Help me pick my new guitar

[Big Arm]

I really want a semi-hollow body guitar. My hand size is probably average, certainly not large by any means. I have just under $4000 to work with. I am most interested in blues music. I am considering the following guitars:

CS 356

ES 359 AAA Flame Maple top

CS 336

ES 339

BB King Lucille

ES 335

Custom shop limited run ES 335 with bigsby

Johhny A

 

What can you tell me about any of these or any others you might reccommend. Can't decide on the bigsby. It just seems that it may make it more versatile, but then maybe it is harder to string.

[lpdeluxe]

I'd go with the 335 and Bigsby. I played a '63 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gent as my main guitar from '82 to '97, and I love Bigsbys. They are no more difficult to string than many other tail pieces, but they can be hard to keep in tune until you get used to their quirks. They don't like slinky strings: I used at least .011s on the CA. Another thing to keep in mind is that, every time you tune one string up, you are detuning the others since the rotating bar the strings attach to turns, so it takes a few times back and forth to get all the strings right. I got used to mine pretty quickly, and went for years after without tuning problems.

[Big Arm]

Thanks for the quick reply. How big is the neck on the 335? The 356 can also be had with the Bigsby, but at a cost of $3900 which is about $100 more than I have. It is very beautiful though and I could probably swing it. The 335 is not as fancy. Dots on the neck and painted wood (white, light blue and black), but it is only $3500.

[djroge1]

I'd go with a ES-335 without the Bigsby. That's a personal preference as I don't use a bar that much. You can find a plain top, cherry, black, or sunburst for around $2750. at Sweetwater music or the next step up for $3150.

 

Personally, if I had the money I would get the Larry Carlton signiture model ES-335 for $3750.

 

The necks on a 335 will fit most hands. I used to think they were too small actually, but now I like their size.

 

I'm not sure abou the other models, but you will not be dissapointed with a 335; there is a reason why they have been around for such a long time - like since the 50's.

[Robin Nahum]

I really want a semi-hollow body guitar. My hand size is probably average' date=' certainly not large by any means. I have just under $4000 to work with. I am most interested in blues music. I am considering the following guitars:

CS 356

ES 359 AAA Flame Maple top

CS 336

ES 339

BB King Lucille

ES 335

Custom shop limited run ES 335 with bigsby

Johhny A

 

What can you tell me about any of these or any others you might reccommend. Can't decide on the bigsby. It just seems that it may make it more versatile, but then maybe it is harder to string.[/quote']

 

You might want to add the ES345 to your list.

[Big Arm]

I looked up the Larry Carlton model and it said custom heavy neck profile. What does that mean? Is it wider or really heavier? Also, I checked out the ES 345. I see it has stereo and mono jacks and varitone knob. What exactly is that?

[djroge1]

I looked up the Larry Carlton model and it said custom heavy neck profile. What does that mean? Is it wider or really heavier? Also' date=' I checked out the ES 345. I see it has stereo and mono jacks and varitone knob. What exactly is that?[/quote']

 

The gibson web site shows the Larry Carlton model as having a 1960's slim taper neck.

 

Do you alread play guitar?

The best thing to do is try and find a music store to play and hear how some of these sound.

[Robin Nahum]

Also' date=' I checked out the ES 345. I see it has stereo and mono jacks and varitone knob. What exactly is that?[/quote']

 

The stereo output allows you to have a different signal chain for each pickup.

 

On newer models. the mono jack functions as a regular mono output if the second jack is not used. If you plug a lead into the second jack, it will pick up the signal from the bridge pickup and the mono jack will then only carry the output from the neck pickup.

 

On the older models, there was just a stereo output and much has been written about how you work with this if you are only using one amp.

 

The Varitone circuit is a set of resistor-capacitor combinations and coil that form a selectable notch filter. A notch filter attenuates frequencies above and below the selected frequency. The knob allows you to select the frequency, or bypass the Varitone circuit.

 

In short, a Varitone gives you a whole range of extra tones that are not available with just the standard tone circuit. I think the idea was to give the player something like a single coil tone without the need for coil-tapping. It certainly makes it easy to dial up those BB King scooped lead tones.

 

While 345s are very versatile guitars, secondhand they are usually a bit cheaper than 335s - mainly because many players regard the Varitone as not all that useful and the stereo output as a challenge, or because a previous owner has tried to 335-ise them and botched the job. Now that I think about it, I suspect that 345s may be the most abused of all electric guitars.

 

I am very happy with mine.

 

RN

[Guitarooster52]

You have to check them out live. I'd go with a straight ahead ES 335 ...maybe the Calton model as has already been suggested. You have to try before you buy.

[ES345]

For versatility, rock, blues and jazz, a 335 or 345, 355. I also have a BB King model, it has hotter pickups, really a little darker, but they work well with the varitone. Personally i would stay away from a bigsby on Gibson's, i guess a Chet model would work, i have one on a 356, looks cool but really dose not have the range to do much of anything other than very subtle affect.

 

I also have a Gretsch Brian Setzer signature model and that has the best bigsby i have ever played, great feel control and affect.

