What are the differences in mid-range priced 335-style guitars? Are they better than cheaply priced ones?

[HaroldBKNY]

I'm looking for a used 335-style guitar. I like classic looking ones with round horns, and a cherry finish with no wood figure. There is such a wide range of prices of 335-style guitars, and I don't even know what they buy you.

On one end, you have Epiphones which you can get used from like 200 to 300 dollars. They obviously have lower quality pickups, but at the same time, you can get premium great replacement pickups for only a couple hundred. They also have poly finish. They also have the ugly Epiphone headstock, which screams "this is a cheap guitar", since everyone knows how cheap Epiphones are.

On the other end, you have super nice Gibson guitars. Even used, they go for high $2000s at least, and often into $3000s. They have nitro finish, good pickups, and of course, the Gibson logo on the headstock. You can also get some nice wood figuring, but I don't like that on a 335, myself, and prefer a plain cherry.

What about the 335-style guitars in the middle? What do you get on the 335s that are something like $600 to $900 used, that separates them from the cheaper ones? There are many in this category, like Burny RSA, Eastman, and many other random brands that I've barely even heard of. What distinguishes these from the cheapo Epiphones and Ibanez Artcores? Why are they potentially worth the extra money?

 

[brookdalebill]

MIJ Epiphone Elite/Elitists are indeed a cut above, quality-wise.
MIJ Ibanez, and Tokai are also great considerations, too.

 

[teletail]

Only you can decide if they are worth the extra money to you. For me, the Sire Larry Carlton H7 and H7V are much nicer than the Epiphone and other 335 clones in the under $1,000 price range. It’s difficult to describe, but they just have a very nice feel to them. The Epiphones, while nice guitars (I’ve owned a couple over the years), just aren’t in the same league quality and sound wise.

 

[fleezinator]

Only you can decide if they are worth the extra money to you. For me, the Sire Larry Carlton H7 and H7V are much nicer than the Epiphone and other 335 clones in the under $1,000 price range. It’s difficult to describe, but they just have a very nice feel to them. The Epiphones, while nice guitars (I’ve owned a couple over the years), just aren’t in the same league quality and sound wise.

The GAS has been brewing for a 335 style over here as well and the H7s have been well spoken of so I’m quite curious to test drive one.

The prestige of Gibson never spoke to me considering the horrors of the seemingly pervasive headstock breaks, especially when buying used. I always assumed Epis have the same flawed neck design?

Anyhoo, Tim Pierce does a great comparison video of a Gibby 335 to the Sire H7V

 

[Vibroluxer]

Epis really don't have that problem and I 2nd the Elite/Elitist lines. 1st rate guitars.

 

[ChicknPickn]

I have the EART E-335. It cost $400 US plus shipping.

- Stainless steel medium-jumbo frets, exemplary shaping and leveling
- Compound radiused roasted mahogany neck
- Delivered fully intonated with buzz-free action that was too low for me
- Satin open-pore finish on roasted mahogany body
- Excellent hardware

Not the cherry finish you're looking for, though . . . . If EART offered that as well, I'd get one.

 

[teletail]

The GAS has been brewing for a 335 style over here as well and the H7s have been well spoken of so I’m quite curious to test drive one.

The prestige of Gibson never spoke to me considering the horrors of the seemingly pervasive headstock breaks, especially when buying used. I always assumed Epis have the same flawed neck design?

Anyhoo, Tim Pierce does a great comparison video of a Gibby 335 to the Sire H7V

I have an H7 and an H7V. Very nice guitars. As to the Gibson, it’s impossible to overstate how blown out of proportion the headstock issue is. It happens in a tiny percent of them. Look on Reverb and see how many Gibsons are listed with headstock repairs; very few. Yeah it sucks when it happens to you, but just a little care and you’ll be fine.

 

[schmee]

There are good Ibanez 335 styles for sure. The Super 58 and Super 70 pickups are good. They have so many models though it's hard to figure what to buy.

The newer import Guild Starfires are generally well liked for quality vs cost. Not sure people like the pickups as well as many HB's.

The last new Gibson I bought I immediately sent back, but it was a budget guitar. The quality was terrible. Every Ibanez I've had has been far better.

Bang for buck ....the late 90's/early 2000's Korean made Epi's have a huge following for quality. I had a Sheraton that was amazing. Heavy though!

 

[Jakedog]

You get what you pay for. Literally.

I don’t understand it at all, given the obvious and glaring build quality differences. However, I have come to believe it really does happen that there are people who honestly cannot tell the difference between a $300 guitar and a $3000 guitar other than the name on the headstock.

If you’re one of those people, then by all means get the cheap one. It wouldn’t make sense for you to do otherwise.

