Les Paul vs 335, your experiences.

[VonBonfire]

Thanks to everyone talking about Les Paul guitars ceaselessly in the "other guitars" sub-forum down here I been thinking about maybe getting a Les Paul guitar later this year or early next year. Already made a couple moves to get the ball rolling now I just need to do some thinking on it and some more looking around.

For the guys who own and love both I would like to hear your experiences especially when it comes to gigging.

I already have, and very much enjoy as a main player, a good quality 335 type guitar. I've played a Les Paul a few times casually but never at a gig. I'm not hell bent on a Gibson branded instrument but neither opposed to it either. I don't have brand loyalty. I enjoy Japanese guitars as well as US made. I don't want to make it into a huge debate about Gibson vs other I just want to hear about your gigging pleasures with both of these instrument types. Should I venture into the LP game or just stick with my tried and true f-hole sound muh-cheen? Differences I could expect? I should mention the weight LP's are notorious for isn't an issue for me. Thanks for sharing!

1, 2, 3, go!

 

[KC]

Have had a few 335s along the way, including a 1967 Epi Riviera that was amazing, and a couple of Gibsons, one great, one dead-feeling. I'd still have that Riv if I didn't get divorced but that's another story. Currently scratching that itch with a Les Paul Tribute from a few years ago, mahogany neck, regulation-thickness maple cap. I'm surprised to say that I may actually like the Les Paul better than the 335 -- tighter & brighter, once I got the pickups dialed in. Feels good to play both standing up & on the sofa. I like the looks of the 335 better, and all the cool kids played them, Freddie, BB, Magic Sam, Otis Rush. But the Tribute does the job and mine was $799 in a nice molded case, alleged to be "used" but no sign of play wear. For that kind of money you could dip a toe into the LP waters and not have to give up your 335. Not the fanciest LP but enough of one to see if you like that style. I would hold out for one with a maple cap, though, this guitar has a liveliness and zing that I haven't gotten out of the plain mahogany versions.

 

[Weaselcoon]

Tonally, they will be about as close as two different styles of guitars can be. But not exactly. I think the LP has a more textured sound. They just have a thing that the 335 comes close to, but not exactly. The 335 is far and away the more comfortable guitar for me to play over the LP. May be different for you.

You can always pick up an Epi LP Standard on Craigslist or Marketplace for not all that much money just to see if you really like them. Im not saying its Gibson level, but they've gotten pretty good in the last few years. It's definitely good enough to see if you like the platform.

 

[TigerG]

As someone who had a 335 then got a fantastic Les Paul which I later sold for funds to buy a second 335, well...
I LOVED that LP--far and away the best LP I've ever played, which might not be saying much since I play left handed. But the moral of the story is that even a standout Les Paul doesn't do it for me like a good 335.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Not being a wise-butt,
But I choose/chose an Epiphone SG ( 2018, so, improved pickups/ electronics and hardware too)
Explain:
I'm a mostly Fender player ( just love Strats, Teles, single coils),
but have always wanted to have just ONE classic Gibson-style guitar ( scale, woods, set neck, pickups, looks...) to use in the gig/jam mix.

So my budget has always been Epiphone vs. Gibson, and since the mid-'90's, tried to bond with various Epi Les Paul's, Sheraton, dot 335, Casino, and dreadful Alley Cat.

There was always an issue with dull/murky pickups ( if I did not keep guitar Volume knobs all the way up, i would lose treble and clarity).
Or the guitars were just heavy, or big ( 335's)
So, all, over time- bought and then sold...
( the Casino was cool, light!- but needed the $$)

So around 2013/4 Epi gave a lot of their usual lineup, a face-lift, with better pickups, pots, hardware. Some, better woods/finishes> then better but more $$ in 2019/20 w/ 'Inspired' line.
My thinking in 2020, was:

" The Epi pickups are better, you love Tom's ( guitar buddy) '61 SG RI ( Gibson)- so find a good recent used SG- when you have the $$.
So in 2020 got a 2018 Epi SG Pro ( coil-taps stock on Pro line), my 'Gibson' - those clean or dirty sounds ( plus the whole coil-tap tangent) are all in this guitar. It was pretty much an instant bonding.
And it is light and comfy!

