Gibson ES 335 or ES 339 question thx!

[PlayerSTill]

Ill be purchasing one of these and love the sound of the ES 335, but its so big so I was thinking of getting an ES 339, and was wondering since i cant play them as no-one has them

Is the neck exact same as an ES 335? Love that neck , radius, nut width, neck shape etc on the es 335

The pickups I think are  different so sound would also be?

Is it very different in sound?

These are the 2 Im looking at:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ES35F00SCNH--gibson-es-335-figured-sixties-cherry

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ES39F00SCNH--gibson-es-339-figured-sixties-cherry

 

Thanks in advance, really appreciate it!

[bobouz]

Can’t really say without playing them both, but most likely there will be notable differences in tone between the two models due to body size - and neck profiles can be a moving target from year to year & model to model, so that also is a tough question to answer.

Perhaps you can pick the brain of someone at Sweetwater if they’re willing to do an in-hand demo of both instruments for you.

Best of luck in finding one that’s satisfying!

[badbluesplayer]

I had a 339 and I have a 335.  Those two particular guitars have roughly the same size neck.  "Rounded C."  The 335 has more bottom end and isn't quite as snappy as the 339.  339 has a little more top end.  They both have that plywood sound at high volume.

[PlayerSTill]

1 hour ago, bobouz said:

Can’t really say without playing them both, but most likely there will be notable differences in tone between the two models due to body size - and neck profiles can be a moving target from year to year & model to model, so that also is a tough question to answer.

Perhaps you can pick the brain of someone at Sweetwater if they’re willing to do an in-hand demo of both instruments for you.

Best of luck in finding one that’s satisfying!

Thank you

 

1 hour ago, bobouz said:

Can’t really say without playing them both, but most likely there will be notable differences in tone between the two models due to body size - and neck profiles can be a moving target from year to year & model to model, so that also is a tough question to answer.

Perhaps you can pick the brain of someone at Sweetwater if they’re willing to do an in-hand demo of both instruments for you.

Best of luck in finding one that’s satisfying!

Thank you

[bobouz]

57 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

I had a 339 and I have a 335.  Those two particular guitars have roughly the same size neck.  "Rounded C."  The 335 has more bottom end and isn't quite as snappy as the 339.  339 has a little more top end.  They both have that plywood sound at high volume.

 

That’s the thing BBP, it all depends on the year & version.   I too own a 339 (2009), a 335 (2011), and previously owned another 335 (2006).  All the necks are vastly different, and back when I bought the 339, there were two neck profiles to choose from.  It can be quite a moving target!

Edited December 31, 2020 by bobouz

[PlayerSTill]

57 minutes ago, badbluesplayer said:

I had a 339 and I have a 335.  Those two particular guitars have roughly the same size neck.  "Rounded C."  The 335 has more bottom end and isn't quite as snappy as the 339.  339 has a little more top end.  They both have that plywood sound at high volume.

Thanks so much

[bobouz]

4 minutes ago, bobouz said:

That’s the thing BBP, it all depends on the year & version.   I too own a 339 (2009), a 335 (2011), and previously owned another 335 (2006).  All the necks are vastly different, and back when I bought the 339, there were two neck profiles to choose from.  It can be quite a moving target!

 

A note about this comment I just made above:  Given that you are looking at brand new versions of the 335 & 339, I would expect to find rather similar neck profiles available. But there is no substitute for an in-hand assessment, and that’s where the Sweetwater rep could be super helpful.  They seem to have a good reputation for assisting their customers, so it would be worth seeing what they can do for you.

[badbluesplayer]

16 hours ago, bobouz said:

 

That’s the thing BBP, it all depends on the year & version.   I too own a 339 (2009), a 335 (2011), and previously owned another 335 (2006).  All the necks are vastly different, and back when I bought the 339, there were two neck profiles to choose from.  It can be quite a moving target!

Yup.  My 339 was a "30/60" neck (or 60/30?), not the 59 neck.  I forgot about the big necked 339's!  They were pretty popular!  What I should have said is the  60/30 neck on my 339 was like the neck on my 2011 335. 

[Larsongs]

They change specs quite a lot these days.. Especially Pickups, Necks, Frets... The guys at Sweetwater are pretty helpful & go the extra mile when it comes customer service.. If you don't have a Rep ask for a Guitar savvy Rep...

[GeneB]

I have a built in March 2020 Nashville ES 339 in (not a typo) wine red as opposed to cherry.   The neck is rounded C and basically feels the same as my LP Traditional.   It's the only 2020 ES anything I've seen selling new here in Tampa.  

[Wmachine]

My take is not well received by 339 lovers, but to me the 339 is  compromised 335.  All the accolades given to 339s revolve around them being smaller and more desirable for that reason only.  I don't see any serious or pro players using them, though I'm sure there must be some.  I've actually heard some say that because they are shorter themselves, they looks silly playing that large 335.  Huh?  Are they a players or posers?  Tommy Shaw doesn't have any problems playing one. 

