Ignatius Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Hi all-- I posted a similar question in the semi- and hollowbody forum, but seeing this folder, I thought I should post here as well. I recently had a chance to play a CS-336 and a CS-356 at a local shop. I only heard them unplugged but was impressed with the feel of the instruments and the resonance of the body even when unplugged. These seem like very nice guitars. Could anyone offer any thoughts/impressions on these guitars, especially those of you who have also played an ES-335 and/or the new ES-339? I also saw a used 336 available online recently that was finished in a color called "ice tea." From the pictures it looked like a very nice color. Has anyone seen this color in person, and how hard is it to purchase a custom color through a local retailer? Any answers you can offer are much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I have played the the 336 and an old 335 and nothing sounds like that 335. It melted in my hands It was a friend of mines and it felt like I had played it for 30 years. It was a ES-335 TDC he said it was a 68 in Cherry. The 336 I played was a very nice guitar but its just not a 335. Good Luck I could only afford a Casino Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted December 31, 2007 Author Share Posted December 31, 2007 Hey Mark-- You know, I had the exact same feeling when I last played an ES-335: just like a great pair of old jeans or a favorite shirt. All the same, I want to make sure I am saving for the right instrument so even though it felt very good playing a 335, I want to try out a lot of other guitars to be sure. I had a very good vibe from the 336 but not the same vibe by a long shot. As you said, there is something magical about the sound of a 335. I can't afford either a 335 or a 336 right now, but I think a year of hard saving and hard practicing will help me know the right guitar when I feel it and play it. In the meantime, I want to keep learning about what is available out there. Thanks for offering your thoughts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slag Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Hi everybody!! I have a CS-356 with a bigsby. This is truly the jewel of my collection. That is not to say it didn't take some getting used to. The size was a bit odd at first for me. Nevertheless, the ebony fretboard blew me away!!!! The first song I played was a country ditty called "Rose of Cimerron". My version carries a great deal of slide style. My wife said it sounded as if "gold were coming from my fingers". Of course I gave her $20 for the compliment. Incidentally, I am not a country kind of guitarist I needed to get out of my comfort zone to truly test my chops with this guitar. I have a couple of beautiful Ovations and a Fender AM Deluxe FMT that are truly sweet to play do not match the comfort and majesty of my CS-356. Enough talk ... I think I will go play!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted January 4, 2008 Author Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thanks, Slag. It is great to hear the report. I know that my wife said I was grinning from ear to ear while playing the CS-356 in the shop, and that is unusual when I am trying out guitars. I actually liked how the body felt from the start, but then again, my main guitar these days is a full-depth ES-125 so everything else electric tends to feel small, even an ES-335. The CS-356 felt like a very well-constructed, compact thing of beauty, even if it didn't have quite the comfort level of the 335 I tried earlier that day. "Majesty"? Wow, now that is a great compliment to a guitar! I have to get back out to the shop and try that guitar again--and probably start saving money a lot more quickly than I have been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hand Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 played both, non amplified. liked the tone. thought the frets were a little too small toward the bridge. i have the johnny a tho and feel this is a bit better to my ears, feel. would love to own a 356 however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayville Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 My 2003 CS-356 has been my number one guitar for more than four years now. For me, it just has the perfect combination of attributes. I love the size, shape, weight and warm woody tone of it. For me, it's sound gets as close as I need to be on either end of the 335-LP scale, with even a little Tele-like spank available on the bridge pickup. Anything from a jazzy warmth to a rocking lead tone is in it. With a range that wide, it's extremely useful for recording and is in some ways a sort of Swiss Army Knife instrument. It's a jack of all trades, but a master of all of them to me. But that said... some percentage of a 335's range (or an LP's) -- even a very high percentage -- doesn't get you 100% of the way there. I haven't had the opportunity to try a 339 yet, but in considering either the 336, 356 or 339 remember that the 339 shares the construction method of the 335 (solid center block sandwiched with ply) while the 336/356 is routed out of a solid slab of mahogany (for the back and rims, leaving a center block that's part of the same piece of wood) then capped with maple and 'carved' like an LP. All three share the same size, and seem to weigh about the same, but the construction difference may create a significant sound difference too. Then there's the rosewood vs. ebony fingerboard (some say ebony is brighter sounding) and a different wiring circuit for the 339... and the natural variance from one example to the next. For what it's worth, my CS-356 sounds like this (or at least I do). If you sample a few, you'll