 

[jayyj]

Tonally they're definitely very similar. The difference I think is largely in the low mids and bass: A Les Paul has a tighter, rather compressed bass response that gives you that classic power chord thing that Les Pauls do so well, where a 335 is more open giving you a bit of a jazz box flavour when played clean at the expense of perhaps getting a little loose at high gain.

I think the bigger difference is in the ergonomics. A 335 is physically quite a bit guitar, and for someone used to solid bodies they're a bit of a culture shock; conversely LPs feel narrow compared even to Strats and Teles. Although the weight can actually be quite similar I find the way a Les Paul hangs on a strap feels like a bit more work for me than a similar weight 335.

I'm mainly in the 335 camp, it's the design of guitar I've played most over the years and always the one I go to if I'm starting a new project where I want to be sure the guitar will cover all bases, but I have a nice Les Paul as well and enjoy playing it as a change of scenery every now and then.

 

[Bob Womack]

I play a lot of melodic music and do sessions. The ES-335 and Les Paul are different in interesting ways.

The ES-335 has a lighter lower end, a more pronounced midrange, the much-talked-about resonance from the body. When playing leads with a little drive, the ES-335, and can have a sweetness that the Les Paul can approach but not get.

As @jayyj said, the Les Paul has a more solid lower end. Some of them can also do the "Tele on steroids" thing with a very bright upper end. The LP can do a thick "chugga-chugga" that the ES can't quite reach.

Ergonomics? Better fret access on the ES-335. It has a wider fretboard and jumbo frets and it a joy to play, but for a guy of average height the ES-335 may be a bit big when you are standing up. The small body of the LP is really comfortable if you play it with the neck high.

This one is 9.8 lbs and tiring but a lovely sounding and playing guitar for sessions. I've played it for forty-six of its forty-nine years and it fits me, probably because of all the time. As I became "more mature" it grew heavier. This is an old guy with T-tops and is somewhat midrangey. I've picked up a lighter one (7.8 lbs) that is more comfortable and also does that "Tele on steroids" thing.

Bob

 

[OldTelePlayer]

LP to 335? Yeah, have both. Yeah, use both.

At least for me, the specific tone I get from the 335 I cannot fully duplicate with the LP and visa versa. That's not to say one is "better" than the other, just different. I cannot adequately describe the difference in a meaningful way... its just "maple compared to mahogany... semi-hollow compared to solid body" (yeah, the tonewood and body type make a difference to me).

As far as a range of tonal characteristics, both are quite wide so there's no inherent limitations... I can play jazz or rockabilly or blues or whatever on either. The tonal differences are there, sometimes subtle, but they are not limiting or exclusive. Whatever the tune, either one can work. If the tonal differences are important to you, then this is a big item. I hear definite differences so you need to plug in each and hear what you hear.

Easy of play... for me I play seated and am used to various body sizes. So that stuff just doesn't matter to me. (If a particular guitar isn't comfortable for me I don't buy it to begin with.) Both are for me easily playable... I don't have to struggle with fretting or flying up and down the fretboard (much of what I play on electric uses a lot of fretboard real estate... no big deal, that's just me). Both have what I call "a fast neck" with a proper radius and nut width for me so there are no struggles or missed fretting. (If a particular electric doesn't have a neck that suits me, I don't buy it in the first place.) So both are fine and articulate well. Neither one better than the other. And yes, there are some other famous brands where the neck just ain't for me... I'm kind of picky about that.

Overall personal preference... lean towards the 335 because it is more comfortable for me. I am most accustomed to big body guitars... dreadnought acoustics, big jazz hollow bodies etc. Sometimes solid bodies feel little "small", particularly the LP. Not a big deal or major item... I've been playing a Tele since the 80s just as often. Like I say... its a "lean", not a definite preference.

Epi vs Gibson...
The Epi 335 and LP are fine guitars. The only difference I can point to is the different grade of wood, hardware and pickups but those aren't great major deal-breaking differences in the grand scheme of things. If your budget says "Epi" there's nothing at all wrong with those. I've tried those in stores just for comparison and found them to be quite good. I like the Gibson build better but that's just me....feels a little different and sounds a little different... but not a major thing.