If you want a 335, get a 335.  To me, a 335 and an LP have just enough overlap that there is no ground covered by any other model in between not already covered.  Not by an ES-339, ES-125, ES-235, or ES-LP.    Those models were created by Gibson marketing to sell guitars.  Not to fill an otherwise unfilled niche. 

[Semi]

On 2/20/2021 at 11:24 AM, Wmachine said:

To me, a 335 and an LP have just enough overlap that there is no ground covered by any other model in between not already covered.

I concur. I got my first 335 and then chose a 339 to get closer to an LP, which it does due to slightly hotter pickups, but I prefer the 335 and can get pretty close with the right pedals. 

[Larsongs]

I love my 335... If I were to get one of the small Bodies I’d prefer the ES390 with P90’s & I’d put a B-7 Bigsby on it..... Very cool Guitar & completely different Sound than an ES335...

[Kareen Lippinco]

where can I find it

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 2/20/2021 at 11:24 AM, Wmachine said:

I met that dude. He was so damn cool. He chatted with me for about a half an hour.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Sgt. Pepper

[Mr. Natural]

On 12/31/2020 at 3:59 PM, bobouz said:

 

... that’s where the Sweetwater rep could be super helpful.  They seem to have a good reputation for assisting their customers, so it would be worth seeing what they can do for you.

Ditto on the Sweetwater comment.  They are exceptional.

[bobouz]

On 3/1/2021 at 10:37 AM, Kareen Lippinco said:

where can I find it

If you’re talking about the ES-390, you’d have to find one used.  They were made in Memphis around 2014-2015.  Identical in size to a 339 - but fully hollow, trapeze tailpiece, & P-90s.  A later version swapped out the P-90s for mini-humbuckers.

[Larsongs]

8 hours ago, bobouz said:

If you’re talking about the ES-390, you’d have to find one used.  They were made in Memphis around 2014-2015.  Identical in size to a 339 - but fully hollow, trapeze tailpiece, & P-90s.  A later version swapped out the P-90s for mini-humbuckers.

And they’re pretty scarce... Like the recent discontinued ES Les Paul Goldtop VOS with P90’s & Bigsby.. Amazing Guitar & weighs 7 1/2 lbs... Ideal for us older dudes who no longer want to Sling 10 lb + Guitars....

Edited March 6, 2021 by Larsongs

[eldorado2001]

On 12/31/2020 at 2:48 PM, badbluesplayer said:

I had a 339 and I have a 335.  Those two particular guitars have roughly the same size neck.  "Rounded C."  The 335 has more bottom end and isn't quite as snappy as the 339.  339 has a little more top end.  They both have that plywood sound at high volume.

Totally agree, I also have both, and would have said the same as you did.

[joebloggs]

I also owned both, and still have the 335. Agree with others here...the 335 is a better guitar.

[Larry Mal]

I had a 339 in my possession for a bit, my friend wanted to sell it to me so I auditioned it for a few weeks. I couldn't get along with it at all. I found it totally uninspiring. 

Now, anyone else might feel differently, of course, but I will echo what I read here, the only reason for a 339 that I can see is that it's physically smaller than the 335 classic shape. It doesn't bring anything sonically to the table. I never did an A/B test, but I feel that the 339 doesn't really bring anything new to the table. 

[Rabs]

On 4/24/2021 at 5:09 PM, Larry Mal said:

I had a 339 in my possession for a bit, my friend wanted to sell it to me so I auditioned it for a few weeks. I couldn't get along with it at all. I found it totally uninspiring. 

Now, anyone else might feel differently, of course, but I will echo what I read here, the only reason for a 339 that I can see is that it's physically smaller than the 335 classic shape. It doesn't bring anything sonically to the table. I never did an A/B test, but I feel that the 339 doesn't really bring anything new to the table. 

Thats why you want a 336  🙂 

[merciful-evans]

On 4/24/2021 at 5:09 PM, Larry Mal said:

Now, anyone else might feel differently, of course, but I will echo what I read here, the only reason for a 339 that I can see is that it's physically smaller than the 335 classic shape. It doesn't bring anything sonically to the table. I never did an A/B test, but I feel that the 339 doesn't really bring anything new to the table. 

So might this thinking also apply to the 390 being pointless, because we already had the 330?

[Larsongs]

335... Forget the others.. You’ll be glad you did...

[Larry Mal]

On 5/3/2021 at 12:37 PM, merciful-evans said:

So might this thinking also apply to the 390 being pointless, because we already had the 330?

I didn't even know that existed... but yeah, I don't know. I have a 330, also. 

Fact is I love the ES body, so making it smaller doesn't really do anything for me. I guess if I felt I needed or wanted a smaller body shape for whatever reason I would feel differently. 

But since I don't, I don't. 

Like I said above, it's just the same guitar only in a smaller form factor. I don't see that it brings much of anything else to the table, and I have very serious doubts that they sound different in any real way. 

So the decision really would be do you think that the smaller or larger guitar will be more comfortable? And that's nothing that anyone on the internet could answer for anyone else. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Larry Mal