Smaller ES-335 (ES-337?) build

davros

I'm thinking about my next build and considering something ES-335 style, but with a carved maple top and back from hollowed out mahogany. Also, looking to make it a little bit smaller, but I'm not keen on the Collings i35 and ES-339 shapes - they just look wrong.

Then I came across the Michael Stevens Classic, and think this looks flippin gorgeous. It has a smaller than Gibson body but the shape just looks right to me. Not big on the wonky pickup or pickguard though!

Rather than just try and template it from photos, I decided to go back to the drawing board and modify some ES-335 plans.

I started off just scaling down the ES-335 by an inch, but it doesn't look right - because the neck is still the same width, the horns and cutaways have to be modified, and they end up looking wrong. I seem to be sensitive to 335 horn shapes - I had a gorgeous Gibson 2018 1958 reissue but I had to sell it because the horns bothered me.

Then I found the Michael Stevens bout dimensions in his website, and it appears that the upper bout (the horns) are not scaled down as much as the body - bingo!

So, I chopped the ES-335 outline at the waist and scaled down the lower bouts and upper bouts using different ratios. Then, a little re-drawing at the waist to get them to join up. I also had to tweak the horns to take account of the neck. I used a face-on picture of a 1958 ES-335 to do this. I tried with a 1959 but the horns just looked too long.

So here's the result - blue is the new outline, purple is the original ES-335 plan. Neck, pickups and bridge are all unchanged, electronics and F-holes have been scaled down by the same ratio as the lower bout.

Showing the right horn, remodelled based on a resized 1958 ES-335 photo

Compared to the Collings - I'm much happier with my horn shape, the Collings is too slim. Lower bout shape is very similar.

Compared to the ES-339 - mine's quite a bit larger - the 339's a bit small for my liking

And finally compared to a Stevens Classic - almost identical except for the horn shape, which leads me to believe he did something similar to get to his design!

 

With some more hardware added (original ES-335 plan left).

 

Debating either a wraparound bridge or a bigsby with tuneomatic. I think they will help to hide the smaller body vs tuneomatic + stoptail.

 

davros

Couldn't include the pics of the Michael Stevens Classic for some reason

Here's a google link to images of one in watermelon - it's sexy as.

https://www.google.com/search?q=michael+stevens+classic+watermelon&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwja_-iT4s3vAhV7QhUIHSajAEAQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1920&bih=938

Roland

This looks interesting. I like it when people think about designs rather than blindly coping them. Have you thought about pickups yet?

davros

Definitely 2 humbuckers on this one, definitely nickel covers, probably Oil City, pokier than a PAF - otherwise not decided!

Here's the comparison of 58 vs 59 horns

normula1

looks great, one thing to watch out for is the curve in the horn shape. I've quite small hands and I can't get anywhere near the top couple of frets on my CS339 without really angling my hand.

PeteC

Looks great.  I always liked the slimmed down dinensions on the 1980s Ibanez AM100/200s which seemed to offer the attractiveness of the 335 style withouth the large body ( though i like the 335 too! ) 

Danielsguitars

I like the idea of a smaller 335 too and the 339 cutaways don't work very well imo

My friend made a carved top and back semi hollow 339 type and was beautiful, lovely weight too

TTony

I’m impressed with the effort going into all the design drawings.

What program are you using?

davros

It's an ancient version of Adobe Illustrator, the only thing I have these days. Allows me to work.at 100% scale and eventually print full sized plans for templating. For a totally original design, I'd just use pencil and paper - it's quicker!

TTony

Thanks.

Never managed to get into Illustrator, I need to find something simple!

Winny_Pooh

Nice, and bending the wider horns will be easier too. IMO if you do go for a Bigsby make the neck angle sharper with a steeper top carve so you get a high bridge and can use a B3 Bigsby. If you have played a Gretsch with one you will know that it's the best feel by far to have one without a tension bar. 

davros

This idea got sidelined for my TelePaul build, but thinking of making a start. I've knocked up a template to help me visualise the dimensions better. I've been looking for a 335, but every one I've seen bothers me because the horn shape is wrong, or the neck is too deeply set (like the 2021 models) or not set deep enough - the visuals of that area are really important to me, so not wanting to start building until I am satisfied with that part of the design.

My plan is to build it largely like my chambered red Les Paul build, but with thinner walls, and carving the inside of the top. So, while it will be 335ish in shape, it will have a solid mahogany back and maple top. It will have neck and body binding, dot inlays. Tunomatic bridge and tailpiece, side mounted jack. Strap button will be mounted on the upper horn, not the neck heel!

Finish wise, I'm thinking natural back and black or pelham blue top.

tanihhiavlt

Bit like a hollow body DC Junior then?

davros

A bit, but bigger

Blueingreen

The smaller bodied 335 design is my favourite guitar format.  Will follow this with interest.

davros

Waiting for wood to arrive, so working on templates for the top carve. Looked online but couldn't find any that showed the relatively pronounced carve on the 2 horns/ears. So, I modified what I could find, adjusting for size, smoothing out the contours and beefing up the horns.

The horn carve might be overkill, but I can always carve them smaller afterwards if I leave enough meat.

Anyone done a 335 carve before??

WezV

I think that will work okay at 1mm pass per template... always looks extreme stacked like that.

davros

Yeah, I thought that, it will be about 1.5mm per step, 8 steps, total 12mm.

WezV

I think I'd try it on scrap first if going that deep on the carve 

davros

Good thinking, I think you're right

davros

This tabletop that's been in my garage for 10 years will be perfect for a test run, lovely and flat and 18mm thick!