Phil O'Keefe 12,610 Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 The subject of this week's Deathmatch came up during another discussion last week. Basically they are very similar guitars. The Gibson ES-330 is nearly identical to the Epiphone Casino. The Gibson ES-335 shares the same basic body shape, but the body of the ES-330 is fully hollow, while the ES-335 has a center block to help reduce feedback and increase sustain. The other difference is the pickups, with PAF humbuckers in the ES-335 and dog ear P90s on the ES-330. Both are great guitars, but only one can win this week's Guitar Deathmatch, and that winner will be determined by you, so vote for your favorite now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members speakerjones 96 Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 I went with the 335. Both are very cool guitars, and if I played mostly clean or with slight OD, I'd maybe go 330. I think the 335 is a little more versatile. Guild Starfire FTW, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members gardo 687 Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 I've always loved the 335 and I'm still on the fence with P90's Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members jtr654 132 Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 No contest 335 . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members Freeman Keller 1,300 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread? 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members gardo 687 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread? PLEASE Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members DeepEnd 2,682 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread? Yes, please. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil O'Keefe 12,610 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread? I always enjoy reading your threads. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members Notes_Norton 548 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 330s with P90s - Once I got used to the P90 sound, everything else sounds dull. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members Preacher 125 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread? PLEASE Yes, please. Please do, Freeman, good build threads are pretty much my favorite posts, and yours especially. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members Freeman Keller 1,300 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Please do, Freeman, good build threads are pretty much my favorite posts, and yours especially. OK, let me get my act together and I'll see what I can do. I'm just getting started so it may take a while. As usual, this has a couple of interesting twists to it..... 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil O'Keefe 12,610 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 330s with P90s - Once I got used to the P90 sound, everything else sounds dull. Your Casino is really nice... I assume the top has darkened a bit with age, but it looks really cool. Mine was made within about a year of yours, and in the same factory. And honestly, I love the build quality of the Peerless stuff, but I have to ask - just what the heck were they thinking with those neck inlays??? I recently reviewed a MIC Casino Coupe, and it had much nicer looking inlays on it. That's honestly the only real complaint I have about my Casino - the tacky and cheap looking neck position marker inlays. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members papaschtroumpf 48 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Since my main guitar is a dot, I had to chose 335. For P90s I'd go Casino. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum 300 Posted May 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) You know what Phil, a few months ago, I'd hit 335 without hesitation, mainly based on the lack of centre block, in the 330. Over the past two weeks I've completely changed my mind. P90s seem to work in any guitar style, and wood, but man, they do everything in a hollowbody. I have a 58 ES-125T, single neck pickup and it's among the best guitars I've ever had the joy to hear, and a US serviceman I do some work for every now and again sold his Duo Jet and 6120 for a 66 330 a month ago, and he categorically states it's his best guitar, and he's a Tele man through and through Edited May 20, 2015 by Ratae Corieltauvorum 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum 300 Posted May 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted May 20, 2015 Since my main guitar is a dot, I had to chose 335. For P90s I'd go Casino. Casino, 330......no real difference Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil O'Keefe 12,610 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 You know what Phil, a few months ago, I'd hit 335 without hesitation, mainly based on the lack of centre block, in the 330. Over the past two weeks I've completely changed my mind. P90s seem to work in any guitar style, and wood, but man, they do everything in a hollowbody. I have a 58 ES-125T, single neck pickup and it's among the best guitars I've ever had the joy to hear, and a US serviceman I do some work for every now and again sold his Duo Jet and 6120 for a 66 330 a month ago, and he categorically states it's his best guitar, and he's a Tele man through and through Like I said, I have a '01 Peerless built MIK Casino, and I absolutely love the thing. It's one of my main guitars, even though I have some stuff that costs a lot more. Everyone who plays it seems to really like it, so I don't think it's just me. It's just a really good guitar. I also recently reviewed a MIC Casino Coupe, and while I personally didn't like its neck profile quite as much, I was impressed with the build quality and majority of the setup job (the pickup screws were too high, but everything else was great), and best of all, that P90s in a thinline hollowbody sound was still there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members WRGKMC 1,217 Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Seeing these two were made by the same company and I believe even have the same body dimensions, you're basically voting on differences in pickups, not the instrument itself. I really don't qualify the electronics as being a huge factor in deciding on which might be better because you can change pickups out in many cases. There really needs to be more contrast between the instruments for me to value one over the other. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members gardo 687 Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Seeing these two were made by the same company and I believe even have the same body dimensions, you're basically voting on differences in pickups, not the instrument itself. I really don't qualify the electronics as being a huge factor in deciding on which might be better because you can change pickups out in many cases. There really needs to be more contrast between the instruments for me to value one over the other. Aren't you forgetting about the center block in the ES335 ? So it's also a matter of hollowbody vs semi-hollowbody Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members WRGKMC 1,217 Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Yea I know I own a dot and a casino which are basically copies of the 330 and 335, but I still see them as basically the same instrument. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil O'Keefe 12,610 Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 I see your point, but I really do consider them to be different instruments due not only to the pickup differences, but particularly that center block. A 335 is a lot different playing experience than a 330 / Casino is, and they sound different too. You'll probably dislike next week's shootout too - I was thinking Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members WRGKMC 1,217 Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 I see your point, but I really do consider them to be different instruments due not only to the pickup differences, but particularly that center block. A 335 is a lot different playing experience than a 330 / Casino is, and they sound different too. You'll probably dislike next week's shootout too - I was thinking Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster. The hollowness of the Casino is a much lighter, more touch sensitive sound. The Dot is much thicker tone but I have swapped pickups around in both enough times where I can pretty much match the tones and touch of both. I currently have mini Humbuckers in both and other then the fact I can get some additional resonation from the Casino when the volumes cranked, they sound very similar. I also owned a vintage Jag and Mustang back in the early 70's. The mustang was a 3 pickup and the Jag was 2 pickup that had the String mute and full hardware. They both played and sounded different (as much as any fender does) There are so many different versions of both, I don't see them being too similar. I'd stick the Jazz in there and make it a 3 way contest. I always saw those three as kind of being in being in the same category. Maybe the Jazz being a step up from the other two. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members knotty 263 Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 The hollowness of the Casino is a much lighter, more touch sensitive sound. The Dot is much thicker tone but I have swapped pickups around in both enough times where I can pretty much match the tones and touch of both. I currently have mini Humbuckers in both and other then the fact I can get some additional resonation from the Casino when the volumes cranked, they sound very similar. I also owned a vintage Jag and Mustang back in the early 70's. The mustang was a 3 pickup and the Jag was 2 pickup that had the String mute and full hardware. They both played and sounded different (as much as any fender does) There are so many different versions of both, I don't see them being too similar. I'd stick the Jazz in there and make it a 3 way contest. I always saw those three as kind of being in being in the same category. Maybe the Jazz being a step up from the other two. In a previous thread you argued that pickups could not affect tone? Seemingly now they do? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members Bucksstudent 308 Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 I see your point, but I really do consider them to be different instruments due not only to the pickup differences, but particularly that center block. A 335 is a lot different playing experience than a 330 / Casino is, and they sound different too. You'll probably dislike next week's shootout too - I was thinking Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster. I agree with your assessment, Phil. ...also, I'd love the Jaguar vs. Jazzmaster thread. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Phil O'Keefe 12,610 Posted May 21, 2015 Author Share Posted May 21, 2015 I agree with your assessment, Phil. ...also, I'd love the Jaguar vs. Jazzmaster thread. Then that's what we'll run next. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Members Freeman Keller 1,300 Posted May 21, 2015 Members Share Posted May 21, 2015 In a previous thread you argued that pickups could not affect tone? Seemingly now they do? In previous threads he argues that wood and body construction - specifically chambering have a big difference on tone and has provided a lot of fancy FFT stuff to "prove" it. How he is arguing that body construction, wood and all have little effect - its all in the pups (which I've believed all along). I don't know much about a 330 (I'm learning a lot about 335's) - with no center block I assume it has a dovetail neck joint (compared to the Les Paul style M&T on the 335). I would also guess that it has the small spruce braces laid out in a square like the ES-175 does (which I am familiar with). Of course the 330 has a tailpiece to the end block, the 335 has the stop tail piece. From a builders standpoint (and WRG claims to be a builder) - they seem like very different critters. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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