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ES-339 Appreciation Thread...

santosdotcalm

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Apr 10, 2017
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My next dream guitar is Gibson's ES-339. I currently play an SG, but love the idea of a smaller semi-hollow body guitar. I love ES-335s, but they're just too big for me. Getting that sound, but in the size of a Les Paul is a great combination. Anyone else on this forum love these guitars as much as I do? Anyone have one here? Let's hear how much people love their 339s and post some pictures if you have 'em. I posted some random pic I found online so people can see how big (or small) they are if you're not familiar... :)

maxresdefault2_zpswoyhkmko.jpg
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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Meh. I have one. Probably my least favorite guitar. Though it does sound better with the Wizz's in it. And it is light. But they were very so-so build quality. Wish I had gotten the 359 while they had ebony?

IMG_1298.jpg
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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Sizes. Top picture from bottom to top of stack: Gibson 345, Collings I-35 Deluxe, 339. Second, the I-35 Deluxe is a one piece hollowed out back and sides like the 336 with a one piece maple top. Smaller than a 345 but slightly larger than a 339. The bottom 2 pictures are a Collings Soco Hog. It rocks and is much smaller than the 339. Available in maple tops with and without humbuckers as well.

IMG_1397.jpg

IMG_1277.jpg

IMG_2635.jpg

IMG_2609.jpg
 

J T

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Oct 20, 2005
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10,501
I have a first run 339. It is a Custom Shop, Antique Cherry and has the 59 neck. Nickel hardware, light weight body, It sure is a nice one.

It looks like Mr Ren's but not top wrapped.

I like it a lot. :jim
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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Mines a 2012 Custom Shop. I bought it at less than half price at GC on an orange tag clearance. Glad I didn't pay full tilt on it because the construction was typical of Gibson CS at the time. You lift a pickup on it and wonder if they ever sharpened their router bits. I have seen less splintering on precut plywood at Home Depot. Badda boom. I'll probably sell it. But I do play it and it sounds good now. I plonked about 4 sets of pickups in it before I found something that didn't sound like a cow crapping on a flat rock. With RS pots and PIO caps + Wizz it will keep up with many LP's. Just play the heck out of any you find because I bought the better of 3 available and decided I could live with it as a lab rat.

And I am one of the few here that usually defends Gibson...
 

Nick-O

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Aug 12, 2015
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223
Your lab rat looks classier than my daily go to....but almost anything looks good on that marble!
 

santosdotcalm

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Joined
Apr 10, 2017
Messages
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Meh. I have one. Probably my least favorite guitar. Though it does sound better with the Wizz's in it. And it is light. But they were very so-so build quality. Wish I had gotten the 359 while they had ebony?

IMG_1298.jpg

Sorry to hear you don't love your 339. The few that I've played always felt nice. Seems like QC is always a hit-and-miss sort of thing...
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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10,951
Sorry to hear you don't love your 339. The few that I've played always felt nice. Seems like QC is always a hit-and-miss sort of thing...

By 2012 it was mostly miss. Mine was the best of that bunch. I know WHY they didn't sell. When you look in an f-hole on any of 3 and wonder if they chewed it out with their tooth they are mostly miss. When you look at 3 and can't find a properly cut nut on any, they are mostly a miss. When two out of 3 are not playable all the way up the neck, they are mostly a miss. If it was only the stuff you could see it would be almost passible. If you buy one spend a lot of time REALLY looking it over. Maybe go for an earlier one. I am not impressed. But it's fun to have something to tear apart. And hell, if I loved every guitar I got I think it would be questionable if I knew the difference.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
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Here's mine: 1st Run-2007, 30/60 neck, Went to Kim @ Historic Makeovers in 2012 for the full RDS package ( has a vintage Trussrod , Brazilian Rosewood board and Hide Glue construction on the neck. Nylon nut, vintage Pat. Applied Grovers. I put a late `60's T-Top in the neck with a ThroBak A-4 magnet & Doyle in the bridge. vintage pots & caps):



 

P.Walker

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Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
941
My next dream guitar is Gibson's ES-339. I currently play an SG, but love the idea of a smaller semi-hollow body guitar. I love ES-335s, but they're just too big for me. Getting that sound, but in the size of a Les Paul is a great combination. Anyone else on this forum love these guitars as much as I do? Anyone have one here? Let's hear how much people love their 339s and post some pictures if you have 'em. I posted some random pic I found online so people can see how big (or small) they are if you're not familiar... :)

maxresdefault2_zpswoyhkmko.jpg

Not to rain on your parade, but I echo other people's sentiments about how you should really check one over before buying one.

I had a 2012 with the lam fretboard, abr-1, cherry, with a really HUGE 59 neck.

First guitar neck that ever went "belly-up" on me. Truss rod tightened to the max and still more than 0.05 relief on the neck. Popped off the truss rod cover and saw the rod a good half inch protruding out of the nut. Got it heat pressed, but it wasn't the same after that. Thought it was only MY 339, but I've seen too many examples of this to count. Unfortunately this isn't something anyone can reasonably predict (well save for humidity measurements and grain reading), so I'd be very careful. My R7 in the same sort of environment never moved a sliver from dead-straight since I got it.
 

crashbelt

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Apr 10, 2016
Messages
103
Yes check over before buying. I bought a CS356 new in 2012 mail order. QC was shocking - bridge studs drilled at an angle, big gaps between binding and fret ends etc. Got my tech to fix it as the price was very good and there wasn't another one in the UK at the time, but QC from the so-called Custom Shop at that time was apalling!!!
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
Here's mine: 1st Run-2007, 30/60 neck, Went to Kim @ Historic Makeovers in 2012 for the full RDS package ( has a vintage Trussrod , Brazilian Rosewood board and Hide Glue construction on the neck. Nylon nut, vintage Pat. Applied Grovers. I put a late `60's T-Top in the neck with a ThroBak A-4 magnet & Doyle in the bridge. vintage pots & caps):




So, in other words, yours really ISN'T a 339 anymore...
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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:dude::dude: Mines a 30/60 as well.

So to the OP. Get the 30/60 neck and throw away the rest!
 
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