Gibson ES-335 Semi-hollowbody Electric Guitar - Sixties Cherry Reviews

First I want to thank Ethan Kattau and the Sweetwater tech guys for helping to find me such an excellent ES 335! Ethan is truly a great guy to work with—honest, knowledgeable and dedicated. AND, he will go the extra mile for you! As for the guitar, I can't be more pleased. Gibson is making some of their best instruments that they have in a long time. I've been playing for over 60 years, been on many stages (including CBGB's in the 80's), owned (and still own) numerous instruments (Gibsons, PRS, Gretsch, Fender, etc.), and I have to say the quality and attention to workmanship on this guitar is second to none. It looks fantastic. The build is fantastic. But most importantly, it plays and sounds fantastic. As for the pickups, I think these Calibrated T-Types are well suited to this guitar. They are cleaner, have a little more definition, and are a "little" brighter. You still get the same warmth and gritty drive when you need it, but they seem to have an edge over the 57's on this model. Good job Gibson! Good job Sweetwater!

I have wanted a Gibson ES-335 for many years. I first bought a Epi 335 and then a Heritage H-535. I finally bought the real deal and could not be happier. I can't imagine a better playing guitar. The neck is perfect for my hands. The fit and finish are perfect. I have purchased three $2k - $4k from Sweetwater. They are my go to place for buying a guitar.

Luke and his colleagues did a fantastic job working with me. The guitar came absolutely perfect. Setup was great and is buttery smooth to play. Once in a lifetime purchase for me and I love it. Thank you Sweetwater!
I have included some pic's but have to say it definitely looks even better in person then in the photos.

my recent experience at sweetwater could not have been better. jarred was my salesperson along with a little help from gregg and my phone salesman matt. i bought a Sheraton 2 . i liked it but my wife convinced mr to go back and see what else was available, go for the gold. i bought the cherry Gibson 335. let me say the Sheraton is an outstanding guitar, much improved from the past with an outstanding thin neck and some extremely sensitive pick ups . i compared many similar guitars that didn't catch my attention. I finally chose the 60s cherry gibson 335. just a joy to play. i chose the gibson because it was cherry.......it played extra smoothly......it's a Gibson. i think the rosewood neck and the plecked frets closed the deal....along with jarred patient help .......... my only regret is i wished they had a triple A top to consider....may still consider it..

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I've had mine for about 6 months and it is prominently featured in my top guitar wall spot (the place I see it with the best lighting and most often). It's so beautiful, it's art. In terms of qc, there is not one single flaw on it. Nothing. I've got a 2020 Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s and it has a few minor blemishes but it's amazing. But this one…it's perfection.

In terms of playability, there is no guitar I've ever played that covers as much ground stylistically as this one. With neck pickup and tone rolled off, you can get beautiful, jazzy tone. With bridge pickup and time up and some distortion it's an overheated chainsaw spitting flames.

It's a joy to just sit there on the edge of the bed and play it acoustically. Action is perfect. I had to do very little to set it up. The neck is on the chunkier side, take that for what it's worth. If you like that you'll love this neck. I prefer thinner necks but this is not too bad.

It stays in tune and the tuners are amazing. Seriously, I don't mean to sound like I'm gushing but it's the standard for all my other guitars to compare to now. Such precise tuning adjustments and it stats in tune so consistently.

I just don't have anything bad to say about this 335. I am so glad I saved up and bought it. It's my dream guitar and every day I sit there and look at it on the wall and just thank God that I was able to buy it.

I've had this guitar for a week and it's the best guitar I've ever played. It can do basically any tone I want and it's absolutely beautiful. It sounds great clean but it sounds even better with just a little bit of overdrive or fuzz. I changed the strings but it was set up perfectly when I got it. I didn't have to make any adjustments. My sales rep Will was very helpful and got the guitar shipped to my house in less than a day after I ordered it. It's my first Gibson but probably not my last. You can't go wrong with a 335.

I've been wanting a 335 for some time and been following Gibson's recent quality reviews especially on this model. I've never bought a guitar without playing it first and naturally I was hesitant. After talking with my long time sale rep, Adam Cesarz, he explained Sweet Waters liberal return policy (no questions asked, full refund if you don't like) I went for it and boy was I glad I did.

