Gibson ES-335 vs. ES-339 | Two Sizes of Semi-Hollow Guitars 

The 339 is 4 more.

I bought a new Custom Shop ES-339 back in 2009 and have never looked back, I love it. I describe it as a lightweight Les Paul that can cover a Paul, 335, and do it's own sound. It growls. You can't go wrong with these.

Really want one of those 339's just gives me everything I want from a 335 but isn't nearly as physically large.

It's great that you are so candid in your commentary.

Great review thank you , always great playing. ☘️

I bought an Epiphone 339 and to me it has beautiful sounds on all pickup configurations. Being on the smaller person size myself, I found the size and layout of the 339 so much easier to play.

I liked both, but your second “set” on the 335 was my favorite.

339 bridge pickup just had more snap….sounded more open…..but I’m 6’ 3 1/2” and can see that the 335 would be a better fit. Both sound great. It really is down to personal preference.

I have an Epiphone 339 Pro with coil splitting on both pickups in Pelham Blue, beautiful guitar plays and sounds fantastic

I have a 339. Generally I gig with a Strat and/or a Tele and we tune to Eb. My 339 doesn't seem to like Eb so I tend to use it at home or when I sit in with another band. The range of tines available is always a pleasure. I love 335's but they feel a bit big for me.

Thanks for the comparison! Never bonded with 335s - played a few, old and new, I think it's just the spread of the body - I'm a Les Paul player and I suspect the 339 would feel more comfortable for me. That said, I liked the sound of this 335 - it struck me as 'wider, fuller, more open' what have you, but I suspect that comes down to the pick-ups to a large degree as the 57s tend to have a bit more 'bite' . . . both really nice insturments.

Great comparison. The one that got away from me in this arena was a 2018 Memphis ES-330 (full hollow) with Burstbuckers. Incredible tones. But I’m an idiot, and sold it bc it was “big”. I have serious regerts now.

Just bought the 339. Beautiful sounding guitar. Very comfortable to play, lightweight, but it does have a bit of a neck dive. I find it sounds, and plays, extremely close to the sound and playability of my Gibson Standard 60s Les Paul, except for the weight of coarse. Both have equally smooth fretboards. I only play clean through a Twin Reverb. The 339 57 pickups "seem" slightly more articulate than the Les Paul 61s. The difference is minimal to my ears.

I got a 339 this week. It’s amazing!

Good review

I bought a 339 and sold it for two reasons: neck-heavy and the horns are much closer to the neck, making access to the upper frets "cramped." I auditioned roughly a dozen 335s at the three local Guitar Centers and the wouldn't stay in tune and I didn't like the finishes. I wound up buying an Eastman T59/V and couldn't be happier. As good as a 335 for a fraction of the price.

Thanks!

At one point I had both the 335 and 339. I'm now with the 339. Size is more comfortable and the neck is just a little bit thinner. I was having not loving the big chunky neck on the 335, Rounded C. Not my style. The 339 is now being played often. I must add, if you like thin necks on 335 style guitars, you may look into a vintage (1980 - 1995?) Made in Japan Ibanez AS200 for 335 size, or same years in the AM205 for a 339 size, and most def seek out those with original MIJ Ibanez Super 58 pups (with three adjustment screws). I sold my 335 because my 1981 AS200 (John Scofield's year and model) was a much better fit for me. The Chinese and Indo AS models are nice, but nowhere as sweet as the vintage MIJ Ibanez. But the Gibson ES-339 is one of the best out there, no doubt.

I have a 339 named Rosie we get along great.

I have an Epi 339 and I am quite happy with it. The only thing I dislike is the access to the upper frets. I bought it because I was afraid of the 335 being too bulky but I've recently tried one and I was surprised to find out it is quite confortable actually and horns a bit more separated, so easier to play higher notes. In your Demo, both sound great but I liked more the 335, I feel it is more mellow, the 339 being crispier. That being said, I think they are not different enough to justify having the two of them. Having a semi-hollow is almost a must.

I have a ES-339 and really like it. It did own a es335 and sold it a long time ago. I liked my Les Paul better. Sold it also. I like the ES-339 better than both of them.

Just subscribed!!!!!!

And both Gibsons have lots of veneer on them....Gibson's semi-hollowbodies like the ES-335 and ES-339 have tops and backs constructed of layers (either 3 or 4) of maple veneer. My understanding is that the veneers are assembled in successive cross-grain layers with the top layer having its grain longitudinal to the length of the guitar. The tops and backs are approximately 1/4" in thickness after layup.

I have an Epiphone ES-339 I love it, its a guitar to jam on that is not the traditional larger hollow body size. Think if it maybe if you are looking for a "little bit" of hollow body sound but in the size of a "standard" guitar

I wanted a 339 a few years back but they were hard to find and expensive. Then Covid came along and freight to my part of the world went through the roof, so I've been waiting for things to get back to normal, if in fact they ever do.

339 for me, love the size AND SOUND.

Would love to see a 335 v Casino USA comparison. Have to agree though the 339 won out of these 2.

I prefer the smaller body 339 as I'm a small guy.

great playing there!

You really need to try the Epipy 339 with P90's

I'd like to see a comparison with the similar Epiphones

i didn't even know a 339 existed until now. but having recently got a Gretsch g5655t and i have fallen head over heels in love with the small-body semi-hollow. so i *obviously* want one of those, a small-body 335? yeeeeees ma'am. GIMME GIMME GIMME!

the 339 sounds good but for my ear I still like the 335 Alot Better

I've owned a 1968 Gibson Walnut finish ES 335 in 1972. I loved that guitar, but it was to big and awkward for me to play comfortably on stage. I had to sell it. 2 years ago I bought the ES 339 Thinking it would be smaller and lighter. It was smaller but weighed the same as the full size ES 335. I wound up being disappointed in it because of it weighing almost 9 pounds.

