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What is it?
With a roster of players from Eric Clapton to Alvin Lee, Larry Carlton, Gary Moore, Rich Robinson and so many more, there is no doubting the iconic nature of the Gibson ES-335. Its late ‘50s release saw it play a part in defining the look and sound of the electric guitar in an era that was stuffed full of innovation, and as a result, the ES-335 is every bit as relevant to the modern player as it was to the trailblazers of the day.
Gibson has made some tweaks to the design since then, but those genre-defining sounds are still heard in many a modern record. So, what better way to channel them than using a vintage-spec instrument? That is where the Gibson ES-335 ‘50s that I am currently holding comes in.
To quote Gibson, it “delivers the classic features of the earliest ES-335 models”, meaning we get the poignant semi-hollow design with ‘50s features that should satisfy the purists, and get that vintage tone that so many of us covet.
Let’s plug it in and see if it meets the high bar its legacy sets.
Specs
- Launch price: $3,499 | £3,099 | €3,599
- Made: USA
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: 3-ply poplar/maple/poplar
- Neck: Mahogany, rounded C
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Scale length: 24.75mm
- Nut: Graph Tech, 42mm
- Frets: 22 medium jumbo
- Hardware: Vintage deluxe tuners, ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge
- Electrics: HH, Custombucker alnico III pickups, 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way selector
- Weight: 8.4lbs/3.8kg
- Finishes: Ebony, Vintage Natural, Tobacco Burst
- Cases: Gibson hard case
- Contact: Gibson
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★ ½
The Graph Tech nut is a bit sharp on the right-hand side, digging into the hand a little
It’s hard to see where Gibson could go wrong aesthetically here, as the ES-335 is a classic shape that still feels modern despite its advancing years. The Ebony finish on this review model is stunning in my view, but perhaps not to everyone’s taste, so for those who prefer a bit more color, there are the Vintage Natural and Tobacco Burst options to choose from.
It’s the classic three-ply poplar/maple/poplar body with single-ply cream binding, mahogany neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, and 22 medium jumbo frets all flawlessly finished, as you would expect from a guitar coming in at $3,499.
That price does grant me the right to be incredibly picky, and being so, the Graph Tech nut is a bit sharp on the right-hand side, digging into the hand a little.
Hardware-wise, we have vintage deluxe tuners and an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge with an aluminum stop bar tailpiece. This is backed up with the expected three-way pickup selector, two volume controls and two tone controls, all of which feel smooth in use, creating a premium feel.
Gibson is regularly on the receiving end of some criticism when it comes to tuning stability, with the break angle of the headstock often getting the blame, but there are no such issues here, proving the quality of the components and a testament to what is a well-put-together guitar.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★½
It’s a guitar that allows thoughts to transfer from the brain to the fingers with ease
As you would expect of a Gibson ES-335, it’s a 24.75” scale length, resulting in a reduced string tension compared to the 25.5” of Fender-esque models, meaning that the strings feel slinky enough to easily bully into buttery vibrato and big bends, with the medium jumbo frets allowing plenty of purchase on those strings to accentuate this.
Adding to this buttery feel is the great setup that this particular example arrives with. Well intonated, and with a low action at 1.5mm on the low E and 1.25mm on the high E, it’s a guitar that allows thoughts to transfer from the brain to the fingers with ease.
That’s as long as those thoughts aren’t of Joe Satriani or Vai-esque levels of speed. The rounded C neck isn’t quite as chunky as that of my Custom Shop 51 Telecaster, but it’s not far off. It’s the sort of palm-filling feel that a lot of players from bluesy backgrounds enjoy, but not one suited to shred. Not a worry though, as the guitar isn’t aimed at that.
The shallow cut of the bottom horn makes getting to the 21st and 22nd frets a little awkward on the odd occasion I am inclined to reach for them. I’m a little reluctant to point this out, as I am absolutely on board with this compromise in order to maintain that classic ES-335 body shape, but it is a compromise nonetheless.
Similarly, the placement of the output jack on the front of the body means a straight jack will stick out with potential to get clipped by an errant arm. An angled lead is an easy way to solve this, though.
Following this classic spec is a 12” fingerboard radius, which is flat enough to allow those speedy pentatonic runs to fly off the fingers, without compromising the feel of open chords down the bottom.
In short, this is an easy guitar to play, furthered by a brilliant out-of-the-box setup, and the aforementioned flawless fretwork.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★★
Making some noise with a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp, a Browne Amplification Ethane dual overdrive, and an MXR Carbon Copy delay pedal, the Custombucker pickups and their alnico III magnets are a bit of a dream in combination with the characteristics that a semi-hollow construction brings to the table.
Starting with the bridge pickup and a clean tone, there is some bite here, but the extra low-end resonance associated with the semi-hollow thing stops it from getting too harsh. Like most bridge pickups, it isn’t a go-to clean tone, but if you find yourself in a busy mix, struggling to be heard, it will offer the cut you need in a way that is more viable than most cleans from solid-body bridge pickups.
On the neck (and keeping things clean for now), that low-end resonance results in endless warmth with some lovely high-end chime, perfect for the jazzier side of things or some strummy chords. Put both pickups on together, and the bridge adds its cut for when that warmth is a little too much.
The endless sustain this produces is nothing short of addictive
Throughout all of this, and particularly when at volume, the semi-hollow thing comes into its own as the guitar vibrates in sympathy with the amp, creating the trademark sustain of these types of guitars.
The flip side of this is that when you start gaining things up a bit, feedback occurs much earlier than on a solid body guitar. The purpose of the solid maple center block is to mitigate this a little, and the result is that I can go from a low-gain crunch to a mid-gain classic rock type sound with that feedback staying musical and rewarding.
The endless sustain this produces is nothing short of addictive. There isn’t much scope to push the gain further than this without the guitar tipping over into uncontrolled feedback, and the guitar lacks the high end to maintain clarity at high levels of drive, but that isn’t really the aim here.
Sticking at low to mid gain settings, with the guitar’s characteristic warmth purveying through all, the bridge offers a nice cut for the classic rock thing, whilst the neck is lovely and rounded, perfect for cello-like solos or some lightly driven rhythms.
I’m also finding that this guitar is suited to more than just the blues rock sound it is associated with. The warmth from the neck, combined with a little bite from the bridge, makes this a versatile instrument that is capable of a variety of tones in the modern pop and funk realms too. It might not be ideal for high gain or speedy legato acrobatics, but it is a good choice for pretty much everything else.
Verdict
In short, then, the Gibson ES-335 ‘50s is a guitar that more than meets the bar its legacy sets. And to be honest, at $3499, this is exactly what we should expect.
It’s well built, a dream to play, and as long as you are not looking for a monstrous high-gain tone, it provides tones that boast a versatility that the ES-335 doesn’t always get credit for. It’s no wonder that it is a guitar often seen in the hands of the working guitarist.
Guitar World verdict: At this price point, there is no room for anything other than excellence, and despite a few niggles, that is what this guitar delivers. It’s the classic Gibson ES-335 sound and shape in a well-put-together guitar that reflects the era from which it was originated. In other words, it delivers exactly what it promises.
|
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Build quality |
Just about perfect, the only gripe being a slightly sharp edge to the nut. |
★★★★½ |
|
Playability |
It’s not a guitar built for shredding, but it is ideal for just about everything else. |
★★★★½ |
|
Sounds |
From glassy cleans to driven leads, the 335 is more versatile than it generally gets credit for. |
★★★★★ |
|
Overall |
A classic guitar that is a dream to play, delivering the vintage semi-hollow tones it promises. |
★★★★½ |
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