Amp for 339

kswilson89

What amp would you recommend to pair with a Gibson ES-339? I really like Princeton Reverbs but I'm unsure how it would pair with a 339, do the cleans sound a bit mushy on a Princeton when used with a humbucker-equipped guitar? I pretty much just use pedals for breakup sounds so not too worried about how it sounds when driven.

BarrySW19

I don't think the humbuckers on the 339 are particularly mushy - they are certainly a lot brighter than the humbuckers on my Ibanez, and I think even brighter than the single on my HSH Wasbhurn. Having said that, I just use a Katana 50 which is fine for my ear.

shaunm

I think the 339 has a beautiful articulate tone. The Princeton could well be a good amp to go with it but it really depends on what you will be using it for? 

If you plan on playing gigs then moving up to a large amp would be advisable if you want cleaner tones at volume. The obvious two choices of you like the Princeton would be either of the deluxe amps. Over 20 watts so you will still get a great clean tone. If you want examples of how this could sound then do have a listen to JD Simo who uses a 335 into a Fender Deluxe Reverb.

You could have a look at the Marshall route as I personally find the cleans on a JTM45 as good as any amp and it takes pedals incredibly well. I use my semi with that amp all the time and I am never disappointed with my tone. It’s a different clean to the blackface or silver face fender sound. It’s thicker with more mids but to my ears superior.  
If you want a combo instead of a head and cab then try out a Fender tweed Bassman. 

If you just want an amp you can use at home and want cleans then either of the Princeton’s will work perfectly well. 

stickyfiddle

Ultimately, it's a classic Gibson-with-humbuckers, so any classic amp should be a good bet, whether that's from Marshall, or a tweed or blackface Fender, or Vox.

Personally, I have a CS336 rather than ES-339, but it's the same tonal ballpark. I'm loving the blackface thing at the moment, though my main amp is a Badcat, which is majorly Vox-themed.

meltedbuzzbox

I always like blackface fenders with gibson guitars.
I find the mid heavy humbucker works well with the scooped mids blackface.

Calel

Makes me realize I did not answer your question back then (did i?). It sounds good with the Lazy J but it does sound even better in my opinion in a Princeton (I have the 65 reissue). A bit fuller and still as articulate. Had i had more time, I could have done soundbites for you on both amps.
Agree with a comment above re the humbuckers: they are bright, crisp and far from mushy. Didn't sound bad through a Marshall plexi type of amp, not shrill but really not heavy, clear cut  / SG like I would say.

kswilson89

Calel said:

Makes me realize I did not answer your question back then (did i?). It sounds good with the Lazy J but it does sound even better in my opinion in a Princeton (I have the 65 reissue). A bit fuller and still as articulate. Had i had more time, I could have done soundbites for you on both amps.
Agree with a comment above re the humbuckers: they are bright, crisp and far from mushy. Didn't sound bad through a Marshall plexi type of amp, not shrill but really not heavy, clear cut  / SG like I would say.

It's the 65 reissue I'm looking to get, they seem like a good option to push with my Klone. Thanks once again for the guitar, I love everything about it!

57Deluxe

...it's not a fair swap...

shaunm

I’m picking up a 339 a little later so I will report back on which of my amps it suits the best

Fuengi

I have a Epiphone 339 which sounds a bit muddy through my Yerasov GTA15 (Pro Junior copy). However, it sounds great through a driven Blackstar ID Core / Beam. Really good. 

The Yerasov is a pretty clean sounding amp which suits my Telecaster. 

shaunm

My suggestion 

https://imgur.com/gallery/4Eh7krf

kswilson89

shaunm said:

My suggestion 

https://imgur.com/gallery/4Eh7krf

Thanks for the feedback Shaun... I'd not considered a Bassman. Care to elaborate on how it sounded and what other amps you tested?

shaunm

I have tried it tonight with the following

Marshall JTM45
Fender Tweed Bassman 
Fender Princeton 68
Laney Lionheart 4x10 combo

All of them sounded good as a good guitar can sound good through most amps. 

The reason I like the Bassman is that the cleans are thick and the articulation of the guitar shines through. Plus when you dig in a little you get a bit of bite from the amp. 

Great guitars though. A bit cleaner sounding than the 335’s I’ve tried.