Guitar Deathmatch: ES-330 vs ES-335

[Phil O'Keefe 11,440]

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!

[speakerjones 96]

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.

[gardo 636]

I've always loved the 335 and I'm still on the fence with P90's

[jtr654 124]

No contest 335 .

[Freeman Keller 1,285]

I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread?

[gardo 636]

I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread?

 

PLEASE

[DeepEnd 1,918]

I'm building two ES-335's more or less as we speak. Does anyone want a build thread?

Yes, please.

[Phil O'Keefe 11,440]

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.

[Notes_Norton 457]

330s with P90s - Once I got used to the P90 sound, everything else sounds dull.

 

[Preacher 125]

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.

[Freeman Keller 1,285]

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.....

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe 11,440]

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.

[papaschtroumpf 48]

Since my main guitar is a dot, I had to chose 335.

For P90s I'd go Casino.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum 299]

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

[Ratae Corieltauvorum 299]

Since my main guitar is a dot, I had to chose 335.

For P90s I'd go Casino.

 

Casino, 330......no real difference

[Phil O'Keefe 11,440]

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.

[WRGKMC 1,190]

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.

[gardo 636]

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

[WRGKMC 1,190]

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.

[Phil O'Keefe 11,440]

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.

[WRGKMC 1,190]

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.

[knotty 263]

 

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?

[Bucksstudent 308]

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.

[Phil O'Keefe 11,440]

 

I agree with your assessment, Phil.

 

...also, I'd love the Jaguar vs. Jazzmaster thread.

 

Then that's what we'll run next.

[Freeman Keller 1,285]

 

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.