es335 questions

[adrianlee]

So,

My 25th birthday is coming up. My mom asked me what I wanted and i mentioned getting a new guitar. All through uni i played a gibson 335...I loved it. This was back when I played mostly predominately very clean blues and jazz (MAYBE an od/some reverb). I sold it....

I'm considering getting one for my bday, my mom seems to be ok with the price (i'll probably help out, too).

My real question is, how well do these things take fuzz? I'm pretty sure i already know the answer to this. So, fill me in.....Am I making a mistake? Would Lucille be an option...it's not hollow, but it's chambered right? How will that play with fuzzies?

READY GO

[devnulljp]

I play a 335 and I love (vintagey) fuzz. Gets on well with pretty much all of them, although I don't really like fuzz faces with humbuckers much. Nothing to do with not working with the guitar though, it's juts not a sound I like all that much.
It kills with Maestro Fuzz tone / Tone Benders / Fuzzrites.
335 is the perfect guitar if you ask me.

AFAIK, Lucille is a 355 without the f-holes, so it's semi-hollow, the same as the 335. 330 is hollow though and might not be the nest bet with fuzz (although pretty sure Titch Amey played a 330 with a Tone Bender MkI and it sounded alright

[adrianlee]

I play a 335 and I love (vintagey) fuzz. Gets on well with pretty much all of them, although I don't really like fuzz faces with humbuckers much. Nothing to do with not working with the guitar though, it's juts not a sound I like all that much.
It kills with Maestro Fuzz tone / Tone Benders / Fuzzrites.
335 is the perfect guitar if you ask me.

Not too feedbacky or anything?

[devnulljp]

Not too feedbacky or anything?

Nah, it's not a problem. (Although I don't play a cranked 100 W Marshall or anything like that). It's not a problem with an AC30.

[adrianlee]

Not too feedbacky or anything?

Nah, it's not a problem. (Although I don't play a cranked 100 W Marshall or anything like that). It's not a problem with an AC30.

hahaha. I play a twin and a music man.

[adrianlee]

ANDDDD

What about a 339? Is the only difference the body size?

[devnulljp]

hahaha. I play a twin and a music man.

That's going to be a biiiiiiiiiit louder.
I don't notice a huge difference in feedback from when I had a Les Paul.
Robben Ford used to play a 335 into a Twin ...
Ritchie Blackmore + ES335 + Fuzz Face + Treble Booster + AC30 in the early days too.

Haven't played a 339.

[devnulljp]

That sounds like a Fuzzrite

[dubkitty]

my favoritest guitar, which sadly languishes in its case with a busted headstock, is a 1968 ES335. it loves fuzz, which makes it do all kinds of lovely Neil Young stuff. i didn't find that i got excessive feedback, but then, i like feedback. the thing that i really like about the 335 is that depending on how you approach it and how you set the amp you can get the bludgeon-y attack of a loud Les Paul or a more open, Fender-ish tone. my spendy equipment goal for this year is to get my 335 repaired.

Jorma Kaukonen/Jefferson Airplane: ES345 -> Fender Twin Reverb/Dual Showman
Frank Sampedro/Crazy Horse: ES335 -> tweed Fender Deluxe
and Eric Clapton played a 335 in early Cream, when he had that marvelous round compressed "Strange Brew" sound. back when you didn't want to strangle him with his Armani tie.

[dubkitty]

AFAIK the only difference of the 339 is the body size, but don't take that to the bank. i haven't played the 339, but i've been in the room when someone was demoing one and it sounded good; it didn't seem to have the same kind of dinky-plinky quality as e.g. the downsized Gretsch guitars like the 6120 Jr. It did seem to lose some of the breathy character of the full-sized 335, though; i think the body does make a significant difference even with the center block.

[cheesecats]

My first guitar was a 335. I played it through a Super Reverb and, later, a Twin Reverb. I used a Univox Super Fuzz--when I used both pickups, it sounded like a sitar. I don't recall any particular feedback problems except when I used a DOD 250 overdrive. It's been retired for quite a while--perhaps it's due for a revival.