The guitar came impeccably packed and once I opened the case I was in awe. What a beautiful instrument but more importantly it played lovely and sounded great right out of the box. Needed a minor tweak on tuning but man oh man, what a guitar. I love the neck shape and radius on these guitars. Furthermore I love love the pickups. I plugged into my Marshall, WOW…Mesa Boogie…WOW…Orange…WOW and my Helix with Line 6 112 Power Cab Plus is double wow. Too bad I waited this long. The resonance with the semi-hollow body has such depth. A real treat if you're used to playing solid body electric. Gibson is on quite the run right now quality wise and especially on the most recent iteration of the 335. Thanks Adam Cesarz and Sweetwater for a smooth deal.

Some background for this review. First, you need to know that I have a 21 year old Epiphone Sheraton II that has Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in it with CTS pots and orange drop caps. My current Gibson ES-335 is a 2020 model in cherry red. I previously had a 1995 Gibson ES-335 that I did not bond with. Now, onto the review. The 2020 ES-335 blows away the 1995 completely, without a doubt. The 1995 was much heavier and had its neck set way back so the ABR bridge was pretty high off the body. Acoustically the 1995 model sounded odd - sort of like a cocked WAH sound acoustically. The 2020 model is lighter, and sounds really good acoustically. The 1995 model came with Classic '57s, which are nice pickups. The current 2020 model has the T-Type humbuckers in it. The Classic '57s sounded closer to the Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in my Sheraton, except, to me, had less personality than the Seth Lovers. The T-type humbuckers are hotter than the Seth Lovers and, as a result, hit the amp harder with more treble than the Seth Lovers. You can do Jazz with the T-Types, but IMO, you have to EQ the treble out of the amp. The tone pots on the 335 just don't get me there. With the Seth Lovers in the Sheraton, I don't have to EQ the amp at all - everything can be a noon on the amp for a nice clean sound. I think the T-Type humbuckers excel at blues and rock - this is probably what they are really intended for. But, everyone needs to know that with some EQ, you can get nice cleans out of them too. I think it is good that the 335 is different than the Seth Lovers so that I will play both of them. The old Epiphone is an old friend at this point! Don't hesitate over build quality - this 2020 model is so much better than my 1995 model was. I have found no build or finish issues. The neck set angle is great - the bridge is neither flush with the body nor is it way high like my 1995 model. I will say one little thing about the case - it is nice, but very heavy. Mine has black or dark gray plush interior. I think the newer red plush interior cases might be lighter in weight than mine.

This is a great guitar! I've been a telecaster player all my life, so this was a big leap for me. This guitar covers so much ground. Whether it's blues, rock, or country it gets it done. I really like the the pickups. I was prepared to replace them if needed but there is no need. What I really appreciate is the bridge pickup, it sounds like a meaty telecaster, which allows me to cover a lot of musical territory with my band without having to constantly switch guitars. Gibson nailed it with this one.

I've had mine about a month so far and couldn't be happier. An amazing beautiful guitar with an amazing tone. Sounds good even unplugged. Had the guitar set-up at Sweetwater and it came ready to go. Shout-out to Alan Carter for making the ordering process super smooth and easy.

The Gibson ES-335 is everything you would expect it to be, and don't set the bar too low either. No matter what electric sound, style, or genre you love; the ES-335 can and will accommodate without disappointment. Light as a feather, smooth as plate glass, and beautifully crafted.

I have wanted a 335 or similar semi-hollow body dual humbucker guitar for a long time. The decision I had to make was whether to go vintage, boutique, or with a major manufacturer (i.e., Gibson, Ibanez). I am so glad I held out and went with Gibson. After the changes they have made to their production and QA processes I can honestly say that this guitar is flawless. It plays like a dream, has incredibly stable tuning, and sings with the most gorgeous voice imaginable. You could not ask for a finer tool for making music. In addition to all of that, it is a beautiful work of art. The stain and the graining in the wood are every bit as pretty as its sound. I also have to mention that this was my first time using Sweetwater to purchase an instrument like this and the process was excellent. I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone looking for a 335 and I would recommend Sweetwater to anyone looking to purchase any kind of instrument.

What can I say, it arrived I waited the recommended 24 hours to open the box (that was tough lol)
And found it in excellent condition and after a little tuning immediately playable. Action was fine, the T type pickups have an awesome sound, exactly what I was looking for. I play blues, rock, jazz and a bit of country. This guitar does it all. I clearly believe, if you could only have one guitar, the ES335 would be the best choice. I thank you again Parker and Sweetwater and absolutely believe you are setting the benchmark in Customer Service for all others to follow. Thanks again.

