ES-333

[littlekenny]

Hey guys, a couple questions: Are the ES-333's discontinued? if there not, anyone know where to get one?

 

thanks

[Ignatius]

Hey guys' date=' a couple questions: Are the ES-333's discontinued? if there not, anyone know where to get one?

 

thanks[/quote']

Hey littlekenny--

 

Yes, the ES-333 has been discontinued. It was only made, if I am remembering correctly, from 2003-2005. It was a great bargain in its day--basically, a modified, satin-finish ES-335 for $800. I think the latter is the reason Gibson dropped it: from what I can tell, it was a popular guitar, but its sales were eating into the 335 sales. It "reappeared" as the satin-finish ES-335, which has Classic '57s pickups (rather than the 490/498s that were in the 333).

 

The ES-335 has some upgrades (a real, hardshell case comes with it, and it features an actual inlaid logo on the headstock) over the 333 (gigbag and silk-screened logo) and some downgrades: the 333 had a bound fretboard, and it featured the access panel on the back that allowed easy access for electronics work, something that is difficult on semi-hollow and hollowbody guitars; the 335 has neither.

 

If you can find them used, be careful of the prices. They used to go cheap--under a grand. Of late, they are getting close to $1500 or more in some places. If you play your cards right, you can get a brand-new satin finish ES-335 for just a couple hundred more. Also, don't accept the "NOS/New Old Stock" claim. Yes, some dealers still have 333s that they never sold so these are "technically" new, but then they are models that have been sitting on the showroom floor for at least three or four years and were brought into the store at the $800 price point. There is a guy advertising on gbase trying to sell "new" ES-333s for $1400-1600. That is called a rip-off artist: he paid a lot less for them several years ago and couldn't sell them then, and now he expects us to pay him more for his poor sales abilities.

 

Ignatius

[littlekenny]

thanks, ignatius. i'll keep an eye on ebay, craigslist etc. Does anyone here have one and want to share some words about it?

[Ignatius]

thanks' date=' ignatius. i'll keep an eye on ebay, craigslist etc. Does anyone here have one and want to share some words about it?[/quote']

Here's a start, right from the first page of this very forum: ES-333 Owners/Players, Speak Up! (click on the title to be taken there) You'll see that a certain blabbermouth named Ignatius asked just the sorts of questions that you're asking above.

 

I'd also run a search of the forum. The ES-333 has come up in several places. The search will be tricky, though, because one of our regular posters also has 333 in his screen-name so you might get some static in your search.

 

Ignatius

[littlekenny]

cool, thanks a lot for your help ignatius

[Red 333]

Hey guys' date=' a couple questions: Are the ES-333's discontinued? if there not, anyone know where to get one?

 

thanks[/quote']

 

Epiphone now sells a Tom DeLonge ES 333 fro $499, with a single Gibson Dirty Fingers pick up. That might be a nice alternative. What attracts you to the ES 333, the price? If you can get a good one in relatively new shape for $800-$1000, go for it. If someone wants more, think hard about a new Epiphone Elitist ES 335 Dot for only $1299.

 

Red 333

[littlekenny]

Mostly the price, but also that all the Gibson semi hollows that ive played were fantastic. I'll take a look at those epi's, thanks