School me on the dark arts of ES 355's

Evilmags

355s are ubercool. If Keith Richards and Chuck Berry use them they are well endorsed.

blueskunk

ESchap - u da man

not_the_dj

Brings the term guitar porn to a whole new level.

[Deleted User]

ESchap;31168" said:

To be equally pedantic, but prove I'm correct ... check the photos below.  330 on top, 345 underneath.  With the nuts exactly on top of each other, the necks are indeed the same length.  It's the body that's set forward, if you like, on the 330.  In fact the ABR on a 330 is exactly where the stop tail would be on a 335. 

 

The fingerboards are the same length, the necks are not.

The 16th (or so) fret is where the 330's neck meets the body - its at the 19th (there or there abouts) on a 335. If you measure from the nut to where the heel meets the body, they are not the same length, hence the later versions are known a 'long necks' by vintage dealers. This is why the bridge is further back on a 330 - it's 3 frets' distance away from where it would be on a 335.

ESchap

 

richardhomer said:

ESchap;31168" said:

To be equally pedantic, but prove I'm correct ... check the photos below.  330 on top, 345 underneath.  With the nuts exactly on top of each other, the necks are indeed the same length.  It's the body that's set forward, if you like, on the 330.  In fact the ABR on a 330 is exactly where the stop tail would be on a 335. 

 

The fingerboards are the same length, the necks are not.

The 16th (or so) fret is where the 330's neck meets the body - its a the 19th (there or there abouts) on a 335. If you measure from the nut to where the heel meets the body, they are not the same length, hence the later versions are known a 'long necks' by vintage dealers. This is why the bridge is further back on a 330 - it's 3 frets' distance away from where it would be on a 335.

Hmm .. we're not going to agree on this.  The necks are actually the same length, they both end at the front pickup rout..  However, the as you rightly say, the heel is 3 frets further forward on the 330.  They may be called long neck but it's just because there is more access because the neck is set further forward in the body on the centre-blocked ES and it feels longer when your playing. 

Longtallronnie

335's are full of win, especially with a Bigsby fitted!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/malarkymusic/Gear/IMG_3898.jpg

How about a regular 335 and some bucker sized P90s? That way you have the option of changing back to humbuggies if you fancy a change.

Iamnobody

Longtallronnie;31208" said:

335's are full of win, especially with a Bigsby fitted!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/malarkymusic/Gear/IMG_3898.jpg



How about a regular 335 and some bucker sized P90s? That way you have the option of changing back to humbuggies if you fancy a change.

Is that a B5 and Vibramate?

Pyroman

  The body on these guitars is too friggin big, but I do like that vibrato.  The single cut one does look very nice imho!

  I also like the sound of them- in someone else's hands...  ( esp if that someone else is Dave Grohl.)

ICBM

Gibson, solid centre block, P90s, Bigsby - a tricky combination. The easiest is probably to get a 135 and fit it with a Bigsby - but I can't get on with 135s because they put the neck joint in the wrong place... 16th fret instead of 14th where it should be on a single-cut semi. This makes a surprisingly large difference, I would strongly suggest playing one before you buy.

Given that you can change the pickups but not the construction the next easiest would be a 335 or some derivative of it fitted with P94s and a Bigsby.

On the question of the 330's neck length, you're both right! From a constructional point of view the physical length of the neck is the same on both guitars, as ESchap says - in both cases the neck (including the tenon which is part of it) is the full length of the fingerboard. But from a playing point of view the neck is shorter on the 330 as richardhomer says, because the distance between the nut and the heel is less.

What you really want is a Les Paul Signature, which fixes all the problems of both guitars by having an ES330 neck position but with 335 top-end access due to the asymetrical cutaways. I just wish I could have got on with the neck profile (not length!) on mine .

GuitarMonkey

ICBM said:

Gibson, solid centre block, P90s, Bigsby - a tricky combination. 

What about the recent run of ES-335s with P-90 pickups?

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=13020111115158

ICBM

GuitarMonkey said:

ICBM said:

Gibson, solid centre block, P90s, Bigsby - a tricky combination. 

What about the recent run of ES-335s with P-90 pickups?

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=13020111115158

No Bigsby, and since it's a stoptail it will look a mess if you fit one.

But yes, that's as close as a 135 otherwise.

Col_Decker

Good lord what a pervy porn thread!!!! If all else it proves that whatever the model, all Gibson ESs look awesome

GuitarMonkey

ICBM said:

GuitarMonkey said:

ICBM said:

Gibson, solid centre block, P90s, Bigsby - a tricky combination. 

What about the recent run of ES-335s with P-90 pickups?

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=13020111115158

No Bigsby, and since it's a stoptail it will look a mess if you fit one.

But yes, that's as close as a 135 otherwise.

Ah yes, the Bigsby. I wouldn't consider having the two holes a mess, just not perfect. And yes, it probably would bother me too.

jaygtr

Col_Decker;31332" said:

Good lord what a pervy porn thread!!!! If all else it proves that whatever the model, all Gibson ESs look awesome

+1

I had no real desire for one until this thread started.

I've heard rumours that post flood gibsons have taken a step up in quality as well. Although I haven't tried any yet.

Col_Decker

Bucket said:

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/xl/110/12062112180058b_2.jpg

Oh my

I can live without the bigsby, but I'd hve to change to pickups to chrome ones. Black pic ups? What were they thinking?

Iamnobody

GuitarMonkey;31341" said:

ICBM said:



GuitarMonkey said:



ICBM said:

Gibson, solid centre block, P90s, Bigsby - a tricky combination. 










What about the recent run of ES-335s with P-90 pickups?http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=13020111115158










No Bigsby, and since it's a stoptail it will look a mess if you fit one.

But yes, that's as close as a 135 otherwise.





Ah yes, the Bigsby. I wouldn't consider having the two holes a mess, just not perfect. And yes, it probably would bother me too.

You can always cover the holes with a custom made plate as they did in back in the day on the originals. Apparently some left the factory with the plates on but also many that were retrofitted by dealers and Gibson got the plate.

I'm having the same debate with myself - of course the option is you could always add B5 and Vibramate, but it doesn't look quite right.

ICBM

Col_Decker said:

I can live without the bigsby, but I'd hve to change to pickups to chrome ones. Black pic ups? What were they thinking?

I much prefer it with the black. Chrome covers look cheap on a 330-type to me, maybe from the Epiphone Casino association or bad copies of them.

GuitarMonkey

I'd keep the black. Plus you'll never get metal covers to fit the Gibson polepiece spacing.

Jalapeno

Darkness / Redness not necessarily a good thing.

My blond bombshell !

Longtallronnie

Iamnobody said:

Is that a B5 and Vibramate?

Yeah, I prefer the look of B7's on semis but I already had the B5/VB so thought I'd try it.

I'ver also got a "Custom Made" plaque ready for if I ever swap it for a B7 but I'm worried that I won't get on with the Bigsby being further back. I've only ever tried a B7 on a Casino and the arm felt slightly too far far back. Maybe I'd get used to it?