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Es 335 vs Es 330

hipbluescat

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Jan 21, 2005
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356
Hi

How does the es335 compare against the Es 330.

I was told that the Es 330 is a students instrument is this correct?
 

TomGuitar

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Apr 28, 2005
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"Student" instrument is an unfair characterization of an ES-330.

They are very different guitars... hollow vs. semi-hollow... humbuckers vs. P-90s. They just do very different things. I have both and like both a lot, but they don't do the same things.

For most modern blues/rock playing, the 335 is probably preferable, particularly at higher volumes. But everyone should try a 330 at some point. There are some really good sounds to be had from them that you simply won't get out of a 335.

Gratuitous pic of a trio of 59s...

3_59_Sunbursts.jpg
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
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Aug 2, 2001
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Just to be clear, the ES-335 is the semi-hollow body, and the lower line ES-330 is the hollow body.

As to "what can they do"?
That is up to you. :ganz


But the ES-335 [semi-hollow] can handle louder volume without feedback. :)
 

's mel gibson

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Aug 27, 2003
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Hi

How does the es335 compare against the Es 330.

I was told that the Es 330 is a students instrument is this correct?

They may look similar but they are two completely different guitars.

Why would you want to compare a semi-hollow to a full hollow guitar?

Who ever told you that the ES330 was a students guitar is a bit mis-guided.

Mine.

CIMG0109.jpg
 

TomGuitar

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It's a guitar.

You can play jazz on it. Play country on it. Play rock 'n' roll on it. Play blues on it.

Listen to Grant Green. Listen to Amos Garret on the original Midnight at the Oasis by Maria Muldaur. Listen to the Beatles on bunches of stuff using their Epiphone Casinos, pretty much the same guitar. Listen to Phil X doing a screaming rock thing on a 330T.

I am not trying to be a a-hole here, it's just that you seem to want simple answers where there are none.

If I could only have one guitar, it would not be an ES-330. But it is a great guitar to have available because a good one has a really cool sound all its own.
 

Mark Kane

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Jul 18, 2001
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It's a guitar.

You can play jazz on it. Play country on it. Play rock 'n' roll on it. Play blues on it.

Listen to Grant Green. Listen to Amos Garret on the original Midnight at the Oasis by Maria Muldaur. Listen to the Beatles on bunches of stuff using their Epiphone Casinos, pretty much the same guitar. Listen to Phil X doing a screaming rock thing on a 330T.

I am not trying to be a a-hole here, it's just that you seem to want simple answers where there are none.

If I could only have one guitar, it would not be an ES-330. But it is a great guitar to have available because a good one has a really cool sound all its own.

Tom, pretty sure Amos G used an Epiphone Sheraton on the Midnight at the Oasis cut.
 

TomGuitar

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Tom, pretty sure Amos G used an Epiphone Sheraton on the Midnight at the Oasis cut.

I always thought so too but here is a quote from Arlen Roth on the Gibson site...
It was Amos Garrett’s choice for “Midnight at the Oasis,” as he borrowed a beautiful tobacco-burst one back in the ‘70s from David Nichtern, the song’s composer, for those classic licks on that recording. I personally had always thought it was played on the Epiphone Sheraton I had seen him play back in Woodstock during that time, but he later told me it was the 330, when we were playing a show together.

Arlen Roth's Gibson Blog
 

j45

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Jun 14, 2002
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It was not considered a student instrument in Gibson's line. It was almost three times the price of the entry level or student ES-125. The 330 is a much more "bluesy" sounding guitar with a ton of personality to my ear. Here's a soundclip with a 335 (ES-345 wired as 335), followed by an ES-330, followed by a Les Paul. This should give you an idea of the voice compared to other Gibsons.

0:00 - 1:05 1964 SG Standard
0:32 - 1:05 1964 ES-345 (wired to 335)
1:06 - 1:36 1959 ES-330 specs
1:37 - 2:08 1950's PAF Les Paul

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=589296&songID=5421385&showPlayer=true


This is the '59 ES-330 you are hearing:
59ES3301.jpg
 

mad dog

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Jun 6, 2006
Messages
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The 330 was hardly a lesser model, just lower on the number chain. I have a '66 ES-335, had a '65 ES-330. As noted above, completely different instruments except for the thinline shape and similar look.

The 330 can do whatever you want. It can be a handfull with feedback in loud situations, though there are ways to mitigate that. And yes it can do jazz very well. Woodier souding than a semi-hollow. It's a light, resonant instrument. Sweet tones from those P-90s make this model one of the inevitable choices for P-90 fans.

Whether it works as well, better or less well than a 335 comes down to personal preference. My vote goes to the 335, in part due to the simply beautiful tones from those HB p/us in my '66. The other factor for me was ergonomics. The earlier ES-330s had less neck clear of the body than the later ones. I couldn't get used to the right-hand position on my '65. In terms of feel, tone and that indefineable "vibe" factor, that 330 was the equal of my 335.
MD
 

tooold

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Jul 31, 2006
Messages
2,071
I always thought so too but here is a quote from Arlen Roth on the Gibson site...


Arlen Roth's Gibson Blog

I remember clearly Amos G. talking about using the EPI in a Guitar Player interview in the 70's. Well, it was the 70's, so maybe "clearly" isn't the right word, but...

And I'm not trying to take away anything from the 330, which is a guitar I love.
 

Desertair

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Oct 17, 2005
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Very interesting! The Flying V and Firebird are at the end I guess? Did the player set pickups and tone to taste and let it rip or did he go for similar settings for each guitar?
 

j45

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Jun 14, 2002
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Very interesting! The Flying V and Firebird are at the end I guess? Did the player set pickups and tone to taste and let it rip or did he go for similar settings for each guitar?

The guitars were all played with bridge pickup wide open, the little Supro amp was wide open on all guitars as well. It just had a single volume knob and no tone control. No changes were made except to change guitars. Yes. the Firebird is last but the guitar that you guess as the Flying V is a 1957 ES-350T with PAF's. Two things I came away with particular experiment were #1, how many preconceived misconceptions we have about guitar models just assuming what they would sound like because of the shape or construction and #2, the little Supro revealed infinitely more character differences in voices than "higher quality" amps with more headroom and fidelity would. I did similar tests on blackface, Marshall and Komet amps and the differences are hugely more subtle. Just the opposite of what I would have thought...
 
Last edited:

bongo122819

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Oct 6, 2003
Messages
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I've owned both, played both and there really is no simple answer.
For my body type, the 330 was slightly more comfortable and the limited neck access is just a feature you have to live with.
As side by side comparison is sometimes difficult since the 335 is generally louder, but the P-90 tones are to die for.
Both just drip with Tone and each has an amp it sounds better with and a song it sounds better on.
Wish there was a simple answer but there ain't - try one out and you might fall in Love !
 

ES335TD

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Oct 20, 2002
Messages
374
If I I learned one thing from this thread, it's that j45 can make any wood sound fantastic! I'm a 335 fan, but the P-90's in a 330 can sound awfully good too.
 
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