As far as “everyone knows it’s a cheap guitar”, just forget about that. Forget it right now. Everyone does not know. Not even close to everyone knows. Only other guitar players are going to know, and we’re not nearly as a large a demographic as we’d like to believe. 9 out of 10 people in a barroom audience have no idea what an Epiphone is or how or why it’s different from a Gibson, or vice versa. That’s why I always shake my head when people say they won’t bring an expensive instrument to a bar gig because it’s more likely to be stolen. No. It’s not. 99% of people don’t know a squier from a Fender, or a Harley Benton from a Core model PRS. All they see is an electric guitar. Don’t worry about it.

Regarding headstock breakage- That is something that is way, WAY overblown internet myth. Do they sometimes break? Sure. Is it a plague upon the brand? No. It’s not. I’ve gigged Gibson guitars for over thirty years. I’ve van toured all over the US with LPs and SGs in gig bags and have never once broken one. Until recently, I had never even seen anyone else’s get broken, either. The one I saw get broken got hit full tilt boogie by a speeding golf cart and thrown into a cinder block wall. I’ve seen them fall over on stage or get knocked off stands literally hundreds of times and never seen one break.

The internet will tell you every time one breaks. But will not contrast those instances with literally thousands and thousands more guitars that are completely intact after years of service.

Buy what makes you happy and fits your budget. I like nice guitars, because I can tell the difference. If a person can’t, they shouldn’t spend the money, because for them it will not be worth it.

 

[Dukex]

You can spend $7k on a new Collings, $3.0-$3.5k on a new Gibson or Heritage, or $0.5k on an Epiphone. They're all worth it IMO if you can justify the expense.

I bought an Epiphone ES335 Deluxe in 2015 ($400). Installed a BCS vintage wiring kit + Seymour Duncan Antiquities ($300). For $700 it has world class electronics, the body and neck are nice, and hardware functions without problems.

I've played Gibsons and Heritages. This Epi is not as fine of an instrument (fit, feel, finish). But it's fine enough for me, and it sounds glorious. IMO, of course.

 

[posttoastie]

Gibson ES-135, they sell in the 1800 dollar range and up. No neck binding and the body is about 2 1/4" thick. No Mickey Mouse ears on this model.

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[ChicknPickn]

You get what you pay for. Literally.

I don’t understand it at all, given the obvious and glaring build quality differences. However, I have come to believe it really does happen that there are people who honestly cannot tell the difference between a $300 guitar and a $3000 guitar other than the name on the headstock.

If you’re one of those people, then by all means get the cheap one. It wouldn’t make sense for you to do otherwise.

As far as “everyone knows it’s a cheap guitar”, just forget about that. Forget it right now. Everyone does not know. Not even close to everyone knows. Only other guitar players are going to know, and we’re not nearly as a large a demographic as we’d like to believe. 9 out of 10 people in a barroom audience have no idea what an Epiphone is or how or why it’s different from a Gibson, or vice versa. That’s why I always shake my head when people say they won’t bring an expensive instrument to a bar gig because it’s more likely to be stolen. No. It’s not. 99% of people don’t know a squier from a Fender, or a Harley Benton from a Core model PRS. All they see is an electric guitar. Don’t worry about it.

Regarding headstock breakage- That is something that is way, WAY overblown internet myth. Do they sometimes break? Sure. Is it a plague upon the brand? No. It’s not. I’ve gigged Gibson guitars for over thirty years. I’ve van toured all over the US with LPs and SGs in gig bags and have never once broken one. Until recently, I had never even seen anyone else’s get broken, either. The one I saw get broken got hit full tilt boogie by a speeding golf cart and thrown into a cinder block wall. I’ve seen them fall over on stage or get knocked off stands literally hundreds of times and never seen one break.

The internet will tell you every time one breaks. But will not contrast those instances with literally thousands and thousands more guitars that are completely intact after years of service.

Buy what makes you happy and fits your budget. I like nice guitars, because I can tell the difference. If a person can’t, they shouldn’t spend the money, because for them it will not be worth it.

I'll differ from you a little on only one of your points in that I strongly believe there is a diminishing return in quality after some amount spent on a guitar - - and in particular, on an American-made guitar. This is different from saying there is a diminishing return on investment, as people will pay whatever they think a thing is worth, and that often is attached to a brand name.

What I'm saying is that I've handled $1000 imports that, under my inspection - - and I don't think I'm the average customer when it comes to evaluating a guitar - - were in every way at least equal to their US competition priced 2-3 times higher. There is no doubt in my mind that there may be "added value" for buying a premium name, but the added build quality in my book is a different thing altogether. The first time I became aware of this was around 2006, when I examined a new MIM Standard Tele next to its American-made big brother that was a few years old and hanging on the used rack. The finish of the MIM was equal if not better. And so was the neck. Mind you, I could have cared less about nitro then and now. The MIM was $400. The American was $1200. I walked out of there with the MIM a happy - - and wiser - - guitar buyer.

Of course, as I write this, I realize I probably could have cut-and-pasted from a hundred similar postings already on the board . . . . .

 

[mr natural]

Keep your eye out for a used Ibanez JSM-10. I bet you could score 1 for well under $1000.

I love mine.