get a sense of the guitar's versatility (if not my own): http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=clayville&content=station&id=223140 For completeness: the Johnny A. model is also similar to the 336/356 in size, construction and appointments, though if I recall correctly the back inside is flat rather than curved like the 336/356. The shape, though similarly small, is quite different. Significantly, the Johnny A. uses a "Fender-style" scale length rather than the traditional Gibson one which creates a different playing experience and feel too. Happy hunting. I'd try hard to find and play as many examples of each as you can while saving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 Hey Clayville-- Is that 356 of yours also in the elusive "ice(d) tea" color that I have seen in other shots? That is one beautiful guitar--very rich colors. And wow, kudos to your playing on the links. That is some fine guitar; after hearing you, I know I need to wait to buy such a good guitar until I am good enough to play it! That truly is a versatile guitar (and player!), and I see what you mean: it gets very close to the 335 sound, but it isn't quite it. What it does instead is sounds like a beautiful hybrid of the Les Paul and the 335. Thanks for the thoughts on the guitar, and thanks again for the links. I will be listening to more of your work in the coming days. There is some great stuff to explore there--and to learn from! Ignatius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayville Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Thanks for the compliments -- glad the link was useful in some way. My CS-356 is from a special run done for a dealer in 2003 and has a few non-standard cosmetics. First of all, it's a quilted maple top. The color was officially spec'd as "Heritage Darkburst". There's a significant amount of dark almost wine red toward the edges rather than, say, brown or black. Everything else about it is "stock". Though they may exist, I've never actually seen either a 336 or 356 in Iced Tea. I believe the standard colors were (and may be still) Faded Cherry, Antique Natural and Vintage Sunburst with some Tangerine Bursts done for the 336. I've also seen black, red plaintops and a few oddballs like Iguana Burst and a different, darker green. There's a 339 color that is similar to Larry Carlton's signature model too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ES345 Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Clayville does have a beautiful 356, probably one of a kind. The 356/336 is a great design, it is comfortable to play and has a beautiful full tone. This is my 2003 356. peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayville Posted January 19, 2008 Share Posted January 19, 2008 Thanks! It's actually "three of a kind" as far as I know. It was part of the Stinger series done for Music Machine in 2003 (the back of the headstock has an L-5 style black "stinger", and there's a second serial number identifier). There were a total of three spec'd as Quilted Heritage Darkburst (and a few with different specs). I do remember seeing photos of two of them when I was shopping, but not the third. Haven't seen them (or any like them) crop up since then, but they may well be out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayville Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Here's another shot of mine in natural light, pretty close to the actual color (sorry for the reflections!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeker Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 That's a very beautiful guitar!! I wish I owned that same color. I wonder where I can get one. Can I have that ordered thru Custom Shop by one of the dealers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevorroberts Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I'm glad I found this topic! I'm a very very proud owner of a CS-356 in Ebony (black) with a Bigsby. From the moment I saw it hanging on the wall @ my local guitar store I was in love, and even more so when I played it for the first time. Heck - The more I play it, the more I know I can never play any another electric guitar without comparing it to my CS-356! Now here's my question, and I'm really hoping for an answer. I've seen on the Gibson site that this guitar is available in red, natural, flame/antique burst finishes though I have NOT been able to find a mention/photo/anything of it in an Ebony (black) finish except for on the musicians friend website, - DOES ANYBODY OWN OR KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT OWNS THIS GUITAR IN EBONY???? I know for certain that this guitar is a genuine Gibson and not a knock off (I checked with Gibson). The reason I'm asking is because I would love to have an idea of how many were made in an Ebony (black) finish.. GIBSON THEMSELVES (at least the customer service department) can't even tell me! If anybody has any answers or ideas on whom I could contact specifically to get my answer, It would mean the world to me! Cheers, - Trevor Roberts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhair Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I just bought several days ago a CS-355 Black Ebony W/ gold trim and gold Bigsby 2009 model. On the paper work it states ES55AEB-BG1, Serial # 00709726. The most beautiful guitar I've ever looked at or played. If you can post a picture I'll try to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevorroberts Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 LOVE YOUR PICTURE BTW NEWBIE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Love my 336! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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