Gibson ES-335 history and innovations.

I don't think Gibson is currently selling a 335-shaped guitar with P90s. They used to sell the ES-330, which was, roughly speaking the Gibson equivalent of the Epiphone Casino. But it's not in the current lineup. As for the Casino, me regular Epiphone model is now made in Korea or China. So Gibson ES-335 Studio 2015 tends to get more favorable ⭐ reviews than Epiphone CASINO Coupe, as seen on the chart below. However, it's fairly safe to say that Epiphone CASINO Coupe is a more popular guitar, based on its 10+ reviews. It's also worth mentioning that the $934 alternative. Comparison of Epiphone ES-335 PRO vs Gibson ES-335 Guitars. Compare the main Features, Specifications, Prices and Select the Best Model. The Dot, also a product of Epiphone, resembles the Gibson ES-335. The Casino has a true hollow body, whereas the Dot is a semi hollow type, with a solid block of wood running through the center and continuing from its neckline. The Epiphone Casino has a black laminated maple body and the Dot has a black or white arch top body.

There are many guitars I’ve dreamed of owning but the first electric guitar I wished for was the Gibson ES-355. When I was in high school the music store nearest my home had the ES-345 and ES-355 models in cherry red finish and for some reason let me try them out (repeatedly) in their demo room. I would plug in and play through an Ampeg tube amp. I’ve never actually owned any Gibson guitar from the 335 family but I once owned an Ibanez copy. (I currently own an Epiphone Casino which although great, isn’t really from the same family).

The ES-355 was the guitar Chuck Berry played. It was the guitar B.B. King played before Gibson made him a custom model with no f-holes. Guitars in the 335 family have been played by Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Freddie King, Justin Hayward, T-Bone Walker and Eric Clapton.

The Gibson ES-335 design is credited to the president of Gibson at the time, Ted McCarty.

The innovations that made it a great blues, rock and jazz guitar are:

1. Semi-hollow design with a block of wood joining the top and back and hollow wings in a thinline, double cutaway. This made the guitar lighter than many solid body guitars (such as the Les Paul), yet reduced feedback due to the solid block under the pickups.
2. A stop tail piece fastened to the top instead of a trapeze tailpiece (except for a period during the mid 1960s to the early 1970s).
3. A 19 fret neck joint allowing great access to the upper frets.
4. PAF Humbucker pickups. These guitars started with humbuckers and stayed with them.

Gibson ES-335 family

The original 335 had dot position markers and a mahogany neck. The ES-345 had double parallelogram position markers and the ES-355 had rectangular block makers on an ebony fretboard. Although I can’t verify this, I am fairly sure the ES-355 (and maybe the ES-345) had maple necks instead of mahogany. The 345 and 355 also had a multi-position Varitone switch. B.B. King liked this but most reviewers don’t think much of it.

More recent additions (and subtractions – models come and go) include the 336 and 339 variants. These are styled like a 335 but with smaller body dimensions – more along the line of a Les Paul.

The Gibson ES-330 and the Epiphone Casino are not true members of the 335 family even though there is a resemblance. These guitars are fully hollow – no solid maple block of wood beneath the pickups. The original specs also had the neck join the body at the 15th fret instead of the 335’s 19th neck join. Finally, these have always had P90 pickups – never humbuckers.

Epiphone Guitars similar to the ES-335 line.

Epiphone developed their own variations on the ES-335 after Gibson purchased the company. The Sheraton was a high-end model comparable to the ES-355. Block inlays for position markers. The original had mini-humbuckers and the Epiphone Frequensator trapeze tailpiece. These were later changed to standard humbuckers and stop tailpiece on the Sheraton II. Epiphone is currently making a 1962 re-issue of the Sheraton with the original specs including the tailpiece and the mini humbuckers. The Sheraton II is still available too.

The Riviera was another 335-like guitar. This model was less fancy than the Sheraton. It also started with mini humbuckers and a Frequensator trapeze tailpiece. But overall it wasn’t as fancy as the Sheraton. The position marker inlays were single parallelograms similar to those on the Epiphone Casino. The current model isn’t much like the orignal. It now has three P90 pickups and a Bigsby Vibrato.

Epiphone electric guitar designs after Gibson purchased the company tended to be inspired by Gibson models but with unique features and their own identity. But eventually they realized musicians on a budget wanted copies of the Gibson designs and were willing to buy them from competitors if Epiphone wouldn’t make them. In answer to this demand, Epiphone now makes ES-335 copies (The Dot and ES-335 Pro) as well as ES-339 copies. These are made overseas and don’t have genuine PAF pickups but they are a great deal for someone wanting an inexpensive 335 style guitar.

