Gibson 330 Opinions?

peteri

Today I got the chance to try a 60s ES-330. 

Never played on before but was quite taken. 

Anyone got opinions or experiences?

goldtop

Only thing I remember is that - IIRC - the neck-to-body joint changed in the late '60s, making it easier to play at the top end. The early ones needed a fair bit of commitment to get to the dusty frets.

stickyfiddle

peteri said:

Today I got the chance to try a 60s ES-330. 

Never played on before but was quite taken. 

Anyone got opinions or experiences?

I played 2 yesterday. Both are instantly listed in my internal-brain-list of properly great guitars. I really want one

Winny_Pooh

I has a long neck cs 330, great guitar & the neck P90 tone is one of the best ever. Changed the bridge out for a Creamery a2 humbucker though. Cool, vibey guitars. Only disadvantage is a lack of sustain, so for any lead tones more fluid than some raw blues you'd look to a solid body.

ICBM

They either have a 16th fret neck joint which makes the top of the fingerboard (a bit) more difficult to get to, or 19th fret like a 335 - like Winny_Pooh’s one - which for me makes them a bit ungainly and unbalanced since the body is lighter than a 335, although a Bigsby also helps with the balance.

They feed back terribly/brilliantly at high volume depending on your viewpoint...

Old ones can also have a tendency for the top to collapse under the bridge, so check that the bridge doesn't appear to be raised really high up the posts.

ATB_Guitars

Superb guitars with a body that brings out some of the best of vintage P-90 tone IMO.

Quite a few people seem to prefer the shorter neck as it was never a guitar made with a centre block like the 335 so some long necks have tuning stability problems.

As ICBM said can be prone to feedback but I love these guitars. Wish I had one in stock right now.

ICBM

I do definitely prefer the shorter neck - I’m short too and a 335-size guitar is too long for me.

The annoying thing is that the 16th fret join is just slightly too far the other way - the best of any of them for me are the modern Epiphone Casinos with the ‘wrong’ 17th-fret joint, which has now been corrected again. But they don’t have the character or tone of an old Casino/330.

NelsonP

I really like them. Although I've never actually played one.

Out of interest how far off a 330 is a casino. Is it chalk and cheese or more like edam and cheddar?

What if the casino has Gibson pickups ( like and elitist, Gary clark or John Lennon?)

Strangefan

I had a custom shop 330 and it was honestly the best sounding guitar I have ever owned, theirs something special about them which I think the lack of weight attributes to.

peteri

Thanks for the comments- front pickup was absolutely amazing. 

Same time I tried a 1950s J45, which has given me a whole new obsession - who knew acoustics could sound that goo?

ESchap

I've got a 1960, it's the guitar that will get buried with me.

SunDevil

330s are a great compliment for a Les Paul - less shared ground than there is with a 335, 336 or 339

How the Beatles used them in Shea Stadium is beyond me - mine feedsback if I look at it funny..? 

jf122

ESchap said:

I've got a 1960, it's the guitar that will get buried with me.

Now that is stunning!

HarrySeven

I've played one very recently. Lovely.

Duppy03

I have a '64 and I love it. I wanted a 335 at the time but couldn't afford it. No regrets though as I've had a 335 since which has now gone, the 330 remains. Such a distinctive sound and feels great to play.

guitars4you

Great tone - old school style - but limitations regarding volume, gain and sustain - but that is part of the guitars character so best to judge it on what it can do, as against what it can't 

Not sure how Gary Clarke Jnr gets on with his guitar live regarding feedback - suspect either low volume on stage regarding back line and/or  violin string post idea fitted in his body, to limit feedback - And/or he has learnt to control it

Grant Green used one a lot for jazz, we all know about the Beatles, Weller and K Richards using them - So some diversity in there - Don't compare it to a 335 

personally I love them and tend to prefer them in a more melodic simple format as against flash licks and tricks - Shed loads of character in them for the right player

AlexO

Love mine! It's my number one. 
I'm a hollowbody / cleanish player so it's suits me perfect.
https://i.imgur.com/g6GM7s6.jpg

When I've tried to use it in band situations with gain I found the feedback too much to handle.

ICBM

guitars4you said:

Grant Green used one a lot for jazz, we all know about the Beatles, Weller and K Richards using them - So some diversity in there

At the extreme ends of the scale you have William Reid of the Jesus & Mary Chain, who used his for near-uncontrolled feedback with a Shin-Ei FY-2 fuzz and a cranked Fender Twin - but also Lloyd Cole, who had one in The Commotions and used it for the archetypal clean woody/jangly tone.

Both big influences on me... I really should get one!

goldtop

I presume it sounds a lot like the ES-225 - same construction, similar size, single cutaway and a slimmer neck? I had one of those and it was lovely with Mesa Boogie Mk series cleans and a Bandmaster Reverb.

guitars4you

goldtop said:

I presume it sounds a lot like the ES-225 - same construction, similar size, single cutaway and a slimmer neck? I had one of those and it was lovely with Mesa Boogie Mk series cleans and a Bandmaster Reverb.

same/similar ball park regarding tone - both available as single or twin pick-up

ICBM

I had a really nice '57 ES-225, blonde single pickup - which when I got it had a very cheap trapeze tailpiece and rosewood bridge fitted, so I put a Bigsby on it. The problem was that the pickup was completely in the way and I constantly hit it. If it hadn't been for that I might still have it.