Wanted: ES 335 type

[Ageinggroover]

Get an Ibanez AM50. Maple ply. It's the one that, unusually, was copied by Gibson for the ES339 (rather than the Japanese copying Gibson). You can pick them up for £300+

If you get an early 80s model, you will score the Ibanez Super 58 pickups.

Absolutely stunning for the price. Absolutely stunning at any price, in fact. Only beaten by the AM or AS 100s.

I love all those Ibanez Artist series guitars - in the early 80s I had an ST-55 Ibanez it wasn't the most beautiful guitar in the world, but it was superbly made and finished. Sold it to buy a motorbike - now thinking about selling motorbikes to finance guitars, it's a topsy turvy world

I notice that the AM50s command nigh-on a grand though.

[cacofonix]

I've seen a few of those Arias around, and I'm sure they're well made, but they're probably not as good as my Samick made Sheraton (which I've been playing a lot today and it is a very fine instrument).

The Heritage 535 is probably a better made instrument than the Gibson 335 given that Heritage are pretty much a boutique maker in the original Gibson factory. I've not tried one though. I'd definitely go for one but stretching to a grand would be hard at the moment - maybe have to sell the tele too

Thanks for the comments.

D

Modern Aria is not as good as Samick Sheraton. But the pickups are nicer, to my ears. I was pleasantly surprised at the Duncan Designed ones in the modern TA50. It is also all-mahogany, so has a nice woody tone. Cheap too. Neck is slightly wider than an Ibanez, not so wide as a Sheraton.

[cacofonix]

I love all those Ibanez Artist series guitars - in the early 80s I had an ST-55 Ibanez it wasn't the most beautiful guitar in the world, but it was superbly made and finished. Sold it to buy a motorbike - now thinking about selling motorbikes to finance guitars, it's a topsy turvy world

I notice that the AM50s command nigh-on a grand though.

Jeepers! One went on here last year for £300. I almost bought it myself, but it went before I made my mind up. Didn't realise they had gone up that much.

ST55 looks nice. I wonder what happened to all those early models?

[Fusionista]

The key with the 335 is the mahogany neck. I've tried all sorts of semi-hollows (still got some for their own sound) but none of them ever sounded like my 335, which is why I've still got it.

[cacofonix]

The key with the 335 is the mahogany neck. I've tried all sorts of semi-hollows (still got some for their own sound) but none of them ever sounded like my 335, which is why I've still got it.

Do many of them sell at the moment?

[Fusionista]

Not sure what you mean. Still the best axe in the world, as Clarkson would say, but fetching a lot of money. I would like a cherry block 335 or 330 (mine is a dot) and would spend the money for the right one.

[ESBlonde]

If you can find one, the heritage H535 is everything a good gibson should be made by the people that made them originally.

http://www.heritageguitar.com/models...ollowbody.html

If you get something else, gibsons own Classic 57s work really well in 335s should you contemplate a PU change.

[tonecontrol]

I had A Heritage, and sold it and bought a gibson. I'd had to have the frets skimmed, it was unplayable above the 14th fret
Not much difference to a Gibson 335, not sure which I prefer, I tried mine against a Lucille too, there are differences, mostly personal preference things, but for me there were 2 issues with the heritage: every time someone asked me if it was a Gibson, having to explain it was just as good, but feeling like they thought I had a cheap copy (I have plenty of high quality copies, but none which nearly cost the same as the original), and also the thought of long-term value, hard to say how Heritage branding will go in 10-20 years. I am not convinced the heritage is better - they inherited all the old Gibson machines, and the staff, so you are buying into 70s/80s Gibson quality I assume. Remember all the issues with inaccurate fret positions?

[Ageinggroover]

I had A Heritage, and sold it and bought a gibson. I'd had to have the frets skimmed, it was unplayable above the 14th fret
Not much difference to a Gibson 335, not sure which I prefer, I tried one against a Lucille too, there are differences, mostly personal preference things, but for me there was 2 issues with the heritage: every time someone asked me if it was a Gibson, having to explain it was just as good, but feeling like they thought I had a cheap copy (I have plenty of high quality copies, but none which nearly cost the same as the original), and also the thought of long-term value, hard to say how Heritage branding will go in 10-20 years. I am not convinced the heritage is better - they inherited all the old Gibson machines, and the staff, so you are buying into 70s/80s Gibson quality I assume. Remember all the issues with inaccurate fret positions?

That's really interesting. I guess you can either view the old Kalamazoo factory as embodying 100+ years of craftsmanship or see it as an outdated relic with all the baggage of the worst era for Gibson. Have to say I romantically thought the former until I read your post, now the skeptic in me views it all with suspicion - you've destroyed my dreams

[tonecontrol]

My Heritage was the same sort of quality as my Gibson, but it was the same design
I'm not sure what's best for those people working there, but for me it would be more attractive if they did variations, like a hollow body without a baseball-bat neck that gets very thick past the 8th fret, not everything about the past designs is attractive

Consider the difference between getting a top-of-the-range signature Ibanez (i.e. the GB, PM, JSM ones), that has the top-level Japanese quality, with a modernised design, against a straight copy of a Gibson, but without Gibson written on it. Both have around the same price used or new.
Of course if you buy new, the Gibson will hold more value, much though it pains me to accept.

I suppose now I think about it, the Heritage versions should be cheaper than they are really, since you are not paying for the name, and the quality is similar