siav Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Hi Some more questions for you guys :) Iam very interested in an es 335 walnut from 1979. There are traces of crackles where the neck was glued, actually there are crackles all around the junction with the neck and the body. Is this important? There are no space or looseness between the neck and the body. Thanks again for your help:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Hi Some more questions for you guys :) Iam very interested in an es 335 walnut from 1979. There are traces of crackles where the neck was glued, actually there are crackles all around the junction with the neck and the body. Is this important? There are no space or looseness between the neck and the body. Thanks again for your help:) I really couldn't say with any certainty. Obviously, the body and neck have moved enough in relation to one another to cause the finish to crack all the way around. If the neck feels tight, then I suppose it is stable enough, but again, that's just conjecture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siav Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Here are some picture: and opinions are welcome :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 The neck is obviously moving a bit relative to the body, which is fairly common. By the late 1970's--just before the re-introduction of the dot neck in 1981--the neck tenon on a lot of ES 335's had gotten very small to non-existent, which would result in a less stable neck joint, as there is less gluing surface. It would be worth pulling the neck pickup to see if the tenon glue joint has cracked inside the body in the mortise for the neck tenon. The real question is whether this joint is tight and stable under full string tension. If no gap develops and the tuning is stable under full tension, it is probably not an immediate problem. If the joint is tight with no string tension, and any gap or movement is evident under full string tension, the neck may need to be removed and re-glued. That's also the time you want to check to see whether the neck angle needs to be re-set. I've had this done on an old ES 335 before. Cost of the repair, if required, would probbly run $400-$500 in the US outside of high-priced markets such as New York. 1970's ES 335's are not the best iterations of these guitars, by the way. Early 80's dot necks might be much better instruments for similar money. They would also have a 1 11/16" nut width, while the 1979 might be 1 9/16". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 The neck is obviously moving a bit relative to the body, which is fairly common. By the late 1970's--just before the re-introduction of the dot neck in 1981--the neck tenon on a lot of ES 335's had gotten very small to non-existent, which would result in a less stable neck joint, as there is less gluing surface. It would be worth pulling the neck pickup to see if the tenon glue joint has cracked inside the body in the mortise for the neck tenon. The real question is whether this joint is tight and stable under full string tension. If no gap develops and the tuning is stable under full tension, it is probably not an immediate problem. If the joint is tight with no string tension, and any gap or movement is evident under full string tension, the neck may need to be removed and re-glued. That's also the time you want to check to see whether the neck angle needs to be re-set. I've had this done on an old ES 335 before. Cost of the repair, if required, would probbly run $400-$500 in the US outside of high-priced markets such as New York. 1970's ES 335's are not the best iterations of these guitars, by the way. Early 80's dot necks might be much better instruments for similar money. They would also have a 1 11/16" nut width, while the 1979 might be 1 9/16". The longer, narrow tenon used in the DOT reissues in the 80's actually started in the late 70's, based on what I have observed, so I suspect this '79 has a DOT reissue tenon...whihc I assume is better than the early 70's "invisible" tenons. Also, the nut width widened again by the late 70's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siav Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 I am impressed guys! Thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 deleted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siav Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 So you guys think this worth a go for about $3000? The seller is located quite far from where I live and I need to drive or fly there, a blind buy would do in this case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 So you guys think this worth a go for about $3000? The seller is located quite far from where I live and I need to drive or fly there, a blind buy would do in this case? Probably not. More like $2.5k or less in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I wouldn't personally buy a $3000 guitar from an individual if I can't play the guitar first, Gibson or otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siav Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 I wouldn't personally buy a $3000 guitar from an individual if I can't play the guitar first, Gibson or otherwise. It´s a store, not just an individual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 It´s a store, not just an individual. OK, yes that's a different matter. I do think that j45nick may be right thinking that $3K is a bit high for a 1979 ES guitar. When shopping for my 2011 ES-345, I had my eye on eBay, including at late 70's/early 80s models, and the ES-345s were selling well beneath $3K. I'm not sure if the ES-335 would also be in the same price range or a bit higher... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siav Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 OK, yes that's a different matter. I do think that j45nick may be right thinking that $3K is a bit high for a 1979 ES guitar. When shopping for my 2011 ES-345, I had my eye on eBay, including at late 70's/early 80s models, and the ES-345s were selling well beneath $3K. I'm not sure if the ES-335 would also be in the same price range or a bit higher... Guitars are cheaper in the US... I´m living overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Guitars are cheaper in the US... I´m living overseas. In that case, I would say it has to do with your trust of the store owners when they give their opinion of the structural soundness of the instrument, vis-a-vis the craked finish around the neck heel. The price itself may be reasonable for the year and model. I sure hope you find the right guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Not sure what new ones are selling for overseas, but for that kind of money you could get a new one in the US and not worry about the potential problem with neck stability. Pulling the neck requires heating up the joint to melt the glue and that can be tricky (might swell some of the body wood)so not to be taken lightly or attempted by a tech who does not have a lot of experience with it. As mentioned not the best vintage for a 335 so why risk it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PP_CS336 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Here are some picture: and opinions are welcome :) For a guitar this age I would think what your seeing here is part of the aging process and normal wear and tear. Find out from the dealer if they know who the owner was and how much the guitar was played. You don't show the rest of the guitar in picture, but if there are some fine cracks in the finish, it could be what is known as "checking". That can happen to the finish if it was exposed to extreme temperature changes when taking it out of the case e.g. cold to warm. If the guitar is still playable and sounds good to you, then you can choose whether or not to buy it. I know others have already said you could probably get a brand new one for the price you're paying. Of course you already said you're overseas, so American guitars are almost always more expensive outside to U.S.. Again, you have to make the final choice. All the rest of us can do is give our opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitball Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I just came across this blog post, which gives the opinion that these cracks are normal result of wear of the lacquer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 I just came across this blog post, which gives the opinion that these cracks are normal result of wear of the lacquer. Charlie Gelber's blog gives correct information, provided the finish crack at the joint is consistent with the overall condition of the guitar, is not open in any way, and does not open under string tension. I would be concerned if there was evidence of someone trying to force glue into the joint. You should also look at the glue joint between the fretboard and the top of the guitar, just above this area. If the neck is actually moving, you often see similar cracking along that joint, in which case it all deserves a closer look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Just an opinion: That is a lot of $ for that guitar. FWIW: The 335 is my electric guitar of choice and has been so since 1963. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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