the elegant "dot" 335
Written: Oct 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: perhaps the most versatile guitar gibson ever made
Cons: fragile if dropped
The Bottom Line: If I had to have one guitar on a desert island, it would be a 335 or stratocaster.
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| jefhatfield's Full Review: Gibson Es335 Solid Body Electric Guitar |
I used to record a lot in small studios and the only time I never came out with a finished product was the time the recording engineer let me use his "dot" Gibson 335. Actually it wasn't his but the studio was attached to a music store he managed and he asked me to use any guitar I wanted in the store. I guess I had so much fun diddling around with his guitar that I never got around to having a successful recording session.
The "dot", as collectors call the dot inlaid Gibson 335, was made famous by Larry Carlton with his '59 dot which made the value of a once used guitar soar into the thousands. The dot I was using a 12 string Gibson reissue of a 1959 model in a see thru wine red finish.
The hardware is chrome except for the two volume and two tone knobs which are black plastic. The pickups are Gibson's '59 reissue PAFs which have a moderate output both in the lead and neck position. The three way toggle allows for one or both pickups to be used together. The tuners are chrome mini Grovers which hold tuning better than the often used Klusons found on most six string Gibsons.
What I like about the neck is that it is patterned after the relatively slim '59 neck that was on many of the vintage 335s of the time.
While in the studio, I was afraid to turn the guitar up due to feedback thinking that the 335 was a jazz or fusion guitar. Even though the 335 is perfectly suited for both those styles of music, it is also a great rock and roll guitar which could be cranked to a respectable decibel level before encountering feedback. I hear that BB King used to stuff towels in his 335's soundholes to avoid feedback but the dot I was using handled some pretty loud volumes in a small studio, mikes and all, with no problems. I actually used natural overdrive distortion and got a pretty good rock sound.
Though I used the dot for rhythm guitar tracks, I did experiment with some lead guitar work and it sounded a lot like a Les Paul but with a little less sustain and a slightly "woodier" sound.
The thing I absolutely like the best about the 335 is that it is the best Gibson guitar I have ever used sitting and standing. Many Gibsons are too heavy like the Les Paul or neck heavy like the SGs and L6-Ss. The Flying V is hard to sit with and the Explorer is just plain awkward. The 335 balances well while standing up and molds to the body better than any guitar made, except for the stratocaster.
When asked what his favorite guitar of all time was, Eddie Van Halen said it was definitely the 335...he just didn't want to look like Roy Orbison playing heavy metal.
But since I don't have that image problem, I felt completely comfortable with the recording engineer's dot 335 that afternoon in the studio.
What a great and elegant guitar...five stars!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jefhatfield
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: California, USA
Reviews written: 147
Trusted by: 41 members
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