find seems to look like it's a 2007 guitar. Looks like it was treated pretty poorly, based on the dents, dings, and crummy finish.
Seems like the cheaper Epiphone models are not only cheaper, but play better and last longer than the more expensive Gibson models. Price is not everything.
Actually no, Gibsons have nitrocellulose lacquer finish (which is expensive, thin and helps wood to breathe), but most of the Epiphones have polyurethane finish (which is like a very tick and hard plastic, seals the wood, nearly impossible to relic).
Follow-up to my previous post... I'm confused about when your guitar was actually made. Based on Gibson's info about their serial numbering system, your guitar should have been made in 1974. But, further delving into the history of the ES-339, Gibson itself states that the ES-339 was introduced in 2007...??? Something's obviously wrong with Gibson's published serial number info. That being the case, your guitar can't be more than eight years old. Wow!!! That makes the finish checking issue even more disturbing. Either the environmental stress on your guitar was worse than I presumed, or Gibson's production quality is far worse than I believed it to be!!! Is Gibson deliberately finishing their guitars to look "aged" sooner than their years belie? Or is Gibson's finishing simply that bad?! Are there any luthiers out there who can comment on what's really going on here?
***** Custom Shop regular production models CSYRRRR CS stands for "Custom Shop" Y indicates the production year RRRR indicates the guitar's place in the sequence of production Example: CS10845 is the 845th reg. production CS model produced in 2001. CS Signature Models: The list below is not an exhaustive listing but we have included many of our most popular Signature models. Please contact us at service@gibson.com should you have any questions
Lmao at all these people who think the 339 is a fake. I have had the same model since 2007 and kept mine in good condition, whereas seen the same models such as in the video due to lack of caring for the guitar.
+Kodiak and Grizzly Bears its not a fake. The serial # is CSYRRRR..where Y is the year (2007). It was probably played heavily with a sweaty player which is why the finish is fucked.
Cactus Makeshop I checked into this. If you look to the left of the dataproject, it states it does not work for Custom Series. So you have to date it by hand. It looks like it was likely a 2007 model ^^.
You need to store your guitars in a climate-controlled room with a dehumidifier to prevent the finish issues you are complaining about. Laquer is much more sensitive than poly, but it sounds much better.
If I didn't know any better your Gibson custom shop is actually a chibson no way in hell do custom shop release crap finish like that. Take off your pick ups if it's a fake they would be epiphone pick ups if they havnt been replaced. And I don't think custom shop print cs on their seriel no my friend has a 58 reissue custom shop les pual and does not have cs on the seriel no. So I'm definantly leaning towards chibson and not Gibson if you payed big bucks for it you got screwed srry.
Gibsons rely on their name, and just as in my first REAL electric, I have always preferred Ibanez. I just don't agree that "you get what you pay for", when it comes to Gibsons.
The day we all stop buying guitars to Gibson they will understand that paying 3 thousand dollars for a guitar with finish flaws is absurd. I think they will rethink the situation. They are great guitars but you get to find small issues which it seems to me very bad and unprofessional since you're paying an important sum of money. Still on an Epiphone is unacceptable. It's a joke.
It looks to me that wood is shrinking under the lacquer and the joints are opening up. Gibson burnt me with a Les Paul with the worst Nut that was sticking like a bitch! I have also got a a 2015 Les Paul Junior with the G-Force tuning and BRASS! zero nut! Shit me! Gibson what the f##k. Just make good good instruments that people want and stop f##king around!
