Love hate relationships

[Tim Plains]

Anybody else have a love hate relationship with their ES? I do with my 335.

I LOVE the way it sounds and plays and it seems to get better with each passing day, but for some reason I've put it up for sale a few times, cash only. I had it up on craigslist recently and got a few trade offers, mainly Les Pauls, but I said no to all.

 

Well, last week I took my ad down (again) and decided to keep it...for good! She'll be with me for life.

Love hate relationships don't come around too often...

[Dynadude]

I know what you mean about ES type guitars. In my case, it's just that the difference in tone is not what I really expect. I fumble around with different amp settings until I get tired of them, then decide I'd rather have a solid body and sell or trade.

 

I've had at least 4 different brands of ES types, but never have had a Gibson. My Epi is about as close as I've had.

 

I have found that If I use the Epi to play more of the blues and clean tone music, I can better appreciate the guitar. I plan to keep this one until a reasonably priced Gibson comes along. I know that if I let it go, I will just end up buying another when the chance comes along.

 

I'm pretty much the same way with acoustics. I want to have one around, but don't have much problem selling or trading it, if I have the chance to get another solid body out of the deal. A few months later I start jonesing for another acoustic, and the cycle begins again.

[Murph]

Man, I'm in a different World. My ES-339 did it's first gig Sept. 13th, and I haven't looked back. I gigged a Lester for 14 years, an SG for several, a Strat and a Tele with some Country Bands, but this thing kills every guitar I've ever had, or played. I LOVE the tone, the pickups, the neck, the weight, the feel, the balance, the look, everything.

 

I'll probably trade my Tele in on a 339, or an SG Standard next year. I've got plenty of write-offs this year!

 

I thought I had some ABR-1 problems early, but a lot of it was being paranoid. The more I gig this guitar, which is every weekend, the more I really like it.

 

Best of luck.

 

Murph.

[L5Larry]

LOVE, all the way, but you know how love can be sometimes.

 

I went around with a 335 for 20 years, until one day I saw a beautiful 345 sitting quielty in the corner. I dumped that old 335 and went home with the 345. I was enticed by the younger model.

[brundaddy]

I have a love/love relationship with my bunch, but then again I don't go for the 335-type. Mine are 175, 135, 137 custom and it's all good in my hood. I never dump my girls I just expand the harem and let them fight for my attention.

[Notes_Norton]

20 or so years ago I bought an ES-330 thinking it was a 335. I was a sax player who doubled on guitars - mostly the "other" guitar of the guitarist in the band I happened to be in. So I really didn't know the difference, or the difference between a P90, single coil and humbucker pup.

 

I practiced rhythm on it off and on - mostly off - devoting most of my practice time to sax, flute, wind synthesizer, keyboards and writing user styles for the auto-accompaniment program Band-in-a-Box. I also played bass for a couple of years (Fender J-Bass) when saxes were not in demand.

 

When I found out the difference between the 330 and 335 I realized I made the right choice for me. I love the ES-330, the light weight, the slim taper neck, the fact that it is an acoustic archtop, and most of all the P90 tone. It gives me eargasms.

 

I decided to get serious about lead guitar about a year and a half ago, and since my 330 is now worth about $5,000, I bought a second hand Epiphone Casino with Seymour Duncan P90s in it. They sound even better than the Gibson P90s. I bring the Epi to work, and practice the Gibson at home.

 

If I was to be limited to only one guitar, I'd take the ES-330 and put the Duncan pups in it.

 

 

I have a love/hate relationship with Strats. I like they way they look, I like the way they sound, but I don't like the way they feel in my hands. The whammy bar gets in the way of palm muting, the neck radius is too short, and the string scale too long. I guess I'm spoiled.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[lakehaus]

My love/hate relationship is with my '76 SG Standard. I love that guitar and I'd hate to get rid of it. I decided about 10 years ago never to unload it unless my family was in dire straights... and never for another guitar or material possession. I'm the original owner.

[lakehaus]

My love/hate relationship is with my '76 SG Standard. I love that guitar and I'd hate to get rid of it. I decided about 10 years ago never to unload it unless my family was in dire straights... and never for another guitar or material possession. I'm the original owner. All the others can go.

[Ian Martin]

I have a love / hate relationship with you Tim. :-)

[Tim Plains]

Whereas, I just hate you, Ian.

[JazzGtr]

Maybe it's not the guitars fault. We guitar players are strange in general. We are never happy for long periods of time. We are always looking for the next sound in our head. I too had a damm good, limited, solid maple top, red es 335 with black bindings that I loved and hated. At times it was very uncomfortable to play. Also, at that time I didn't appreciated the bluesy tone that it was putting out. I wasn't in to the blues then. And now, I can't get enough of. It sold in two hours. I miss that guitar more than anything.

[djroge1]

At the moment I'd say I only have a Love/love relationship with my 335 - well it's actually an Epiphone Elitist Dot which is based on a 60's ES 335.

 

Years ago, I was completly sold out to Les Pauls - only LP's. I had a friend who was willing to let me permanently borrow his early 70's ES-335. I played it and told him it didn't compare with my LP and I think he got offended and never offered it again. He passed away a few years ago and his brother gave me his Alvarez Yari classical - he probably would have given me the 335 had I already been holding onto it.

 

Anyways, I absolutly love my Elitist dot and it really plays better than my LP and SRV strat or any other guitars at all. and the sound is to die for.

[whoobla]

It seems we are weird , us guitar guys. I suppose the challenge we face is acquiring the tool that feels best,has the sound in our head and works. With that I mean stays in tune, intonation,strings , etc ,etc. They come they go. I sold years back a 74 gold top that was killer. I'm sure I sold gtrs that were great gtrs but I did not like or want them. They are so uniquie.

Then there's the personal touch we all put on them. It either works or doesn't. One leaves another comes in. I have two gtrs that get very little play from me. But they have been given to my kids, they 're still young players, 8 - 10 , however they are still good back up gtrs for the band if needed. My Tokai Es 335 copy(koren) was sold to a band mate for a fair price, and I bought the ES339 , then ran into a Les Paul Standard. I'm covered for gigging gtrs. but......