Robben Ford Discussion

[bluenote]

Hello dear friends, I have been scheming and dreaming of ways to get my hands on a 335, and finally I'm ready. Which is my way of saying I finally scraped up the dough. Can you give me any do's and dont's on what a long time fender player should look for? My theory is find one I like, plug in and if it sounds the way it should and plays the way it should buy it, however I have heard people say new ones are crap, or watch out the use plywood for the tops, and other urban myths..... myself I would look to be sure the head stock has never been cracked or any other such damage. Can you offer any thoughts on trapeze vs fixed bridge, dot neck vs block inlays...sorry for my ignorance but I would hate to jump on this before consulting any 335 pros and end up not knowing what i should have looked for. thanks.
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herbalaire review

[PaulG]

You should get plenty of info here, as I know many of this forum partcipants are 335 loyalists. I am no expert, and certainly not much of a player, but here's what I gathered before I got my '66.

You didn't mention what you are willing/able to spend. But I'm assuming your not planning on dropping $30K on a vintage '59. If you are, you don't need my advice.

I'd heard that the stop tail helps with sustain, but I also have friends that prefer the trapeze for the tone. I believe it's a matter of what tone you want and which style you play. I don't have much of a need to 'sustain for days', as many guitar adds boast. I'm more than happy with my trapeze and wouldn't change it. To get a vintage piece with a factory stop tail, you'll pay more.
The neck on mine is it's best feature. I have better guitars technically, but none has the neck of my 335. I'm always judging other prospective axes by this neck and I'm almost always dissapointed.

I had heard that the DOT reissues from I believe 82-83 were well made and truest to the originals to date. I still keep an eye out for them. I cannot offer any info on the newer reissues or Custom Shops out there. Only that I find it a bit absurd to pay such prices for a decaled Alvin Lee signature model. Please!

Most importantly, if you choose a 335, get the 'burst!
Good luck and happy hunting!

[telefunk1]

Agree with the 82-83 comment. I had an 82 reissue that I used for years in a blues band with a Super Twin - a great combination of sustain, power and tone. Have not priced these lately but I bet they are pretty steep. I had several others (and a really cool 330 that would feedback like a mother - great fun) all with the stop tail piece.

Go for the blond - everyone has the burst!

[Bill Morgan]

A few things to keep in mind.

1. Weight. Some 335's weigh a ton, so if that is something that might concern you, be sure to personally check out any guitar you are considering buying.

2. The necks on most 335's are the 60's "slim taper" neck, which I call the pencil neck. It's worse on some guitars than others, but for me, the pencil neck is pretty much unplayable. If you might have a problem with that, be sure to play a few before you decide. I also find that here in Japan where the weather goes from cold and dry to hot and humid, it makes the neck on my 335 twist around like a pretzel from time to time. A truss rod tweak seems to take care of it, but it's something to think about.

3. Changing the electronics on a 335 is a total pain in the butt. If you have someone who can do it for you, then don't hesitate to give them wads of cash to do so. It'll be worth it. On the other hand, if you can find a guitar that you like as-is, then go for it. It is possible to change pickups by "cheating", i.e. you can cut the wire off the old pickup and splice it on to the new one so you don't have to remove the pots and switch. I confess to being a cheater when it comes to replacing pups on a 335 type guitar.

4. There are other brands of semi type guitars, and you may want to consider some of them before going with a Gibson. I have an Epiphone Sheraton II that is quite nice, although the hardware is a bit on the cheap side. That is easily replaced though. The Ibanez John Scofield model is also a really nice guitar.

5. If you must have a Gibson, see if you can check out a 333 to see if you like it. They are cheaper, just as well made (if you can live with the finish), and a whole lot easier to work on. Also, the Historic line is better made, and tends to have better necks than the standard models, although they are more expensive.

I really do love semi's. It's hard to beat them for tone and versatility. However, at the risk of great personal embarrassment, I will confess that I just bought an Epiphone AlleyKat, and am absolutely in love with it. It's kind of a cross between a semi and a Les Paul, but lighter than either one. The body is shaped somewhat like a Les Paul, with F holes. It has a full-size humbucker at the bridge, and a mini humbucker at the neck. And it sounds really cool. It's hard to believe that with all the expensive guitars I have, I seem to have ended up with a $500 Epiphone.