[JazzGtr]

335, StopBar!

 

Enough said!

[Big Arm]

JazzGtr,

 

Why a 335 over a 345 or 355?

[clayville]

My oft-told tale goes something like this:

 

I think of myself as primarily a blues player, but one who ventures into a lot of different territories. I have relatively short fingers and find big necks to be off-putting for me. I always wanted a 335... but every time I picked one up, the lower bout just seem huge to me... not a natural fit for maximum comfort, both physically and mentally. The rest of the story probably makes little sense for anyone who doesn't start with those misgivings, but I wanted the woody warmth, the middy sizzle without the size.

 

In '02 when the 336 came out I was intrigued and then smitten -- seemed like the perfect thing for me, but darn difficult to find locally. In '03 I took a chance and ordered up a 356 even though I'd never played one.

 

And I couldn't be happier. It instantly made all other high-end humbucker lust obsolete for me. It's a hugely versatile and comfortable guitar. It'll get all of the LP-like rock tones I ever need, and even a little Tele-like spank on the bridge pickup when played clean, but it really excels at the sort of classic blues tone I love best. Then again, some percentage of a 335's tone (even a very high one), or some percentage of an LP's tone (ditto) isn't the same as the original, just as no two of anything sound the same either. The 356 has it's own thing going on... but its a very good thing.

 

Sounds like this http://soundclick.com/share?songid=5793062

[Big Arm]

clayville,

 

The body size doesn't concern me, but the neck size does. I am mainly interested in the blues, so I want a real bluesy sound. I probably will play other things as well. The 356 has intriged me, but I want to have that sound. So it sounds as if it does that and in a smaller package.

[JazzGtr]

JazzGtr' date='

 

Why a 335 over a 345 or 355?[/quote']

 

The 335 is about as neutral of a guitar you can get for $3K. The 335 is one of the most versatile guitars out there, period. Adding the extra "Bling" of the 355 does not add to the 335's famous sound. I will admit that the 355 looks better than the 335. But is it worth it? The 345 is another variant of the 335 which was designed for the blues purists. Trying to get more 335 out of the 345 and 355 respectively becomes a point of diminishing returns .

 

Personally, if I could play the 335 size, I would had kept my limited addition antique red, blocked 335 with black bindings. Additionally, if I could own two, I would own the 335 and the 355. I would use the 335 for blues and rock using D'addario Nichels strings. And I would use the 355 for jazz using D'addario Chrome strings.

 

"The right guitar will only tell you what you need to hear".

[KSG_Standard]

Take a look at the Johnny A or the Inspired by Johnny A. Carved top and back, not laminated, w/57 classic pickups, with or without factory installed Bigsby. SWEET sounding and playing guitar and more rare than the 335/339.

[Big Arm]

I was looking at them, but didn't know anything about them. Can you get a nice bluesy sound out of them.

[KSG_Standard]

You can get any sound you want out of the Johnny A...It has the '57 classic pickups which are my personal favorite.

[Rick]

I'd go for the BB King Lucille

[thejay]

check out the 330s - I would get one of those

[Big Arm]

Thanks for the help. I made a choice, a good one I hope. I chose the ES-345 Reissue in Vintage Sunburst.

[ES345]

I may be a bit biased but you made a good choice. the guitar certainly will cover all the genres you are concerned with. I played R & R, blues and mostly jazz over the years and the 345 did it all without issue or short coming. Any of the 3X5 guitars would do the job. I happen to like the varitone, even tho i use about 20% of the time, it is a tool to give some other tone, and i know that most guitarists, me included, get inspired by sustain, tone, rhythms etc.. So it gives you another brush to use to paint the picture. Easy to access, if the volume drops off on certain positions i use a volume pedal to bring up the volume. Some say it chokes the tone and so forth, i have found that tone is so subjective that trying to use "it tastes like chicken or sounds like a tele to be less than totally descriptive. I experiment, change the tone on a verse, chorus or solo, believe me back in the day, there really wasn't anything called a backup guitar. I played 3 nights a week and only had my 345, an amp, a few tubes and strings. and never had the need for anything other than a string or tube. (and a few picks)

 

Anyway the 345 is reliable and versatile. Make sure the setup is good, if it is new it should be pleked at Gibson. Good luck with it, i am sure you will enjoy it, i am still enjoying mine after 46 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Robin Nahum]

I may be a bit biased but you made a good choice.

 

+1!!

 

 

And what's the plan for the amp?

[Big Arm]

Thanks for the encouragement as this is a big expenditure for me. As far as the amp, for now I will be using my Crate 33 watt tube V series head and a Crate 2x12 cabinet. Maybe when I get well from this I can look at other amps. I think I need to play with the guitar awhile. And, yes it is new.

[Robin Nahum]

Very preliminary possibilities in market research.... early silverface Fender Pro Reverb - the version with the GZ34 tube rectifier and no master volume. Cheaper than the Vibrolux and Deluxe of the same period, and a bit more manageable than the Super Reverb, and lovely big warm tone.