NGD - somewhat of a return... ES-330

camf

I got a sunburst 2018 ES-330 a few months ago and I love it. Such a great guitar to pick up and play. Does everything I need, and especially that ‘edge of feedback’ thing. Wish I’d splashed the cash years ago. Ah well...

stickyfiddle

@ICBM - good to know it's at least worth a try to see if I like it. I shall have to source an appropriate bit of wood. 

@Hattigol - sorry...! I highly recommend them though... But also yay to guitar-sniffing! My Rickenbacker smells awesome too, though strangely quite different despite also being maple. Maybe it's the case after all. 

@Camf yes. I've basically spent 90% of my free time sitting 2 feet from the amp in a variety of opening tunings just enjoying the feeling of the whole system working together in and out of feedback. I love it. 

WezV

stickyfiddle said:

Anyone have any thoughts on the soundpost question? @ICBM @WezV @anyoneelse??

i can't really say what tonal impact it would have on a laminated thinline guitar.  Structurally, it makes some sense to have additional support


In violin family instruments its a structural support, but with easily quantifiable tonal impacts.   it stiffens the soundboard making things a bit brighter.  It also helps when bowing, where the force is greater from the treble side... note you have a sound post on the treble side and a brace (bass bar) on the other in these instruments.

I haven't tried it, but the stuff I have read suggests you lose some volume and richness when using a soundpost in an acoustic/archtop guitar.   of course, this may be exactly what you want to achieve in a thinline electric guitar...I would expect it to change the way it responds to feedback... i'm hesitant to say better/worse

stickyfiddle

Cheers Wez. I definitely agree with you that it's likely a different/different situation rather than inherently better/worse, but also feel like it's an interesting thing to explore, ideally to give just a hint more semi-hollow character, but not lose the overall flavour of the resonance it currently has. 

I'll give it a go and we'll see  

danishbacon

Lovely congratulations. Enjoy it!

stickyfiddle

Took this to a jam session last night - first time playing with anyone else in literally years. It did not disappoint. 

I put a small board together with Archer, JanRay, Mako D1 and Deco, into the Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb and made some really really great noises...

brucegill

That is lovely!! 330s seem so hard to find compared to 335s

breezytele

 Well, count me as a total fan of the Memphis es 330...
This is a ‘59 RI VOS from the 2015 run of lefties.  

(I’m using the quality shop photos)
Bought last December from the USA 

erky32

There's usually 1 or 2 here in France on leboncoin (a French national trading website) if that's of any use?

https://www.leboncoin.fr/recherche?category=30&text=gibson es330

Nitefly

I remember thinking "He'll regret that" when you sold the last one, so soon after you finally found it - looks like I was right! 

I hope this one's a keeper for you.

I got mine in 2009 from Jamie Hartnoll's - it was a 60th birthday pressie from Our Maud.  Hmm - I was going to post a pic, but postimage doesn't seem to be working today?

stickyfiddle

Nitefly said:

I remember thinking "He'll regret that" when you sold the last one, so soon after you finally found it - looks like I was right! 

I hope this one's a keeper for you.

I got mine in 2009 from Jamie Hartnoll's - it was a 60th birthday pressie from Our Maud.  Hmm - I was going to post a pic, but postimage doesn't seem to be working today?

Honestly, the day I sold it I said to @NickB that I knew I would miss it, but not necessarily regret selling at the time, as I had other plans and knew I could find another of these at some point if I wanted one. 

I’m pretty chilled about the whole process as if I hadn’t gone through it I would have still been umming & ahhing, whereas now I’m 100% sure it’s a keeper.

I do want to switch the pickups for something a little lower in output purely so it isn’t massively louder than my other guitars, and I may experiment with a Faber bridge, but it’s great guitar ad I’m very happy to be back here.

JezWynd

stickyfiddle said:

One more thing - the smell! I'd forgotten how good this thing smells. I'm not sure if it's from the case or the glue holding the body together, but it's lovely

Stop it! You’re putting me in a new guitar mood. Happy new guitar day, definitely looks like a keeper.