335 Style Guitars from other Makers

Guild Starfire IV. The Guild Starfire IV had been a long-time alternative to the 335 design from a wel-known American company. Fender discontinued (or maybe suspended is a better description) the entire Guild electric guitar line after they acquired the company. But they recently re-introduced selected electric models based on their classic designs and one of these is the Starfire IV. It is part of what they are calling their Newark St. collection.

Washburn HB35. Washburn has several 335 style guitars listed on their website. The classic is the HB35 although there is now a Vintage model named the HB36. There are also some other lower-priced HB3x models. I can’t find any of the large, online music stores that currently sell the HB35 model. The late blues guitarist Son Seals played an HB35 for part of his career.

Yamaha SA2200. Yamaha has made some excellent 335 style guitars. Unfortunately they are not widely distributed in the US. Their website indicates the SA2200 (below) and the less expensive SA500 are still in production. I notice jazz guitarists playing these occasionally. The SA2200 has a gorgeous flamed maple guitar and the series got good reviews back when they were more widely distributed.

Ibanez. Ibanez has a number of semi-hollow double-cutaway thinline guitars that could be alternatives to a Gibson ES-335. The Artstar AS153 is one of their top-line instruments. The AM93 and AS93 are less expensive models.

The Ibanez 335 copy I once owned had more of the traditional Gibson 335 shape than the current Ibanez line. It had a brown walnut finish and a trapeze tailpiece making it similar to the late 1960s 335s. I’ve been trying to remember why I traded that guitar in. It may have been because something was loose inside – easily fixed. Only, I wanted a Strat – which is what I traded it for. My loss. Wish I still had it now.

Eastman.Eastman makes an excellent line of 335 style guitars. Like everything else they do, these are good, quality instruments, made overseas but to very high standards. They are priced and fit in the middle range – less expensive than a genuine Gibson ES-335 but more expensive than most of the imported competitors. The T486 model has double parallelogram position markers like the Gibson ES-345. The T386 has a dot neck and is comparable to a Gibson ES-335 with laminated maple top for just a bit over $1000. That price includes a hardshell case.

Eastman also has a higher end series with carved maple tops and carved mahogany backs and sides. They have 3 models, all with dot neck position markers. They vary in lower bout width. The T186MX has a traditional 16″ width while the 185MX and T184MX models have 15″ and 14″ widths. These are between (approximately) $2000 and and $2250 – so still a lot less than most Gibsons.

The debate between Epiphone vs Gibson may seem a lot like the one between Squier vs Fender. It’s not. it’s less clear than that.

Squier guitars are largely less expensive versions of Fender models. However, Epiphone offers less expensive versions of Gibson models but also many models not found in the Gibson catalog.

History of Epiphone and Gibson

Back in the 1930s Epiphone and Gibson were rivals. They competed in the archtop guitar market and early electric guitars. By the late 1950s Epiphone was giving Gibson so much competition that Gibson purchased Epiphone in 1957.

If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em! (it’s a time-tested business tactic.)

Price difference between Epiphone vs Gibson

In the years that followed the acquisition Epiphone became known for low-end versions of Gibson models. Not long ago many viewed Epiphone as only a discount Gibson brand. The supposed reason for Epiphone’s existence was to make cheap Les Pauls and SGs. This line of thinking held that these cheaper models would compete with the counterfeit versions coming out of China.

This has changed dramatically in recent years. Gibson has started offering low cost (for Gibson) guitars that bear the Gibson name. For example, the Gibson M2 Melody Maker sells for $400, which is well within the price range for an Epiphone guitar. At the same time, Epiphone has started making more expensive models.

For instance, the Epiphone 1965 Elitist Casino sells for $2,000. That sits right in the Gibson sweet spot of pricing yet proudly bears the Epiphone logo. Clearly the companies are trying to blend the images of these two brands.
Time will tell if it’s a winning strategy, or another bungle like Gibson’s robot-tuner enabled mistakes of 2015.

The final aspect of price is retained value. Gibson guitars retain more of their original value in the used market than Epiphones, generally speaking.

Epiphone quality vs Gibson quality

After price, the most important difference in most hobbyists minds is that of quality.

Which is better quality – Gibson or Epiphone?

Gibson guitars offer better quality parts and wood but the differences go beyond base materials. Epiphone has a reputation for using a variety of wood types in a single guitar body. Gibson typically sticks to one type. For example, Epiphone might make a body out of less expensive poplar and put a thin maple veneer over it.