Well, I've gassed on long enough. Best thing is to try them out and see what you think... your opinion is the only one that really counts.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Donny Osmond fan]

Thanks to everyone talking about Les Paul guitars ceaselessly in the "other guitars" sub-forum down here I been thinking about maybe getting a Les Paul guitar later this year or early next year. Already made a couple moves to get the ball rolling now I just need to do some thinking on it and some more looking around.

For the guys who own and love both I would like to hear your experiences especially when it comes to gigging.

I already have, and very much enjoy as a main player, a good quality 335 type guitar. I've played a Les Paul a few times casually but never at a gig. I'm not hell bent on a Gibson branded instrument but neither opposed to it either. I don't have brand loyalty. I enjoy Japanese guitars as well as US made. I don't want to make it into a huge debate about Gibson vs other I just want to hear about your gigging pleasures with both of these instrument types. Should I venture into the LP game or just stick with my tried and true f-hole sound muh-cheen? Differences I could expect? I should mention the weight LP's are notorious for isn't an issue for me. Thanks for sharing!

1, 2, 3, go!

I own this one. I like it. It sounds like a semi hollow should. Light weight. Really good.

 

[dspellman1]

Thanks to everyone talking about Les Paul guitars ceaselessly in the "other guitars" sub-forum down here I been thinking about maybe getting a Les Paul guitar later this year or early next year. Already made a couple moves to get the ball rolling now I just need to do some thinking on it and some more looking around.

For the guys who own and love both I would like to hear your experiences especially when it comes to gigging.

I already have, and very much enjoy as a main player, a good quality 335 type guitar. I've played a Les Paul a few times casually but never at a gig. I'm not hell bent on a Gibson branded instrument but neither opposed to it either. I don't have brand loyalty. I enjoy Japanese guitars as well as US made. I don't want to make it into a huge debate about Gibson vs other I just want to hear about your gigging pleasures with both of these instrument types. Should I venture into the LP game or just stick with my tried and true f-hole sound muh-cheen? Differences I could expect? I should mention the weight LP's are notorious for isn't an issue for me. Thanks for sharing!

1, 2, 3, go!

I started on a 335 12-string ('67, I believe), and I picked up a same-year 335-6 string soon after that. For in those days there simply weren't a lot of Les Pauls around. Somewhere along the line I picked up an Ibanez AM-205 (smaller body 335-style from the early '80s) and decided that was probably the ideal hollow body for rock.

Since then, of course, I've had several bandleaders who required Les Pauls ("A GIBSON Les Paul, not one of those cheap copies"). These days I have a stack of them, from an Axcess Custom to an array of Agile brand versions, and they're probably my most used guitar type these days. I have a pair of AL-2000 Floyds for bar gigs (these are interesting variants, with 24 frets, Gibson Standard specs, a "tilted" neck heel that works almost as well as the Axcess neck heel, a Floyd Rose). I've got another pair of AL-3100 Floyds, which are uprated Agiles that conform more closely to the Gibson design, but with Floyd Rose (real ones) trems, 14" radius, jumbo frets, real ebony fretboards, real MOP block inlays, a ton of binding. These are main gigging guitars. And then there are a bunch of random Gibsons and Agiles, some with, some without Floyds, some with P90s, in various colors and finishes.

While I don't want to make this a Gibson vs. Them thread, I do have some preferences.

One, I'm not particularly fond of hauling a $4K or $5K instrument into most gigs, and especially not those where there's a chance of damage (weddings are notorious). My gigging guitars are relatively cheap, so that if I need to use one as a club, I can.

Two, you want to have at least two of anything you gig with, and ideally two of the same thing, so that if one of whatever you're using goes down, you can just pick up the second one and not have to think about it. I've found that simply having a second guitar on hand isn't the best solution; if the second guitar's configuration pushes your hand out to the left (as does an SG) or has controls that operating differently, etc., you're going to have mental issues (some important, some not so much).

Third, I have preferences. I prefer flatter fretboards, jumbo frets, and I prefer Floyds on LPs; they stay in tune far better than a simple nut and bridge. And you just can't get that combination on most Gibson LPs. One of my favorite Agiles has a 1 3/4" nut width, a wide/flat neck configuration and a 16" radius with jumbo frets, a real ebony fretboard. That describes no Gibson LP on the planet.