 

[brookdalebill]

Keep your eye out for a used Ibanez JSM-10. I bet you could score 1 for well under $1000. View attachment 1131841I love mine.

I love my 1980 Artist, too.
It’s been modded a little.

 

[Swirling Snow]

I'll differ from you a little on only one of your points in that I strongly believe there is a diminishing return in quality after some amount spent on a guitar - - and in particular, on an American-made guitar. This is different from saying there is a diminishing return on investment, as people will pay whatever they think a thing is worth, and that often is attached to a brand name.

What I'm saying is that I've handled $1000 imports that, under my inspection - - and I don't think I'm the average customer when it comes to evaluating a guitar - - were in every way at least equal to their US competition priced 2-3 times higher. There is no doubt in my mind that there may be "added value" for buying a premium name, but the added build quality in my book is a different thing altogether. The first time I became aware of this was around 2006, when I examined a new MIM Standard Tele next to its American-made big brother that was a few years old and hanging on the used rack. The finish of the MIM was equal if not better. And so was the neck. Mind you, I could have cared less about nitro then and now. The MIM was $400. The American was $1200. I walked out of there with the MIM a happy - - and wiser - - guitar buyer.

Of course, as I write this, I realize I probably could have cut-and-pasted from a hundred similar postings already on the board . . . . .

Especially for a ES335 model...

Heck, your house is likely built from Chinese plywood if it's under 25 years old.

The Korean Epi Dots are actually famous among players. The Japanese models mentioned above are wonderful.

Indonesia has had 15 years of prosperity. You want workers with '50s American attitude? Try a Cort.

SIDEBAR: Gibson started in business making mandolins with carved tops and backs. Carving tops to increase resonance was sort of the fundamental advantage Gibson had. ES335s, of course, have plywood tops so like Teles, they were meant not to resonate. Then again, Les Pauls weren't meant to resonate, either...

 

[HaroldBKNY]

I'll differ from you a little on only one of your points in that I strongly believe there is a diminishing return in quality after some amount spent on a guitar - - and in particular, on an American-made guitar. This is different from saying there is a diminishing return on investment, as people will pay whatever they think a thing is worth, and that often is attached to a brand name.

What I'm saying is that I've handled $1000 imports that, under my inspection - - and I don't think I'm the average customer when it comes to evaluating a guitar - - were in every way at least equal to their US competition priced 2-3 times higher. There is no doubt in my mind that there may be "added value" for buying a premium name, but the added build quality in my book is a different thing altogether. The first time I became aware of this was around 2006, when I examined a new MIM Standard Tele next to its American-made big brother that was a few years old and hanging on the used rack. The finish of the MIM was equal if not better. And so was the neck. Mind you, I could have cared less about nitro then and now. The MIM was $400. The American was $1200. I walked out of there with the MIM a happy - - and wiser - - guitar buyer.

Of course, as I write this, I realize I probably could have cut-and-pasted from a hundred similar postings already on the board . . . . .

Just curious, about a practical question. Do you know if any 335-style import guitars use a nitro finish?

Keep your eye out for a used Ibanez JSM-10. I bet you could score 1 for well under $1000. View attachment 1131841I love mine.

I have considered Ibanez 335-style guitars, but I just don't like the horns as much as the Gibson and Epiphone Mickey Mouse ears.

 

[effzee]

I played this in the the store and it felt and sounded beautiful, flawless workmanship, great price.

Hofner Verythin CT

Höfner Verythin CT Special Red

Höfner Verythin CT Special Red; E-Gitarre; Korpus Ahorn; Batwing (Fledermaus) Schalllöcher; Soundblock Fichte; Ahorn Hals; Slendaneck Halsprofil; Jatoba Griffbrett; Mensur 628mm (24,7"); Sattelbreite 42mm; Dot Inlays; 22 Bünde; Tonabnehmer 2x...

www.thomann.de

 

[runstendt]

A Washburn HB30 or HB35 is a really nice 335 style guitar, if you can find one to test out. You get a lot of guitar for your money with them.

 

[brookdalebill]

I played this in the the store and it felt and sounded beautiful, flawless workmanship, great price.

Hofner Verythin CT

Höfner Verythin CT Special Red

Höfner Verythin CT Special Red; E-Gitarre; Korpus Ahorn; Batwing (Fledermaus) Schalllöcher; Soundblock Fichte; Ahorn Hals; Slendaneck Halsprofil; Jatoba Griffbrett; Mensur 628mm (24,7"); Sattelbreite 42mm; Dot Inlays; 22 Bünde; Tonabnehmer 2x...

www.thomann.de

Great guitars!
The German made ones are long scale, too.
I greatly prefer long scale guitars.

 

[ChicknPickn]

@HaroldBKNY:

You asked, "Just curious, about a practical question. Do you know if any 335-style import guitars use a nitro finish?"

I do not. It seems to me that import guitars as a class aim at undercutting the prices of their American competitors, and one part of their strategy is to use "modern" finishes that are quicker and less costly to apply. As well as more durable.