ES 175 / ES 335 differences

[pmgnut]

Hi, I need to get somewhat educated on a couple of ES series models.I know that the ES-175 has been around since the late 1940's. In bewteen then I'm sure there are more desireable years, made in USA or other countries, changes, etc, and what kind of quality are the newer one's made today.Do they still put the PAF pickups on today's 175's?

 

Also wondering what the differences are between the ES-175 and the ES-335

 

I have this crazy thought of selling my two current guitars and I'll be that much closer to potentially getting my hands on my dream guitar { ES 175 }, although i would like to know about the 335 as well. That said, being a huge Pat Metheny fan, my other choices would be an Ibanaez PM 120.Now just have to figure out how they all stack up to one another.

[glennc]

Hi, I need to get somewhat educated on a couple of ES series models.I know that the ES-175 has been around since the late 1940's. In bewteen then I'm sure there are more desireable years, made in USA or other countries, changes, etc, and what kind of quality are the newer one's made today.Do they still put the PAF pickups on today's 175's?

 

Also wondering what the differences are between the ES-175 and the ES-335

 

I have this crazy thought of selling my two current guitars and I'll be that much closer to potentially getting my hands on my dream guitar { ES 175 }, although i would like to know about the 335 as well. That said, being a huge Pat Metheny fan, my other choices would be an Ibanaez PM 120.Now just have to figure out how they all stack up to one another.

 

Hello pmgnut,

I'll start you off with some easy differences and let the experts fill the specific. The ES-175 is a hollow body guitar something like three inches thick. Most modern ones come with Gibson Humbucking Pickups, mine if not all have 57 Classic pickups. The bridge of the guitar is just resting on the front of the guitar and not attached, very acoustic sounding and jazzy blues. Due to it being a single cut guitar, getting to the lower registers is more difficult. An ES-335 is a Semi-Hollow body guitar. It is hollow with a block of wood running down the center inside of the body where the pickups and attached bridge and stop are attached. Less acoustic sounding but more than a solid wood body guitar. It is double cut and only a little over 1 1/2 inches thick. This allows you to get your whole hand down to the lower registers more readily. ES-335's come with the Gibson Humbucking pickups. They also basically come with two type neck styles, a thicker neck like the guitars from the 50's and a slim neck like the guitars from the 60's. Eric Clapton used a 335 at times. So you can rock and blues and IMHO due some jazz sound. I believe that one is and expedient to the problems of hollow body guitars in production time and costs. Personally, get both. Hope I didn't pass any inaccurate info and it helps until the gurus get here.

glennc

[Versatile]

Just to add 0.02 to the previous excellent resume

The 175 is a real classic ubiquitous jazz hollow guitar with many famous players including I believe Pat Metheny

The 335 is more 'versatile' and moves between jazz/country/blues/rock and is easier to overdrive

Take care with the Ibanez choice...I recently sold a similar guitar which to me was a disappointment

Maybe check out the ES 330 too...a full hollow with similar dimensions to the 335 and with P90's...a great characterful guitar

With it's Epi Casino similarities moves well from jazz/blues (Grant Green, Andy Summers, BB King) through to Beatles, Paul Weller and many more

 

[Robin Nahum]

Hi pmgnut

 

The 335 design brief was for a guitar that would have a woodier archtop tone but not be prone to feedback at the higher volume levels that were being increasingly used by the late 50s. This is the reason for the block down the middle. The ability to handle feedback is a key differentiator between the two instruments. Some people tape over the 175 f-holes to reduce feedback.

 

Not sure what Pat plays at the moment but in footage from the early 80s, he is using a humbucker-equipped 175 with the bridge pickup removed. I guess you could also buy a two pickup 175 and do this if you are playing jazz and feel strongly that the bridge pickup is unnecessary. Alternatively you can look for a single pickup 175 (which was renamed the ES165 in the early 90s). Sometimes the ES165 was called the Herb Ellis model. Be aware though that around 2000, Gibson issued a Herb Ellis model - a 175 body with a floating minibucker.

 

Gibson 175s (and 165s/HEs) and 335s are all made in the US. Current Epiphone versions generally not.

 

Current models are fitted with 57 Classic humbuckers that are supposed to recreate the sound of the PAFs. I'm not so sure. Early 175s came with one or two P90s.

 

I use a 345 for jazz. This is a sibling model of the 335. With flatwounds and nice pickups, it sounds just fine to me and is more comfortable than a 3" body. I also prefer the look. Archtop purists (as opposed to jazz players) won't have any of this but it is a matter of what floats your boat. I'm sure Pat would be of like mind.

 

Don't buy without trying. Each guitar (even examples of the same model) has its own personality. There are good new instruments and not so good new instruments. And there are good old instruments and not so good old instruments. If it is old, suggest you have a luthier check it out before you part with your dough.

 

Finally, note that both guitars are made of laminate (plywood). More expensive archtops have carved tops. The current L4 is the carved top version of the 175. There is also a more elaborately appointed (but still laminate) version of the 175 called the 775. These are not common.

 

RN