Gibson ES 339?
 

Hey friends,

I'm really interested in this guitar and wanted to hear your opinions. Looking at one right now for a fair price.

I currently have a Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro and a PRS CE22.

Thanks for your input

My experience with one was brief. Seemed more like Les Paul than most semi and completely hollow electrics. I believe they can have a thin or thicker neck.

If you are keeping your Les Paul you might want to try true hollow body models too. I can't say how much it changes electric tone but I have a PRS Hollow Body and I notice that it makes tone when unplugged that the ES Gibsons with block in center don't. Same for trying other Gibsons and some others.

Heritage Prospect or other Heritage models might interest you. A friend's Heritage 535 or 555 and some other Heritage models I tried had higher quality finish than similar Gibsons.

...i bought one when they first came out...i used to play 335's but switched to teles and strats in the early eighties....i gigged with it a few times and thought it was the most versatile Gibson i'd ever had...the "Memphis" tone circuit allowed it to get almost Fendery but its forte was definitely Les Paul-like tones....nice size...i had the 50's neck carve which i didn't like as much as i thought i would....ultimately i'm just a Fender guy so off it went

I think they're excellent.

Sounds like a semi hollow-- woody cleans on the neck pickup, plenty of sustain...the perfect guitar for someone who likes a 335 but finds them a little big. Semi hollows don't sound that different than solidbodies--but they have a few tones that cross the bridge between solid and fully hollow....that's their magic...other than that, the big benefits are lighter weight and great looks...

Another thing players like about a semi hollow is the ability for the guitar to be a bit bigger in the body (more comfortable for some to hold) without getting ridiculously heavy. Since the 339 is smaller, it's more of a guitar for the solid body player who wants to save a little weight and get in on some of those special semi-hollow tones...