ES335s

Jalapeno

Mine's a 60RI, slimmer neck, though I wouldn't call it thin, just not mentally chunky.

I had to take to a luthier to get it just right - the frets were ridiculously high (it would go out of tune when you played a chord).

ESBlonde

misterpete said:

I appreciate all the comments and advice guys but what I really wanted to know is what is it that separates a £1500 335 from a £2300 model when to me that seem almost identical. Is it the wood, the finish? The hardware looks the same, is the year of manufacture really important if it was made in the last 10 years?

It's down in some part to the attention to detail on neck fit and overall finish. The standard factory models have a thicker finish because it gets a shine easier, they may well have the 'orange peel' look on a few surfaces like the side of the headstock. Custom shop models have very thin finish which is polished. Also the CS models are made from selected bodies all made in the memphis factory but then hand finished to a higher standard.

So the odds are better on getting an above average guitar with more money spent but there are some excellent guitars that come from the regular production line, they just sometimes need a tweak or a bit of time spent on them. If you find a used one someone has already done that to you get a bargain. Always play the example you're thinking about and decide on that actual guitar or not before moving on to the next example, repeat.

57Deluxe

My Gibson 335 does all the things that you ever heard and seen from any classic era 335...

https://s26.postimg.org/tu5rosrg7/335_Tweed_Deluxe.jpg

uksaint7

misterpete said:

I appreciate all the comments and advice guys but what I really wanted to know is what is it that separates a £1500 335 from a £2300 model when to me that seem almost identical. Is it the wood, the finish? The hardware looks the same, is the year of manufacture really important if it was made in the last 10 years?

The underlying logic you are looking for to explain the difference in pricing doesn't really exist! So many factors influence the price from what the manufacturers are charging, exchange rates, what supply is like, whether dealers might be clearing stock, whether there might be special offers etc.