ES-335 can be kind of confusing with how many different places they have been made. Kalamazoo, Nashville, Memphis, Custom Shop... I hope this video helps you a bit with IDing your 335. 🟢For Sale on My Website: www.troglysguitarshow.com 🔴Reverb: reverb.com/shop/troglys?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/
Thanks Austin. I have an “Ebony” finish 1960s reissue 335 from the 90s. I’ve never seen that finish on another 335 here in Australia. It has the Larry Carlton tone.
I have bought the Jim James ES 335 from guitar center because of your show, unfortunately it came with the wrong case (brown USA standard) and a blank trust rod cover so I had to return it. Heartbroken until now! 😂
Trogly mentioned his help sessions; I urge you to utilize this if you are ever in doubt about anything.I recently reached out for a session as I was going to buy a vintage 345. I was just expecting him to look at the listing and say it’s good or not. He went from the headstock down, comparing the listing with pictures of originals to show all of the changes and any part swaps that were apparent and some that were a bit harder to notice. He pointed out parts that were considered by the seller as “upgrades” which really weren’t. He pointed out things I wouldn’t have thought to look for and was very thorough in his explanations and valuation. Way beyond my expectations. Utilize his service if you have questions on stuff
I've got "The first 100 years of Gibson" book, which goes some distance towards sorting these models out, but tells little about revisions within a model from year to year as production is concerned. Maybe a book or two exists out there does a lot of that for him? If not, he'd probably have to acquire 5+ books and possibly spend dozens of hours getting the nomenclature, model variants and parts changes sorted into a comprehensive reference index.
I was fortunate enough to tour the Gibson factory in Kalamazoo back in the 70's while on a middle school field trip. Definitely the most memorable experience I ever had in school.
After Strats, 335's after my faaaavorite guitars. People always talk about how great PAFs sound in Les Pauls, I think they're MADE for 335s. You get a nice underwound PAF with a slightly scooped midrange and an articulate top end, and the way the hollow wings smooth out the attack is line magic with the PAF. Everyone gushes over vintage Bursts, personally I'd go for a vintage 335. Personally I prefer the sightly narrower, sharper wings of the early 60s over the Mickey Mouse ears.
Yeah! I played strats for my first 10 years, and imo still nothing beats one for surf, reggae, (a lot of) blues, VH Floyd and Hendrix etc.... but looking back wish I'd started on a semi-hollow instead. In the late-'80s anything Gibson was perceived as quaint and stodgy compared to the sleek super-strats, while PRS was very new and rather high-end. A 335 is just so much closer to a "real" acoustic guitar, while still keeping many of the virtues of a solid-body. A near-ideal compromise that _sings_ like few electrics can.
Very cool. I was lucky enough to tour the Memphis factory the day before they closed. Got to see the Chris Cornell guitar before it debuted at NAMM. Something cool, they still use all the original equipment to form the top and various other parts. I did buy a Les Paul there that day, good times.
All the talk about the Kalamazoo factory got me googling. I’m a Michigander so I was curious what became of the old factory. I’d really love to see you do a review of Heritage guitars! Former employees bought the factory along with the original equipment and still make guitars. Would love to see how you think they compare to old Kalamazoo gibsons, modern gibsons etc.
@@americanjoe5486 no, the new "reissue" Harmonys from the company who also owns Heritage, Mono cases, Cakewalk, and many others (BandLab) owns Harmony and has them made white-label through Heritage.
When I had difficulty finding a non-Custom Shop 335 with bit of a chunkier 50s-ish neck, maybe an early 80s model with Shaw pups, and playing a couple 2000s that came available locally that resembled the neck on Trog’s reviewed here, I bought a Heritage H535 after reading reviews that suggested the neck profile matched older Gibsons. Turns out that is not true. While wider than the thinnest 60s era 335s, the H535 was flat and uncomfortable to me. After a while (over a year)I finally bit the bullet and just ponied up for at Wildwood Spec 59 335. Cost almost twice what the early 80s were going for, but it turns out it’s money we’ll spent. A dream guitar that I enjoy the heck out of playing.
One of my best buddies growing up had a 60s model 335. It is the only guitar he's ever had and still plays it today in his retirement. It was aways spotless and very well maintained. We were in a band together in junior high and high school. It was awesome!
What amazes me all of these Gibson Les Pauls look so alike but are so very different I enjoy watching you evaluating each guitar. Is it possible you can do a short video on how you clean a fretboard I have two vintage guitars that needed so badly. Thanks
I have to say this particular one sounds good, I'm not a fan of the Classic 57s. They're okay on solid bodies, but not so much on semi hollow. This one has a good neck pickup though, there's good articulation. The sustain of 335s are what makes them. A lot of players who aren't used to these will comment "why do people talk about the sustain," expecting the long note ringing of a solid body. It's really how long that initial note rings before it starts to decay that players like, think main riff of Sweet Child of Mine. They're great clean for that reason. A 335 w/PAFs into an overdriven Plexi type gain, ala "La Villa Strangiato," is bliss. That's actually what made me fall in love with these. I agree in regards to the neck though I'd prefer a fatter profile.
I did my rhythm tracks on the album one of my bands recorded with a 335 like that from right around the same year (early 2000s), and I gotta say it was probably one of the best guitars I'd ever played
I have a 2008 ES-335 DOT in cherry red that I bought new and absolutely love it. The D-shaped neck is lovely for me and the PAF ‘57 classics sound lovely. I love the Grover tuners too. Great video, thanks 👍
I've got a 2006 Figured ES-335 and I love it. My sides aren't nearly that flamed and it ironically has a nicer piece of Maple on the back than on the top
Hi Trogly , another outstanding video, it might be interesting being as you are branching out to look at the ES 339's the baby sister of the 335. Also would love to hear your perspective on the massive delays that Gibson are experiencing in delivering the ES range since they moved all production to Nashville.
Trogs, I've got a blonde dot marker 335...made on 9/17/80...the serial number ends in 001. In 1980 I traded a Johnny Smith for it at Valley Arts Guitar in L.A. it is by far the best 335 I've ever played. I didn't realize I had the first reissue till 20 years after owning it. It's in Fab player condition Keep up the great work! Love the channel.
I have a Japanese made mid 60's Aria 1202T (basically a 335 copy) I purchased in 1997. It was my first decent guitar (my previous guitar being a cheap Strat copy) and I bought it because I was somgwriting, singing and playing originals professionally at the time. Honestly it's a great guitar and even though it's a bit worse for wear now I still have a soft spot for it. I'm going to restore it soon to return it to its former glory.
The whole thing with the 335 is that it is born of a "class compromise" - but a near-ideal one for many players. It isn't a hybrid or combination of two specific guitar _models,_ instead it gives the archtop class some solidity to handle amplification and feedback better; as the solidbody class can. It's created its own "thinline semi-hollow" class, keeping some remnants of acoustic and archtop virtues - i.e. what sounds sub-optimal played on a solid guitar - still viable at higher volumes. At least 3 are "needed' to cover most of the total "335 experience" and class-potential, sonically: 1) a properly-constructed Gibson that doesn't stray much if any from the early to mid-60s spec 2) another similar Gibson with a Bigsby (or better) pitchwiggler 3) a variant from Collings, Heritage, Ibanez, Yamaha or perhaps Gibson themselves- one with a broader timbral and/or functional range than the vintage Gibson spec'ed ones
I’ve got a 1994 (I think, but I know it’s a 90s) cherry 335 and I LOOOOOVE IT, dot inlays, and the pickup covers are oxidized and stuff it’s awesome, same profile neck as the one in this video from how you described it feeling
Love this video! Please do as many ES shows as possible...very interesting. The areas of finish wear were very informative. Deodorant..? Who knew! That area on my es Always requires wiping down. Now I know why. Thanks for this one.
I think I figured out something about the es-335 today… maybe something even Trogly doesn’t know! (Seems hard to believe, I know). The Memphis 335’s with standard serial numbers are all xxxxx7xx. So, if you have serial ending in 705, it’s not that it’s the 205th guitar made in Memphis that day, it’s the 5th es made that day (in Memphis). And, Nashville ES guitars are quite rare in the 2001-2018 time frame. It seems the ES models were primarily made in Memphis (special models with unique serial numbers is a different story). Maybe someone can confirm?
I have a black 2003 335 and I was always so confused why the neck shape was so different than all the other 335's that I've played. My fretboard has those channels on either side of the fret as well. Crazy!
Anyone else notice that new custom shop Gibson’s have wings glued on to either side of the headstock? I have a 2011 R7, and a 2011 Gibson USA SG Jr. with the same 3 piece head.
Yeah, I didn’t understand why he said we would want dots instead of block inlays. Can someone explain that one? This year I want to buy a 335 and that statement actually made me curious.
I always wondered why ES 335s weren't as popular as LPs? because they are easily as good of guitars. in fact there are some features that ES 335s have that I prefer over LPs. thanks for the information now I can see why that is the case.
@@ronaldsweet3484 no, it’s about the solid body and rarity. The les Paul bursts are solid body which lends itself to rock, the genre that made the guitar famous. Back in the 1960’s when jazz and other genres where more popular, the semi-hollow where more popular. But rock made solid body guitars more desirable. And the les Paul bursts are rare. Vintage gold tops are similar priced than 335, because there was a lot made. Not the same with the burst, only made for a few years.
I just prefer solid body. It feels different to me. I know with equal action and string gauge it shouldn't be much different, in theory. But eh, I'm just a les paul guy.. 🤷♂️
I do think moving the semi hollows and hollow bodies to Nashville is a good financial decision and it's nice to know the guitars are all made under the same roof now.
Awesom guitar! 16:50 that's why I prefer 330's at 8lbs you might as well have a solid body, I have as many do a bad back thus, playing a 4-5 lb 330/casino makes a huge difference. Not that I'd turn down a center blocked guitar either I just dont play my 355 for its weight attributes, that's all. 😄
Thanks for another very informative episode in the Gibson saga! I am also a proud Michigander, and am lucky to own a Kalamazoo Epiphone Granada - serial number 167528. Do you know where I can find the correct date of this fine guitar. I believe it to be either 1967 or 1968. Thanks in advance, and keep on informing us Gibson lovers.
If you run across a Memphis ES-345 with the two output jacks on the rim (like the white Epi Lucille you reviewed has) please show it off. I have one from 2011 that I enjoy. I think they were made from 2002 to 2012. I guess because of the different wiring, the do not have a "historic" year like '59 or '64 associated with them. Just a reissue...sort of.
...in brief the best guitar I have ever owned is a 335 from 2012 dot neck style. It came with tapable p90 pickups that makes life easier for me, I swear it sounds like a Fender Tele in the coil tap mode and a meaty les paul in full p90 mode. Custom shop Memphis ...aged aswell!
If you can you should compare the three Vs of Mustaine. When Kramer releases his pointed signature compare it to the Jackson king v and the Dean Vengeance V. It would be interesting to see the differences.
One way to know which factory made your 335 is to check the (usually Orange, usually oval) label inside the f hole. Nashville, Memphis, Kalamazoo, always there. Mine says Kalamazoo. Easy!
Hello Trog. Thanks for this video. I have an ebony 335 only three numbers away from your guitar 3723 with a red label that says it was made in Memphis. I looked up the serial number on a couple of the free sites and they say made in Nashville. So much for the free sites..
I bought a red dot pro Epiphone a few years back. I'm almost certain it was new but can't recall the year. That's why I keep tags and any other goodies that come with each guitar I buy. I can see where the serial dating can be a little confusing though.
Wait a minute. At 2:42 we see where Eddie VH got the idea of putting tape on the Strat. He said in interviews that he went to the factory where they made the guitar bodies and he bought one out of a seconds bin that had a big knot on it so he got it for cheap, BUT he would have seen them making those bodies like in this video where I gave the timestamp. THAT is exactly where he got the idea, it makes perfect sense. Then he said in interviews a few years ago 'oh I don't remember where I got the idea, I just did it for no particular reason". Yeah sure you did Eddie. I'm addressing him wherever he is right now, up or down, I KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THAT IDEA, EDDIE, SO CUT IT!
I never understood why Gibson put those skinny, shredder necks on the 335...since they are mostly used for jazz and blues...you would think they would have a beefier neck than they do...I find that interesting!!!
Right now, you can buy a brand new figured 335, with block inlays for the same price as a used 'Dot' plain-top, which is crazy (& regardless what Austin says, I much prefer block inlays, coz' my 'holy grail' guitar is an early 60's 335, with PAF's & block inlays, in Cherry - the Clapton, Albert Hall guitar). I've got a '90 Dot (also Cherry) & it's a fantastic guitar. I wasn't really looking to get another guitar but with the way the value is shooting up, I reckon I'd be mental not to buy one of the new ones. Now I just need to convince my better half lol.
Hey trogly watched on here last night video called the Steve how guitar collection and I thought the les Paul he played was the one you owned can you confirm this sighting or is it a different les Paul ?
I couldn't afford a Gibson 335 so in 1980, I bought a brand new Yamaha SA1000 for £240 (with a Yamaha shaped hard case) instead. It's a great guitar and I don't regret buying it instead of a Gibson 335. I've tried various Gibson 335s over the years and I still wouldn't trade in my SA1000 ...just saying...
Hi I never reply to you but big fan and I Always check out the show for clear knowledge... I have a Gibson 1996 all American pro 2dc. Someone destroyed in my eyes. I went to guitar center for repair,no called Gibson for repair no, I need someone to route out and install Gibson mini's can you please help me? Troy from Alantic City 🌆
I been thinking about a 1962 Byrdland Natural just not sure about the 23 1/2 inch scale length. I have a copy but the real thing would be better I'm sure. Have you ever reviewed one?