A beautiful figured cherry top without the figured up-charge. Seeing pictures of the actual guitar is a plus with Sweetwater. Thanks to rep Austin Z for the help with a shipping snafu. Neck plays so smooth. Tone is classic 335. The color and grain is stunning. I am currently playing through a Vox 15 and a Fender 65 Princeton Reverb. I am loving this guitar!

My Cherry Red ES 335 arrived on the west coast a day early. It was set up perfectly and ready to rock right out of the box. I've wanted one for many years and finally decided to buy it after my cousin/best friend died suddenly. Life is short.

Kudos to Calvin Hull for Top-Star customer service. He's been my rep for several years and is consistently awesome! The Sweetwater candy always sweetens the deal for my wife too!

First off, I was originally interested in the "figured" version or the Murphy Lab version of the ES-335. I decided to save some money, trusting the craftsmanship in Nashville to excellent. These beauties are by no means inexpensive guitars and it shows in the quality of the "off the rack," models, like this one. This ES 335 is absolutely stunning. I'm actually so happy I did not spend the extra money as the figuring in this guitar is absolutely gorgeous.
The tone and playability is equally impressive. The neck is slender, which is taking some getting used to coming from my Les Paul, but the weight is a welcome change!!! The tone is rich and resonant, creamy smooth with excellent sustain. So happy to add this to my arsenal!

Special shout out to Paul Eckert, my sales rep. He's incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Love Sweetwater and hope they never change their sales model.

Jim

If you've been waiting to pull the trigger, now is the time to act.
Exceptional build quality and playability. Hats off to JC and the artisans at Gibson for righting the ship.

First review I ever wrote. I would feel remiss if I did not post this. This guitar is the finest guitar I have ever owned--and I own 10. The neck feels incredibly smooth, and the finish on it is beautiful. However, I did change the strings to Thomastik-In feld 12 guage. It gives me the low mellow sound I need for my style of play. The guitar sounds incredible. Can't put it down. I always wanted a Gibson. It only took me 62 years to get one (started playing when I was 10).
Bottom line, albeit it is pricey, its worth every dime.

Love this guitar, it's absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful grain on front and back. The new T Type pickups sound great, maybe a little brighter (though not harsh) than the 57 classics in my es339 but turn the tone to 7 or 8 and they're perfect. The neck has got to be one of my favorites, it reminds me of my 73 LP Custom, which is my favorite neck. It's not thin but is smaller than an R8, I can't compare to a R9. I must say I've had it for a few days and I have absolutely no complaints, it's literally perfect. The tuning keys are a cream color which is a little different, but not a bad thing, I've always been partial to Grover Rotomatics, but these will not be changed. Gibson did a great job on this guitar, I've been playing for over 40 years and can be a bit picky and I love it.

Been playing since '75 and I always perked up whenever I saw someone playing a 335. Had an Epi dot deluxe for several years, replaced the pups and it was one of my main players for a while but I always wanted the real deal.
My only complaint on quality is the leftover residue from the plek process (black fingers) and the awful strings they use. A restring and full fretboard cleanup was a must.
Neck size was a concern, but I would describe it as full and perfectly comfortable, even for my stubby digits.
Fit And finish is excellent, there are a couple of areas that show barely visible buffing marks that are only visible at very close inspection at just the right angle.
The color and grain is gorgeous.
Tone - I've read that there is a lot of variance in the tone of 335's. I would describe mine as being on the bright side. The pickups are clear and loud. This thing puts out some juice. The volume & tone knobs are more useful on this guitar than any other that I have.
Overall it's going to be a great tool for making music, very inspiring to play.

I've had this guitar on my wishlist for quite some time. I finally made the purchase. Thank you Sweetwater for the top shelf service. When I opened the case my immediate thought was what a beautiful color and finish. Well that is until you look closer. Whoever tightened down the pickup selection switch add a couple of significant scratches. There are also some buffing wheel blemishes going against the grain. Again, it looks fine if you don't look closely. I assume this is an acceptable level of imperfection for Gibson QC process.
On the plus side, the setup is perfect and it sounds great. All in all it's a keeper!