ES 335, 339, 330, 336 advice

Onpar

I am gassing for an ES style guitar and am a bit confused about which route to take. I prefer a light guitar so maybe the 339 would be the better option, I have a Les Paul but it's just too heavy and always wants to fall the right when seated. Thinking of buying an epi first to see if I gel with this style of guitar as I have never had a hollow body before. Any advice or thoughts on pros, cons of each would be much appreciated. 

DrJazzTap

I would try one out, that's the only way to know. I loved my Tokai 335, but I found the body a bit cumbersome and delicate. I really should have gone for a 339 sized guitar.

pmg

If you like the sound of your les Paul but want a lighter guitar have you considered an sg?  

If not, then I would say try a 339 as that is between a 335 and LP but leaning more to a LP

Fuengi

I've got a very nice Epiphone Dot ES 339 with case in the classified ads. 

skaguitar

if you want full hollow body but smaller size look at Gibson ES390 ..they come with mini humbuckers on early ones and P90's on later ones

normula1

The 339 is great but is a more in the LP camp rather than 335.
I've got relatively small hands and I find the treble side cutaway is quite cramped.
My Ibanez 335-alike doesn't suffer from the same restriction.

DB1

Have you considered an ES-135 or ES-137? Might give you the sort of compromise that you're looking for.

Blaendulais

I sold my 339 it was like tiny! Really felt small but I have a couple of 335's.  The neck was also super thin

Teyeplayer

I’d agree with the above about trying a few as the variations between models and brands can be huge. I’ve been particularly impressed by offerings from Eastman and often left a bit cold by a number of more modern Gibson offerings (haven’t played a bad early 60s one yet but don’t have the funds on the original 335 front). However, I am very intrigued by the new es235, looks like a great half-way house and ticks a good few boxes -might be worth checking out. 

Jimbro66

pmg said:

If you like the sound of your les Paul but want a lighter guitar have you considered an sg?

Well at least an SG will fall in the other direction

I’ve had 335s (still do) and a 339. A 335 can feel quite awkward at first if you have been used to a LP @Onpar. Try one and see what you think. The 339 is a more comfortable size if you are happy with its aesthetic. Soundwise the 339 has LP flavours but still a semi vibe. Pickups are also a consideration. My 339 had 57 Classics which I wasn’t partiicularly keen on but others seem to like them. I prefer the newer MHS humbuckers but not sure if any 339s have them? A 336 is a more up-market version of the 339.

The 330 is a different beast altogether: Completely hollow body instead of the centre block of 335/339 so a lighter guitar but more prone to feedback if used with higher volume/gain. Also neck join location is different to 335 so not such good higher frets access.

BTW  @Fuengi’s Epi 339 seems quite a bargain at £275 - about a quarter of the price of a used Gibson 339.

stickyfiddle

I have an CS-336 and ES-330 and have played plenty of 335s and 339s

The CS-336 is fairly Les-Paul-ish in tone, and really nice and light. It's been my main gigging guitar for everything I've done with other people. 

The 330 is really lovely, but not comparable, as the hollow body nature makes it quite a different beast, as do the P90s. It's a really great vibe, but it is different to a solid body 2xHB Gibson.

Full-fat ES-335s are classics for a reason, but there's no getting away from the large size, and they're not usually much different weight compared to your average LP. 

ES-339s are a nice middle ground, but heavier and a bit "chunkier" feeling than CS-336s. Many like them, but tbh I've never found one that is anywhere near as good an instrument as my own CS-336. 

Philly_Q

I don't think anyone's mentioned that the CS-336 and ES-339 are constructed differently, although they're the same size and look very similar.

The 339 has a laminated top and back with a maple centre block, like a 335.  The 336 starts out as a solid block of mahogany which is hollowed out, leaving a centre block, then a carved maple top is added.  So in theory the 336 may be a little more Les Paul-ish than the 339.

Both are good if you find, like I do, that a 335 body is a bit too big.

I always think the 336/339 body shape looks a bit "off" if you see one next to a 335, but on their own they look absolutely fine.

crunchman

I've had a 339 and I now have an ES Les Paul:

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/64223/my-wife-is-amazing-ngd/p1

I definitely prefer the ES Les Paul.  If you don't want to go for the full sized 335 then I'd definitely recommend the ES Les Paul over the 339.  The contruction is much more hollowed out than the 339, so it sounds a lot more "airy" if that is the right word than the 339.  The 339 is definitely closer to the Les Paul.  If you already have a Les Paul, the ES Les Paul will give you more variation.

The 339 I had was an older one with Classic 57 pickups.  The new MHS pickups are much better, so whatever you go for, I'd try to get something with the MHS pickups.

octatonic

IMHO the smaller bodied 33x style are neither fish nor foul, although I can see the appeal for gigging.

335 if you want a classic humbucker semi.
330 if you want P90's.

dindude

Es335 is too big and Es339 is too small - that’s the reality for me else I would def own one. Need an Es337 Gibson!

Jimbro66

dindude said:

Es335 is too big and Es339 is too small - that’s the reality for me else I would def own one. Need an Es337 Gibson!

That sounds like the Goldilocks model

WindmillGuitars

@onpar Gibson Midtown is worth a look

stickyfiddle

Jimbro66 said:

dindude said:

Es335 is too big and Es339 is too small - that’s the reality for me else I would def own one. Need an Es337 Gibson!

That sounds like the Goldilocks model

That's where Collings comes in. Though dare I say they're teeny tiny bit dull-perfection

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Anchorboy said:

@onpar Gibson Midtown is worth a look

Yeah that was my first thought too. If you like the sound you get from a Les Paul then the Midtown might get you closer to that than the ES models as it's essentially a chambered mahogany solid-body construction rather than a true arch-top maple type construction like the ES models. Probably cheaper than the ES models too.

Barnezy

My understanding is a 336 is a catagory of a guitar on its own. I remember reading that it was Gibson’s attempt to make the ultimate Gibson, but that might just be marketing. They are constructed from a single piece of mahogany that is hollowed out to create the back and sides with a solid piece left in to take the pups etc, and a single piece of solid maple that is carved for the top. They are not the same plywood construction as the other hollow body guitars mentioned. They do look pretty identical to a 339 though. 

roberty

There's also an ES Les Paul...