 

[dreamingtele]

I’m also in the 335 camp. However, Les Pauls to my ears are tighter, with a very fast response (solid body) and a bit bright. However, with the right settings I can make my 335 sound like a Les Paul (because they’re really close tonally) but I cannot replicate the air around the notes if I use the LP.

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

I dont own a Les Paul simply because they’re a bit clunky and I like the ergonomics of the 335 better. However if I’m going to own one, it will be a black beauty Les Paul Custom for the bling and I want it to look nice even if I know, Id probably play it 3% of the time. Lol

You can dip your toes a little bit with a Gibson studio as they dont really cost that much used and you get the whole feel and vibe without the cost of the Standard models.

 

[Peegoo]

@VonBonfire

I'm a fan of both guitar types. I had a mid-60s 335 for many years and loved it.

To my ears, the type of music I'm playing does matter, because if I'm using even a little bit of dirt in my tone, the two guitar types sound fairly similar. But played clean--this is where the differences are more pronounced. The 335 is smoother, softer, and rounder sounding than the Les Paul.

However--the pickups matter. Cooler pickups in a Les Paul and hotter pickups in a 335 will reverse the description above. I tend to prefer cooler pickups in my guitars because it's easy to heat up the amp's front end with a boost or pedal.

If you're on the fence about whether to get a 335 or a Les Paul, get yourself an ES339 or something similar. It's a great compromise and gets you all the things you like about the 335 and the Les Paul in one guitar.

I have a 339 with the '59 neck carve and it is a peach of a guitar. Here it is next to PRS's version of this format.

Does the Gibson's additional cost over an Ibanez AS-series guitar (for example) get me $2K worth of additional tone? Hell no! I've played a few $400 Ibanez semis and listening blind, it's a wash. But Ibanez and others do not offer that fat neck, and I need that to prevent my fretting hand from cramping up.

 

[brookdalebill]

I like em’ both.
I’ve owned many of both.
I slightly prefer Pauls, especially when played at louder volumes.
They also look cooler, IMO.

 

[JIMMY JAZZMAN]

I like em’ both.
I’ve owned many of both.
I slightly prefer Pauls, especially when played at louder volumes.
They also look cooler, IMO.

I have both plus a Epiphone 339, which is very under-rated. I'd say the Paul has more bite when needed,

I like em’ both.
I’ve owned many of both.
I slightly prefer Pauls, especially when played at louder volumes.
They also look cooler, IMO.

I have both as well, the Paul has more bite when bite is needed. 335 has a better sonic integrity and
a better high end lead capability. Still, both great guitars. I also have an Epiphone 339, which is a little of both,
but not to much on the bass side.

 

[VonBonfire]

Two, you want to have at least two of anything you gig with, and ideally two of the same thing, so that if one of whatever you're using goes down, you can just pick up the second one and not have to think about it. I've found that simply having a second guitar on hand isn't the best solution; if the second guitar's configuration pushes your hand out to the left (as does an SG) or has controls that operating differently, etc., you're going to have mental issues (some important, some not so much).

Hard truth. I know this all too well and would just opt for another 335 style guitar but I was hoping to have a little more fun with it so I wanted to know about Les Pauls. Gear is so boring when it's all about business and that's what it's been for me going on ten years. Two amps, both the same. Two guitars, both the same. Pedals, all repeats of the same dang OD box.

 

[schmee]

Once you get to a higher volume they seem similar to me. At that point it's about the HB's. At lower volumes the 335 type can be woody and less robust. At lower volumes the LP can seem a bit sterile. At super high volumes the LP seems to come into it's own. And that seems to be where all the the noteriety for a LP comes from. Stage volumes in a coliseum.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I've built both, kept the lester

 

[ISmellSmoke]

The 335 is Starbucks Italian Roast and American Spirit Yellows.

The Les Paul is Maxwell House Breakfast Blend and Camel Non-Filters.

 

[Peegoo]

^^^Wait. a 335 is like overpriced burnt coffee?

 

[VonBonfire]

The 335 is Starbucks Italian Roast and American Spirit Yellows.

The Les Paul is Maxwell House Breakfast Blend and Camel Non-Filters.

This hits home! You are suggesting I expand with a Les Paul as well as my 335 love instead of just going the boring route and getting a second 335.

^^^Wait. a 335 is like overpriced burnt coffee?

Maxwell house breakfast blend and Les Pauls get rated very highly.