The question for the player is whether this makes any difference top the quality of the guitar as a whole. Most players don’t notice the difference between tone woods in an electric guitar they way they would in an acoustic guitar. This is especially true for hobbyists.

One other difference between Epiphone and Gibson construction is in the number of pieces of wood used in the body. Both use multiple segments, but Gibson is usually no more than 2 or 3 pieces glued together, where Epiphone can be many more. This leads to the use of a solid veneer to disguise the connection points for a better aesthetic.

Pickups and hardware differences

It’s a good rule of thumb that the cheaper the guitar, the lower quality the hardware it will have. This rule hold true in our comparison of Epiphone vs Gibson as well. Gibson guitars typically have higher quality components.

In fact, the more affordable Gibson models (think the M2 Melody Maker) even use Epiphone ProBucker pickups!

Another rule of thumb is that Gibson guitars come with better stock pickups than Epiphones. This isn’t a big deal though because pickups are easy to swap. Besides, those better pickups are baked into the higher price of the Gibsons. It’s hardly a mark against Epiphones.

Bottom Line: Epiphone vs Gibson

Epiphone gets a bad rap as being a poor quality Gibson, but that’s really no longer true. What is true is that you get better quality with a Gibson guitar, but better value with an Epiphone guitar. If you’re a professional musician or a collector/investor then Gibson is the way to go. But for the other 99%, Epiphone is a fine choice.

Popular Epiphone Guitars

The G-310 is styled after the Gibson SG, but sells as a fraction of the cost.

The SG is a signature guitar for the likes of Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Paul Weller, Angus Young and Derek Trucks. The Epiphone G-310 is your chance to own a comparable guitar at an affordable price.

The Epiphone G-310 is built to the same dimensions as the vintage Gibson SGs or the 1960s, and with the same techniques as those used in the original Kalamazoo factory. It’s a well balanced guitar, unlike many cheaper clones that tend to be neck-heavy.

The Epiphone Dot is capable of producing a wide range of tone that makes it a very versatile electric guitar that’s great for beginners. It’s also a Semi-hollowbody, which means it has an acoustic element to it as well as electric, and has more resonance than a solid body electric guitar.

The Epiphone Dot is well suited to classic rock, country, blues and jazz styles.

The Epiphone Dot is Epiphone’s version of the Gibson ES 335 “Dot” (made famous by the likes of Eric Clapton, BB King, Albert Lee, Chuck Berry, Larry Carlton, Dave Grohl and Roy Orbison) and is one of the best deals today for guitar players who want the classic sound of an ES 335 at an affordable price.

Popular Gibson Guitars

The CM features a mahogany body, topped with carved maple. The neck is a comfortable, rounded C profile made of maple. It also features Gibson’s controversial “G force” tuning system, which basically tunes the guitar for you in a variety of tunings (Standard, DADGAD, Dropped-D, etc….)

So why is it so cheap?

At less than $1000, the Les Paul CM is a budget Gibson to be sure. The reason you can buy a Gibson so “cheap” is because the quality of wood is considered “C” grade, as opposed to the higher “A” range. All this means is that the wood grain is not as pleasing to the eye. Some people would argue that it affects the sound, but this is debatable on a guitar selling in the sub-thousand dollar price point.

Having a single pickup also helps keep production costs down.

Gibson Les Paul Tribute, Faded Honey Burst

Epiphone Casino Elitist Vs Gibson Es 335

The Les Paul Tribute is more of what you expect from Gibson. Traditional A-grade mahogany-maple woods. Vintage Keystone style tuners and finish give this guitar the look and feel you expect from a Gibson.

The tone is vintage Gibson as well. The Tribute comes with 2 humbucking pickups : a 490R and a 490T, both with a bit more bite than a standard PAF style pickup.

The Gibson Les Paul Tribute is made in the USA, which also contributes to its price.

Gibson Es 335 Vs Epiphone Casino Deluxe

Here’s a Les Paul standard in beautiful Blueberry Burst finish. The standard is made using AAA-grade flame top maple for that classic “burst” finish, with a blueberry twist. The look may be classic but the electronics are modern. All four of the volume and tone knobs are push-pull, meaning you get even more versatility in pickup tone.

Speaking of pickups.. The Les Paul Standard is decked out in dual upgraded PAF style Burstbucker Pro pickups in the neck and bridge positions.

Gibson Es 335 Vs Epiphone Casino

Upgraded hardware puts the finishing touches on the beauty.