Good luck with your search.

Bill

[Leftbender]

I think, although you have the money, you should be patient and visit several shops and play the 335's they have. At last pick one you like. I copy Bill's advice on the slim taper neck. These necks are not all the same. So you need to find one that has the right "feel" for you. Also be carfull that th neck has no "hump" where it touches the body. Older instruments can have this. In this case you will have string buzz in the upper regions of the neck. If you can affort it, please also concider the Gibson CS336. This is also a wonderfull semi-accoustic that has the same neck specs as the 335 but a smaller and differently build body. These guitars realy sound awsome.
Good luck hunting! And we will wait for the pictures!
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"Don't play what's there, play what's not there" Miles Davis

[nineacres]

Bluenote - I would strongly suggest checking out a Heritage 535. They're made by the same people who made the original Gibson 335s and are absolutely superb guitars. Check out the reviews on Harmony Central for an idea of what other Heritage owners are saying.

Oh, and enjoy the thrill of the chase!!! There's nothing like the exitement of (first of all having the cash;-) and then) looking around, asking around and weighing things up in your mind before actually committing yourself. Hope you are really happy with whatever you choose to buy.
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"Creativeness often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were only thought up a little more than a century ago?" - Bernice Fitz-Gibbon 1894-1982

[bluenote]

Thank you all for you helpful insights so far on my 335 quest. I intend on searching high and low for the right one, I did play a 336 and it was awsome and i am still considering it too, funky headstock, but it played like butter and sounded great. I dont want to get impatient and jump on something too quickly. All your comments are a great help if you have any more shoot em on over.
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GM-6-speed automatic transmission

[telefunk1]

Some excellent comments and advice here, as usual. I have to echo Bill's humidity concern - I used my 335 when I was living in Houston and had similar problems, especially playing outdoors (solution - turn it up).

One other comment I would add is about safety. Looking back, I think the main reasaon I stopped using the 335 is that I got tired of worrying about it on stage during breaks, and set up and tear down times. One false step and you are looking at major repairs. (OK, I wasn't playing in the best of clubs and this was a serious concern - lots of drunks, no security, and low or no stage to seperate the patrons from the players). A tele will stop a bullet, or beer bottle, but a 335 is a different beast.

[bluenote]

I hear ya telefunk, the 335 would only go to choice gigs...i keep a close eye on all my stuff. In the 80's i was either stupid or on drugs (both) but i used to leave all my pedals on the stage and stash my guiters behind my amp and go home. In the 80's we got 2 and 3 night stands now they are almost all one nighters. Thanks all for the tips.
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Honda C71, C76, C72, C77 Dream specifications

[Aeolian]

335's are the most variable guitars I've ever found. I've played bunches and owned several before I found my keeper. Some are mellow, some have a really woody sound, some have that bright attack like Chris Cain's, and everything inbetween. The vintage doesn't matter as much as how the plywood and the rest of it come together. I do prefer the one piece necks. And as Bill mentioned, the shape of the neck is all over the place. I've found the Heritage one's to be more consistent. You probably want a stop tailpiece unless you want a soft response. The Carlton model has the stop tailpiece further back, and while this usually mellows the guitar a bit (I had this done to one of mine) the one LC that I played had a wonderful balance and response. But that might be out of your price range.

