gibson es for singer songwriter

[Desolationrow]

Hi guys!! I need some help. Im a singer songwriter, only strum and voice accompaiment with the guitar,no licks, no effects, only clean tone. My only electric is a rickenbacker 330. But my dream guitar is a Gibson Es séries. In your opinion whats is the best model for that purpose? Es335, es 330,175,125? Thanks a lot

[Steve DeRosa]

Since clean tone is your primary concern, what isn't your Rick giving you that you believe a Gibson will...?

[thunderlung]

A 125 or a 175 (depending on your budget) with P-90s was my first thought.

[Puerto Player]

Originally Posted by thunderlung

A 125 or a 175 (depending on your budget) with P-90s was my first thought.

My favorite setup too.

[Desolationrow]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Since clean tone is your primary concern, what isn't your Rick giving you that you believe a Gibson will...?

thanks for the answer! i want a warmer tone,for strum i like the neck position and the rick is too twangy sometimes,like a telecaster on steroids. thanks

[Texsunburst59]

I like the 330, but I'd have to say a nice 335 is the way to go.

I think using the 335 middle pickup setting, and blending the neck and bridge can get the exact tone your looking for.

When you just need that smoky warm tone, the neck pickup will get you there.

I've got 3 amazing Gibson ES guitars.

'63 330, '70 335, & '83 335 Dot:

[J Patrick]

...i love the sound Devon Sproule gets on her es 125......

...not a great recording and by no means representative of everything she does....

[muscmp]

i would recommend that you go to your big box store and try out a lot of different guitars thru the amp you normally use. that will tell you what you are really looking for. and this is coming from someone who has es125, es125t, es125tc, es125tcd, es335 and les paul gibsons.

play music!

[MC5C]

I personally find a 335 to be too tail heavy to play sitting down without a strap, and quite heavy in general. I had two ES-125T's (the thin body cutaway) and loved them dearly. A full bodied ES175 would be great as well, very comfortable to play. Kepp in mind that while you can play these laminated top guitars acoustically, they don't have a great un-amplified sound. They are all electric guitars. Epiphone is bringing out versions of all of these that look just fine.

[jricc]

Just another thought to the ES335 thing...
There are great Guild Starfires out there at about 1/2 the price of a Gibson and will do the same thing for you. Like the late 90's Starfire IV. Just another option. Good luck in your search.

[Scotso]

I am a big fan of the es 137 followed closely by the 135. Great sound. I own a 335 but the 137 seems to be the one I pick up most. AND you can get nice specimens for far less than a 335. And close to new Starfire prices. Just keep an eye on ebay or Reverb. My other favorite would be a 339. I would say these are the cross from mating a 335 with a LP. Got LP's smaller size but look like 335. Love the sound of these. Wish I owned one.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by thunderlung

A 125 or a 175 (depending on your budget) with P-90s was my first thought.

- or for one-fourth the cost of a new ES-175 you could have a Godin CW II; if you're shopping for a P-90 hollowbody don't even think of laying down your bucks until you've given one of these a workout - the smoothness of a '50s Gibson (I understand Tony Bennett's guitarist is using one) with the liveliness of a '60s Gretsch (thanks to the thin top wood - about half the thickness of an ES) and the playability and QC Godin is known for, could be exactly what you're after...

[jricc]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

- or for one-fourth the cost of a new ES-175 you could have a Godin CW II; if you're shopping for a P-90 hollowbody don't even think of laying down your bucks until you've given one of these a workout - the smoothness of a '50s Gibson (I understand Tony Bennett's guitarist is using one) with the liveliness of a '60s Gretsch (thanks to the thin top wood - about half the thickness of an ES) and the playability and QC Godin is known for, could be exactly what you're after...

I'll second this, I love my Godin 5th Ave with P90, and I'm not a jazzer, it's just a real nice guitar.

[RussL30]

Originally Posted by Texsunburst59

I like the 330, but I'd have to say a nice 335 is the way to go.

I think using the 335 middle pickup setting, and blending the neck and bridge can get the exact tone your looking for.

When you just need that smoky warm tone, the neck pickup will get you there.

I've got 3 amazing Gibson ES guitars.

'63 330, '70 335, & '83 335 Dot:

Wow I truly envy you. I said in another thread today that a red ES 335 is my dream guitar. What a nice collection.
I can get nice tones in the middle or middle/ neck position on my Sheraton for singer songwriter stuff. Have even came up with some arrangements suing slight effects. I think a 335 style would be a great fit.

[rockabilly69]

I own or have owned most of the guitars mentioned and I can say all of them would work for what you want to do. But I feel the full hollows are more appropriate for their ability to move a bit more of the air so to say. The resonance of a true hollow seems to work well with singers, and P90s have a personality with their extended high end that I feel also works great!

I'm a fulltime musician and I play alot of singer songwriter material, and last winter season I was gigging like a madman (7 or 8 gigs that week), and I actually forgot my acoustic guitar. I couldn't believe I did that, and on top of that I was running behind so a good friend dropped off his ES330 (vintage reissue), for me to use at the gig, and I loved it! And oh yeah, he bought that ES330 because he played mine just a few months earlier