I dont write too ofthen, but I do know for the algorythm. I got my 335 from 2016 memphis made with a pair of Burstbuckers and it sound as good as it gets (to me at least). The colour is a beautiful Lightburst which is not sonoften

How much of the difference here comes down to the pickup? 🤔 Are they different pickups? How much of a difference would there be if they both had the same pickups?

...I do like the 60s slim taper neck on 335s - wish that was option on the 339

I have a lefty Gibson Memphis 2018 ES-335, and I managed to get a lefty Gibson ES-339 (if you think righty 339s are rare, try scoring a lefty 339)! Both are great guitars, but I play the smaller 339 more often. Wish Gibson would offer a lefty ES-390 (fully hollow, smaller version of the 330 / Casino). The Collings I-30 and I-35 are sized midway between the 335 and 390.

love the hat

339 sounds kinda like a Les Paul. 335 has a quack similar to Strat, but more chimey and brighter.

I have a 2010 custom shop 339 in black and I sold my 335 epiphone. I'm a small dude 5ft 2 so the 339 feels better to me and i don't look ridiculous with a big Ole 335

Definitely heard the 339 pushing the amp more and I did prefer its sound. I also thought it looked a bit sharper -- the darker fingerboard just pops better with the binding. And boo sucks to the game-running curmudgeons!!

I heard a definite disparity in intonation. The 335 was very close to right on, and the 339 needs work. Has that one had a recent setup?

I have a 21 335 in 60s cherry. It came with the Calibrated T Types. I tried to live with them for awhile but eventually ditched them for some Classic 57s. So much happier now. The guitar sounds so much better for my style. Im not sure what Gibson was thinking with those Calibrated T Types. Bleh!! Great demo on both of the guitars.

Sport`s car or Sedan.

339, swap out the pickups?

57 classic pickups are the best pickups ever made hands down. Mostly found in Gibson 335’s and 61 reissue SG’s and in any player who isn’t a shredder. Lol

Nice 👍

339 sounds good. Not big like the 335

339 wins… to me. We all have different taste. I’m also only 5-9 so the smaller body sounds nice. I need to try them on:-)

335 owner for thirty years: I'm not a large fella' but I could deal with the ergonomic challenges, but now that I'm a geezer, reaching around that thing for three gigs a week is pretty uncomfortable. I haul her out for special occasions and love it. But, the dimensions of the 339 look ever more attractive.

The 335 had a lot more of that sweet gibson darkness.

The different shades of cherry make all the difference. One can hear it if one has brilliant ears like me. Only kidding. Love these guitars and would love to own both if the bux were endless!

I'll take 335 ❤!

Isn’t the other difference here the pick ups tea type versus the 57 classic I mean I know that for me my ES 339 now has T type pick ups in it and I get all the jazzy tones that you can get out of a 335 and all the other tones as well without near the amount of the I don’t know buzz sound that I would call Chewbacca if you turn it up a little too loud but honestly the 339 to me is a much easier guitar to use play Cary, etc. that slight size difference does make it more convenient even for somebody like myself at 6.1 feet tall. I have long arms but truly it is a more comfortable guitar to play and of course that’s a personal preference but I think it’s misleading to not say that a pick up swap could make these guitar sound virtually identical and I have tested them against each other since I have several of each lol Gibson tone and guitar fanatic. Thanks love your demos otherwise man I just thought it’s really not American comparison. They are such apples and oranges with different pick ups, but put the same pick ups and they get way more real. Thanks. 7:13

Could you do a comparison between an ES-335 with a gloss finish and the ES-335 figured, please?

339s are very hard to find - has anyone noted a significant physical difference though? My 335 has a lot of body/butt dive - I would switch to a 339 if it was truly more balanced on my lap

I have an old 335 with classic 57s, an early 339 with classic 57s and anew 335 with Calibrated Ts. The 57s have got more life . I've always thought the Calibrated Ts lacked the definition. The 335 is much nicer to play HOWEVER, lying in bed, the 339 is much easier. 🙂

Great comparison my friend. I could still hear that semi-hollow air in the 339 that I like, surprisingly. Loved both, but prefer the 339

Great vid Cooper. How about compare an Epi Shareton ii to a Gibson semi hollow. The ole cheap vs expensive.

Size of the 339 compared to a solid LP? Neck dive?

I don't see ES-339 without F-holes....except mine

I couldn't hear much difference but could see plenty.

335 is definitely warmer… due to the size.

Aesthetically the 335 is what I see when I close my eyes and think of the guitar of my dreams. I have the Epiphone version, but it sounds terrible to me. 😢 I want to love it so bad. It just sounds out of tune, especially the G string. To add insult to injury that string also overpowers all the others 😂

I’ll take that 339 any day over a 335.

Screw the pickups….. I want to see his pickup truck.

The Jedi knows....

335 far away !!

I have a 335 sixties cherry,the pickups sound no where near as good as my 61 SG ,57 classics!!!!

Nope, the CS-336 has solid top and back. No plywood... And the phrase is "right out of the gate". It's a reference to horse racing...

I actually thought the 335 was better by a mile. Like, not even close.

I love my 335 because I am big and awkward and I need a guitar that is big and awkward.

Thing is… a 335 makes everybody look cooler. And the 339 uuuuuh just doesn’t. 🤔😎😬

Careful who you call a geezer. Might be taken to include some of your best customers.