Is there a better year for a ES-335

Hi,

I am looking to upgrade my guitar collection with a nice Gibson Electric. I have been looking at the L-5 and ES-335. The L-5 seems a little out of my price range. However, there seem to be a lot of ES-335 out there for sale and the prices are all over the place. What are the better years? Gruhn Guitars' has a nice 1985 for what seem like a reasonable price. Is this a good year for a ES? What years should I be looking for? When did they start to change over the electronics?

I owuld prefer a sunburst that matches my EB-2... (smile)

Thanks

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Willie
Houston, TX
ES-335
Fender Fretless Jazz
Ampeg SVT

My99,

I'll take a shot at this, although my disclaimer is that I'm not a professional musician and there are probably others on this forum that have more experience than me.

First, Gruhn is, of course, a very well-known dealer and extremely helpful. They appraised one of my guitars for me via e-mail, and I've received e-mail and talked on the phone with both George Gruhn and Walter Carter. (Mr. Carter worked for Gibson twice and has written books on the history of the company.)

In other words, if you ask them for an accurate assessment of their 1985 ES-335 they will definitely give you one. Send them an e-mail (gruhn@gruhn.com) and ask them some questions -- I wouldn't be surprised if George himself replied to you.

As for the best years for Gibson guitars, we all know that pre-1970 Gibsons are held in high regard, while the guitars of the 1970s are much-maligned (both Gibson and Fender)...yet 70s 3-bolt Strats and Gibson L-5S solidbody guitars are now going for $5 grand or more. I have a 1973 Gibson L-6S that I've owned since 1980 and absolutely love, yet most consider this to be a 70s throwaway.

It wasn't until the 90s, with the rise of the reissues and the Gibson and Fender custom shops, that "old school" models and quality came back into focus. However, by 1985 Gibson was past its years of building guitars with funky electronics (like the RD), so that '85 ES-335 probably has stock Gibson humbuckers from that era paired with a traditional 3-way switch. My guess is that the guitar is of good quality, as it was built in the US, and that it sounds good and plays well. I don't think Gruhn would ask $2295 for a second-rate guitar. Whether an 85 ES is any better or worse than what is being built today...I really don't know, but I think Gruhn will tell you if you ask.

At the end of the day it's a matter of opinion, and if you like the way the guitar feels, like the way it sounds, and are happy with its build quality, then who cares what anyone else thinks?

Having said that, if you can't play the guitar before you buy it, then buying from a place like Gruhn Guitar is a wise choice. I'm confident that they'll give you an accurate review of the instrument and will support you if you have any issues.

Hope this helps...

Tom

I've played vintage and newer 335s (including the Lucille and the so-called vintage versions) and in my opinion, once Gibson started using the "solid" Les Paul style necks on 335s, they went downhill. I had a teacher with a 1969 ES-335 that was the best I've ever played (perhaps one of the best guitars ever). So any 335 with the "less dense" neck would be my preference.... Ibanez does a surprisingly good job with the Artist John Scofield models at recreating that great feel.

Fender does a better job of creating accurate reproductions of vintage guitars than Gibson (aka Relics), although a "worn" Fender does have a certain good feel to them that Gibsons don't tend to have. I'm looking forward to trying the new Larry Carlton model 335, and if it has the right neck, it may just be my next guitar.....considering many of my all-time favorite guitar solos were played with it (lots of stuff off Steely Dan's Royal Scam)

PAFs or custom spun humbuckers will bring out the sound of a 335 pretty much the same....its more about the partial "hollow-ness" of the body than the pickups

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