You just have to keep playing them until you find the one that does it for you. I love mine. It puts every other guitar I have, or most I've tried to shame. It has almost unlimited dynamic response. You can touch it softly and it will be clear and warm, and it is almost impossible to hit it too hard. The notes still hold up solidly. Coupled with a really responsive amp like my Fuchs, you can get a huge range of variation just with your hands.
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There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com

[frank0936]

Aeolian, you are absolutely right about the 335's versatility. I have an Ibanez AS80. While it's not a "real" 335 it is still an incredible instrument. It responds so well to picking style. I can play it easy and make it sound sweet or really dig into it and it will give out an incredible growl. It really makes an average player like me sound good - okay, maybe not good, but at least better!
Frank

[JackD]

I have several of these (or similar) guitars. I posted some photos on the thread on 335s vs. 336s. I've also owned other 335s and a couple of 330s. I love these guitars. Here's some more comments:

I had an '83 reissue. It sounded a bid dark for me. I traded it with a friend of mine who had a '93 (back in around '95). This guitar (the '93) is now my main guitar. It is brighter and more responsive than the '83 was. It also plays great. I had the pickups ('57 classics) changed to Fralin Unbuckers, which I like very much. The guitar is VERY sweet playing and sounding. Like all my guitars, I've had the frets changed to 6000 fretwire.

My '67 vintange 335 is wonderful. It has the trap tail piece. It is a fantastic blues machine. Sounds like BB and Freddie! It's not as refined as my '93 reissue. Also, the patent number pickups are killer--especially the neck pickup which is almost like a P-90. If you can try a vintage one, do so. You'll have to try a few to find one you like. Mine was an eBay special, but I lucked out. These are getting expensive. I'd suggest getting one no newer than a '68.

Good luck!

[bluenote]

I see what your saying about buying a vintage instrument....I'm still a little wigged out about the E-bay thing, I mean for a vintage instrument since the necks and tones vary so much. I would hate to cough up some major dough and then be disappointed. Ah the search continues! thanks for all your comments folks.
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ipod games

[yebdox]

Hi, guys,

I have a '95 Dot re-issue (not custom shop) that I think is great, after swapping out the 57 classics with Van Zandts, tapping the coils with a push/pull tone control and having it Feitenized. I didn't look around much when I bought it new, just thought it played and sounded good, woodier than my 73 LP custom. I was just beginning to afford a few more guitars after being broke in grad school for a few years and was happy to finally get a 335! I did have a little twist in the neck that Mike Lull (Seattle - great shop!) fixed for me when he did the mods recently. I love the size of a 335, but I'm 6'4", so I like something I can hang on to. The pick up swap really opened up the sound, can't say I ever really liked the classics. My next choice would be the WR Coils, but the van Zandts sound really nice, not too powerful, and a nice match for a guitar that gets used equally for jazz and blues.

I can't offer much in the way of multi-335 expertise, but I think I have a great guitar and for less than an arm and a leg. I would love to play an older one and see what all the spazzambo is about, but my experience over the years is that if you start with a pretty good guitar and monkey with pickups, as well as an expert set up, you often wind up with a great guitar that you are not afraid of playing out with. I know a little about it, though I wouldn't consider myself an expert - I currently have 3 strats, all modified with different pickups and bridges, my old 73 LP custom with tapped coils, a 57 goldtop RI, a 98 Wes L5, 52 Tele RI with Kinmans, a couple of acoustics and my newest baby, a 2000 Ibanez GB10. None of these are collectors guitars, but I love every one of them, and except for the two archtops, they have all been modified to some degree (I take that back - the L5 has been Feitenized).

I have heard that 336s are great guitars, as well, but I would imagine the tone won't be quite as woody sounding as a 335, given that they are carved from a single piece of mahogany with a maple cap (I think that's how its done, forgive me if I'm wrong). Why not get both? While I'm on it, the older Epi casinos with the mini-buckers were great guitars, as well, I used to play a friends' all the time in the late 70's, but I imagine the price on those is probably more than a new Dot RI with a pro set up. I have no idea how the newer ones sound.

Hope this helps - just trust that the right guitar will find you!

[Bill Morgan]

Just to add a little fuel to the fire, a few days ago I bought a Tokai version of the 335, and after replacing the pups with Fralins (which didn't make all that much difference), I put my 335 back in its case to collect dust in the corner. These Tokai guitars are amazing. The only problem is they are becoming quite popular so they are hard to get and the prices keep going up. The model I got is the ES130 (replaced by the 135 and then the 145), and it compares quite favorably to my '59 ES-345. Great neck and tone.

Bill

With the original pups:


With the Fralins: