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Custom Order CS 356 or ES 335 ?


Ax1

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Can someone please tell me what the difference is between these 2 specific models, tonally.

 

I want to custom order but can't decide on a model. I own a 335 and a LP traditional pro.

 

- The LP is a bit uncomfortable for me when sitting down, I have to keep hold of the neck to stop the back end slipping off my leg.

- The ES 335 is comfortable and light, I find it more fun to play and very easy to switch between any style.

 

I haven't played the CS 356 but I seem drawn to it, but I doubt I will have the opportunity to ever try one out before buying.

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Can someone please tell me what the difference is between these 2 specific models, tonally.

 

I want to custom order but can't decide on a model. I own a 335 and a LP traditional pro.

 

- The LP is a bit uncomfortable for me when sitting down, I have to keep hold of the neck to stop the back end slipping off my leg.

- The ES 335 is comfortable and light, I find it more fun to play and very easy to switch between any style.

 

I haven't played the CS 356 but I seem drawn to it, but I doubt I will have the opportunity to ever try one out before buying.

 

I have a CS356, and it is an awesome guitar!!! The body is slightly larger than a LP. I play primarily sitting down, and I find it very comfortable to play. I favor these scaled down ES guitars over their larger cousins like the ES335 because they are, for me at least, much more comfortable to play and handle.

 

Tone-wise, I can't compare it to a ES335 since I've never owned one and have never played one much because the larger body is not to my liking. The CS356 has a routed mahogany body with a maple cap, so think of it like a Les Paul that has really been chambered, and it can come close to the Les Paul tone if you want it to, but the guitar is different from a Les Paul. The ES335 has a maple/poplar laminate body so these two guitars should sound very different. There is another scaled down ES guitar that uses the maple/poplar laminate body like the ES335, the model is the ES339 and ES359. I have the ES359, and it has become my absolute favorite guitar. It has a much tighter and articulate tone that reminds me of the T-top pick ups in the old Norlin LP's.

 

These guitars rock!!! [thumbup]

 

My CS356 in faded cherry and ES359 in vintage sunburst:

 

IMG_0360_zpsc80b2fb5.jpg

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Boy it is really tough to comit to a guitar like that without playing it beforehand. Make every effort to do that before ordering one. And don't rule out a CS336 if you can find one. Gibson doesn't seem to make them every year, but frequently. The back, sides, and center block are carved from one solid piece of mahagony, then a maple top is carved with a block on the underside as well and the two are mated together. (I believe this is how a 356 is constructed as well). The 336 is a little less fancy - nickel hardware instead of gold, and no custom inlay on the headstock - but a little less expensive as a result.

 

Tonewise they are very "woody" and warm due to the block of mahagony that they are primarily made from. Very comfortable and lightweight with a huge variety of tone from jazzbox to LP with plenty of beef in the middle. Add a few pedals and you can get any type of sound you want out of them.

 

The 335 is a little brighter or brittle sounding due to the laminated maple construction, and is also larger and heavier than a 336 or 356. 335s are great, but I would venture that you would trade it toward a 336 or 356 once you have played them as it will be sort of redundant.

 

Good luck in your quest.

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I agree with the above replies. I have 4 LP's, a Larry Carlton ES-335 and a CS-336. I love the smaller body and light weight of the 336. The 335 is nice to play sitting down but I find the large body to be cumbersome while standing. The 336 has just a little bit bigger body than a LP but it weighs in at 6.5lb, much lighter than the LP. It also has much better upper fret access. I would put the tone right in between a 335 and LP, the best of both worlds. I also have a Johnny A., which has nearly identical tone as the 336 but with a longer scale length 25.5" vs 24.75". Here is a pic of my Gibson semi's:

 

DSC05956.jpg

 

If you ever get to Colorado, Wildwood Guitars usually has some 336's in inventory. Like Twang said the 336 is the same as the 356 without the bling, although mine is a custom order one-off and it has an ebony board, quilt finish top and gold hardware.

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I own a cs356 & es355 custom shop.

Both with bigsbys.

 

I did not know how different these guitars were until I had them.

 

The 355 is a 355, plays like a 335, with extra bling.

Probably the most versatile guitar ever made.

You can literally go from jazz to metal with it.

Brilliant guitar!

 

The cs 356, is much more like a les Paul.

I've owned a les Paul in the past and I would honestly put it more in that category.

 

To me, it is like a Les Paul, without all of the things I dislike about les pauls.

 

1. It is very comfortable to sit and play as well as stand.

2. It is lighter than the les pauls I have played.

3. Sound- the bridge pick up sounds just like I remember my les Paul sounding. The middle and neck pick up sound similar to a les paul, but with a bit more character. All three pick ups sound quite different compared to the 355.

4. This is a personal thing, but I've never liked the placement of the pick up selector on the les Paul. I get excited and have a wide strumming pattern and end up switching pickups by accident. This does not happen with the 356. On the other hand, if you like the selector switch location on the les paul, for convenience, the 356 is a little more out of the way.

 

The 355 & 335 are easy and great to play.

It is a little bigger guitar, so you hold it different and play it different.

 

My 356 is probably the nicest guitar I have ever played (both guitars of mine I had set up by the same tech who knows what I like) the 356 is so smooth and easy to play, I immediately felt like twice the guitar player when I started playing it. The neck feeling is awesome and the carved maples top and solid mahogany back with the cherry stain gives it a beautiful appearance.

 

I have to stress that the are two very different guitars.

I could see players replacing their les pauls with 356's.

For me, the 356 does not replace the 355 anymore than the 355 would replace my tele. Different tools for different jobs.

 

If I could only have one to play an eceletic range of music, I would take the 355.

If I was hired to play lead and rhythm guitar in a rock band, I would take the 356.

 

I hope this helps, I didn't find this out until after I purchased a 356, I then bought the 355, to have a 355.

That being said, I never thought about trading the 356, because it is just so nice😃

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I know what you mean about the LP being a bit uncomfortable for sitting down.

 

I mean, it doesn't really feel like it or feel bad- in fact, it feels good. However, for any lenth of time, I tire of having to constantly "put it back" because it does want to run away from me.

 

Said that to say, that I think most don't have this problem, or don't care. Since YOU do, you might take note that you MAY be one of the few who find the 356/336/359 shape more uncomfortable than the regular 335 size.

 

I think you really do want to get your hands on one, because you may love it, or you may not even like it. And custom ordering...that pretty much isn't a "send it back if you don't like it" thing is it?

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I know what you mean about the LP being a bit uncomfortable for sitting down.

 

 

Here are some things that helped me play LP’s or anything else sitting down that make the session more comfortable.

 

Get a higher stool or chair - This will let the guitar rest/hang more near a standing position. Make sure it has a foot rest/ring so you can prop a leg up.

 

Use a strap - See above. Allows you to shift positions. Gives you two hands free to change music etc. Move to the edge of your chair and let guitar hang naturally.

 

Play with guitar between your legs - It stays put here. No sliding around. Also lets your right shoulder drop down into a more natural and comfortable position. Gives your fret hand easier access to upper frets. Shift back and forth between this position and others to avoid fatigue.

 

Stand for a while - Even if is for a short amount of time, this will reduce fatigue and stress.

 

Stretch out upper body - Most of us do hand stretches before playing to avoid injury and limber up. Include some upper arm, back and shoulder stretches as well. LP’s are heavy. Mine weighs 9 lb.. Doing this before and midway through a session really helps me stay comfortable.

 

These tips helped me a lot and hope they help you. For me, a guitar must stay at rest without having to hang on to it in order for me to play it. Best of luck to the OP on his new purchase!

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I'm slightly confused by the original post: author has a 335 and an LP Traditional but isn't bonding with the LP and doesn't find it comfortable, I think. But is he looking for that LP sound primarily, or something more comfortable sitting down primarily?

 

Either way the 336/356 crew above has most of the virtues covered. The only thing I'd add about the sound of a CS-356 vs an ES-335 (or even an ES-339, for that matter) is that I generally find my CS-356 to have a fairly "scooped" tonal range - it's strong in the lows and strong in the highs, but doesn't really naturally have the midtones-heavy sound that I associate with, say, classic 1970s guitar music made with Les Pauls. It doesn't have the strong mids "honk" that 335s typically have in vintage blues (think Freddie King, or BB King). But it's a great blues or rock machine anyway: warm, clear and responds well to gain from an amp or pedals too. It all depends on what sound the original poster is looking for, what music he plays, who he wants to sound like... but in the small bodied semi-hollow Gibsons: though all of them sound "somewhere in the middle" of the LP/335 spectrum, the 336/356 leans a little bit toward LP and the 339/359 leans a little bit toward 335 in my opinion. And all the small bodys are going to seem less tail heavy in your lap than most LPs.

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Here are some things that helped me play LP’s or anything else sitting down that make the session more comfortable.

 

Get a higher stool or chair - This will let the guitar rest/hang more near a standing position. Make sure it has a foot rest/ring so you can prop a leg up.

 

Use a strap - See above. Allows you to shift positions. Gives you two hands free to change music etc. Move to the edge of your chair and let guitar hang naturally.

 

Play with guitar between your legs - It stays put here. No sliding around. Also lets your right shoulder drop down into a more natural and comfortable position. Gives your fret hand easier access to upper frets. Shift back and forth between this position and others to avoid fatigue.

 

Stand for a while - Even if is for a short amount of time, this will reduce fatigue and stress.

 

Stretch out upper body - Most of us do hand stretches before playing to avoid injury and limber up. Include some upper arm, back and shoulder stretches as well. LP’s are heavy. Mine weighs 9 lb.. Doing this before and midway through a session really helps me stay comfortable.

 

These tips helped me a lot and hope they help you. For me, a guitar must stay at rest without having to hang on to it in order for me to play it. Best of luck to the OP on his new purchase!

That about covers it.

 

The only thing you left out, is what to do when your leg falls asleep and you can't stand.

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Thanks for all the advice, think I may still end up going with the 356.

 

I'm slightly confused by the original post: author has a 335 and an LP Traditional but isn't bonding with the LP and doesn't find it comfortable, I think. But is he looking for that LP sound primarily, or something more comfortable sitting down primarily?

 

Either way the 336/356 crew above has most of the virtues covered. The only thing I'd add about the sound of a CS-356 vs an ES-335 (or even an ES-339, for that matter) is that I generally find my CS-356 to have a fairly "scooped" tonal range - it's strong in the lows and strong in the highs, but doesn't really naturally have the midtones-heavy sound that I associate with, say, classic 1970s guitar music made with Les Pauls. It doesn't have the strong mids "honk" that 335s typically have in vintage blues (think Freddie King, or BB King). But it's a great blues or rock machine anyway: warm, clear and responds well to gain from an amp or pedals too. It all depends on what sound the original poster is looking for, what music he plays, who he wants to sound like... but in the small bodied semi-hollow Gibsons: though all of them sound "somewhere in the middle" of the LP/335 spectrum, the 336/356 leans a little bit toward LP and the 339/359 leans a little bit toward 335 in my opinion. And all the small bodys are going to seem less tail heavy in your lap than most LPs.

 

Don't get me wrong, the Les Paul issue is a very minor thing and I love my traditional pro... Was just trying to justify spending upwards of 4k on a new guitar that I don't really need.

