Is there such a beast as a ES345 without the Vari-Tone Switch

[MulliganAl 1]

I ask because I see one on the Sweetwater site but wonder since it has all the appointments of a ES345 but no switch.

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ES45F6415SCGH/sn52026

[powerwagonjohn 5]

Apparently, but what's the point? A ES-335 with different inlays?

Thanks John

[Jayyj 10]

I can understand it: the 355 sells well in the mono configuration and lots of people prefer rosewood to ebony, so it figures there might be a small market for people who want a flashier 335 without the ebony board.

 

In fact, since 355s currently have Richlite boards, given how much unhappiness there is over Richlite on posher guitars there's probably a few customers who would pick this mono 345 over a Richlite 355 for that reason as well.

 

This is the first run of 345s I can remember seeing without the varitone dial - perhaps a special run ordered by Sweetwater?

[MulliganAl 1]

I can understand it: the 355 sells well in the mono configuration and lots of people prefer rosewood to ebony, so it figures there might be a small market for people who want a flashier 335 without the ebony board.

 

In fact, since 355s currently have Richlite boards, given how much unhappiness there is over Richlite on posher guitars there's probably a few customers who would pick this mono 345 over a Richlite 355 for that reason as well.

 

This is the first run of 345s I can remember seeing without the varitone dial - perhaps a special run ordered by Sweetwater?

 

I asked the folks at Sweetwater and they didn't seem to know either.

[kaicho8888 33]

Geeze, another slight variation trying appeal to some possible market.

 

I suppose manufacturers have to come up with new or modified products to survive yearly... and also help you lighten your wallets.

[MulliganAl 1]

Geeze, another slight variation trying appeal to some possible market.

 

I suppose manufacturers have to come up with new or modified products to survive yearly... and also help you lighten your wallets.

 

 

 

Well, my rep with Sweetwater will let me have it for just over $3,000 but I need to make a decision by the end of the work day in order to get the 36 months free financing. Decisions decisions the pressure is on. The only problems I have is if I ever want to sell it how the hell would I describe it and who would buy it? Would I just be better off with a standard ES345 at the same price?

[SteveFord 399]

Nah, save your money.

[powerwagonjohn 5]

The varitone is the reason I bought a ES-345.That and the good deal I got from Trent at Professional Music in IA !

Thanks John

[capmaster 79]

The varitone is the reason I bought a ES-345.That and the good deal I got from Trent at Professional Music in IA !

Thanks John

ES-345 means including Varitone switch to me, too.

[Pin 86]

ES-345 means including Varitone switch to me, too.

 

Quite.

 

An ES345 without a Varitone is a walk-on-by for me.

[TOMAS POBLADOR 0]

In Chicago music exchange there is a great offer : 2600$ for a 345 without the varotine , is a 335 with different inlays in the freatboard that's it

[WildBillMojo 1]

The Varitone is a wonderfull thing used correctly IMHO. BB King and Freddy King seemed to like it too.......

[Twang Gang 328]

In Chicago music exchange there is a great offer : 2600$ for a 345 without the varotine , is a 335 with different inlays in the freatboard that's it

 

and Gold hardware which you don't see very often on 335s unless it's a Custom Shop model, and that would probably be more expensive. No longer available through Sweetwater, so they must have sold what they had to someone.

[gnappi 42]

If you want a 345 without VT, it's likely because of the fret markers, then a Eastman T-486 will do that at 1/2 (or less) the price :-) The 345 is thankfully what it is and hasn't changed unlike the model of the week some of the Gibson line.

 

 

 

 

[TK LP 0]

 

  This one came from Chicago Music Supply.  All the goodness of a 335 with the added bling of the 345. Personally, I like the gold hardware, split parallelograms, and triple ply top binding.

[thornev 9]

Funny. The Sweetwater ad makes it sound like it's a recreation of a vintage 345. It is nothing like it. 2 different pickups? No varitone? Light-weight tailpiece? No wonder the guitar is no longer available. False advertising if you ask me. I have a 1962 ES345 and I absolutely love it. It plays itself.  Thorne

[powerwagonjohn 5]

 Beautiful guitar TK LP, enjoy.  If it plays half as good as it looks you will be happy with it.

 Thanks John

[Larsongs 182]

Blinged up 335's have been around for a long time.. What's the big deal?

I've owned a Vintage Gibson 1959 ES345 Stereo with PAF's & it was an amazing Guitar.. The Varitone was not a problem. It's one of two of about 100 Guitars over my lifetime I wished I'd kept.

[Wmachine 85]

On 11/11/2019 at 9:08 AM, thornev said:

Funny. The Sweetwater ad makes it sound like it's a recreation of a vintage 345. It is nothing like it. 2 different pickups? No varitone? Light-weight tailpiece? No wonder the guitar is no longer available. False advertising if you ask me. I have a 1962 ES345 and I absolutely love it. It plays itself.  Thorne

Sorry, but it is indeed a "recreation", specifically called a reissue.  Back then they could be had w/o varitone, and the MHS pups are the reissue pups Gibson uses.  Not to mention all the other reissue-only specs.  So it it hardly false advertising and it is no longer available because it is a 2015 model.  I have a '64 ES-345 reissue with varitone and a Maestro (my avitar), and I love it, too.  But that doesn't make this one an imposter.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Wmachine

[Larsongs 182]

2 hours ago, Wmachine said:

Sorry, but it is indeed a "recreation", specifically called a reissue.  Back then they could be had w/o varitone, and the MHS pups are the reissue pups Gibson uses.  Not to mention all the other reissue-only specs.  So it it hardly false advertising and it is no longer available because it is a 2015 model.  I have a '64 ES-345 reissue with varitone and a Maestro (my avitar), and I love it, too.  But that doesn't make this one an imposter.

I owned a real Vintage 1959 ES345 Stereo with PAF's & Varitone.. Wish I still had it.

I'm not familiar with real Vintage ES345's that didn't have Varitone.. When was that? Thanks..

[TK LP 0]

9 minutes ago, TK LP said:

I was responding to the original post. I don’t know of any previous 345s that did not have Varitone, but in 2015, Gibson made them.  And they say they made 50 of them.  I don’t read anything that calls it a reissue, or a Historic,  but they call it a 1964.

http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Memphis/1964-ES-345TDC-No-Varitone.aspx

like them, don’t like them, whatever, but yes, they did make such a beast. It’s not vintage, but it’s a real 345.

 

[Larsongs 182]

5 minutes ago, TK LP said:

I was responding to the original post. I don’t know of any previous 345s that did not have Varitone, but in 2015, Gibson made them.  And they say they made 50 of them.  I don’t read anything the calls it a reissue, or a Historic,  but they call it a 1964.

http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Memphis/1964-ES-345TDC-No-Varitone.aspx

like them, don’t like them, whatever, but yes, they did make such a beast. It’s not vintage, but it’s a real 345.

It says, "Interesting twist on a Classic".  

I'm pretty familiar with ES345's & don't recall one without a Varitone from the 50's or 60's... From the 70's on they were pretty much based on the Originals but Reissues & IMO never equalled the Sound.... Still don't even with MHS. Although the MHS in my Memphis ES335 are the closest I've heard to my 59 ES345..

Now Poetic license is very much the standard for most, not all, Reissues...