 

Really I just want a custom shop Gibson, and the 356 sounded like it would be a nice change from the Les Paul models that I have played for the past 8 years, but still capable of delivering great tone and versatility. - I play anything, mainly blues, rock, metal and more recently, funk. Your comment about the scooped mids is now making me wonder if this is the right guitar. Generally I focus more on lead than rhythm.

 

Does anyone know how well the 356 can do metal? It would be nice if it can do a bit during practice sessions like the 335 can.

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Don't get me wrong, the Les Paul issue is a very minor thing and I love my traditional pro... Was just trying to justify spending upwards of 4k on a new guitar that I don't really need.

*snip*

Does anyone know how well the 356 can do metal? It would be nice if it can do a bit during practice sessions like the 335 can.

 

A bunch of Gibson fans can always talk you into that... [thumbup]

 

For what it's worth, my CS-356 is the most versatile guitar I ever hope to own. You might not have noticed, but there are links to *ahem* a ton of examples of it doing all sorts of things in my signature. The slightly bright sounding bridge pickup (when all pots are on 10) can lend some clarity that sounds great doing cleaner funk, for wah-work or when I stomp on a pedal and ratchet up the gain into distortion. You won't find a lot of examples of metal there, but you'll likely have a better idea of whether the guitar might suit you if you sniff around a bit (give or take my playing). Good luck in your hunt.

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For what it's worth, my CS-356 is the most versatile guitar I ever hope to own. You might not have noticed, but there are links to *ahem* a ton of examples of it doing all sorts of things in my signature

 

Thanks, I didn't notice the links but they certainly help. I have heard quite a few examples now and think the 356 is the one to go for, especially as I already have a 335. Sounds like the 356 has a really nice acoustic sound as well.

 

Now just not sure which colour I should go for: honey burst, lemon burst or trans amber?

 

What neck does the 356 have as standard, I can't seem to find the official specs for it? Will probably ask for a 60's slim taper but want to know if that will cost me extra.

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What neck does the 356 have as standard, I can't seem to find the official specs for it? Will probably ask for a 60's slim taper but want to know if that will cost me extra.

 

60s Slim Taper is the standard spec for CS-356s, but you can sometimes find them with different necks.

 

Wildwood Guitars in Colorado often has special runs in custom colors, but at the moment they seem to be focused on a special run of CS-336s - fancier body woods than standard, special pickups wound to their specs, but less bling than a 356 with a rosewood fingerboard and no large inlays. They do a terrific job showcasing specific guitars on video too (no affiliation, I just like what they do)

http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/gibson_custom_shop/wildwood_spec_cs336.htm

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That about covers it.

 

The only thing you left out, is what to do when your leg falls asleep and you can't stand.

 

That's easy, you fall down when you try to stand up... [wink] :)

 

Just hope your guitar is in a stand and you fall the opposite direction, too! [lol]

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  • 3 weeks later...

Can someone please tell me what the difference is between these 2 specific models, tonally.

 

I want to custom order but can't decide on a model. I own a 335 and a LP traditional pro.

 

- The LP is a bit uncomfortable for me when sitting down, I have to keep hold of the neck to stop the back end slipping off my leg.

- The ES 335 is comfortable and light, I find it more fun to play and very easy to switch between any style.

 

I haven't played the CS 356 but I seem drawn to it, but I doubt I will have the opportunity to ever try one out before buying.

 

I love my 356. Very tonally complex guitar. Depending on the amp/settings, it can sound brassy like a trumpet, a woody honk, or a very nice clean sound. They are light: mine is under 7#. My Les Paul is over 9# and my Strat is around 13# so sometimes lighter is better. I prefer sitting down but never really noticed issues with my LP being uncomfortable.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Both are great Guitars. The ES335 is the more conventional & probably easier to resell if need be.

 

I recently played a new ES Les Paul & really liked it a lot. It was beautiful to look at & it played & sounded equally good. Also very light weight. If it would have had a Bigsby I'd have taken it home.

 

If you like smaller bodied Guitars check one out.

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