Electric Guitars Tonelicious ES-339

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
The Fender Acoustasonic's been getting almost all the love since I got it end of February; it's my go-to ride for my weekly open mics and all that.

With BGU NE 2019 just around the corner, and me thinking the Fender's not the best fit for the style of play I'll be doing there, the 339's been getting more and more attention. I've also started using a really small pedal board: just a Twiggy Blues and a tuner pedal. Playing style is really basic: mostly just chicks and now and then the mood takes me to randomly noodle around a bit.

I've had the Twiggy running the compressor at unity volume with the compression way down, like 9 o'clock, and the overdrive with gain also down around 9 and the volume just a hair over unity. This into a Bose Compact L1 PA in an attempt to get a sound similar to what I'd expect at a generic venue's PA. At bedroom volumes I have the guitar volume low, around 3-4, because ears. Neck pickup only.

Sharing all that info because it sounds really rich and enjoyable, but I've also noticed that, if I turn the Twiggy stuff off, just the 339 into the PA also sounds really, really nice. I'm far from expert at squeezing tones out of rigs but the guitar on its own does a great job to my ear—so much so that I'm seriously considering dumping the Twiggy and just running a tuner pedal with an internal battery and letting the guitar do all the tone shaping.

Maybe if I were better at taming the Twiggy, but that's one sweet guitar I have and I'm rather fond of it.

Just felt like sharing that. :Beer:
 
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Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
I haven't used any pedals at any BGU event. My Les Paul always sounded good through the Nace's that have been there. At least to me. I wouldn't even bother with the tuner pedal. Use a clip on and tune just before you take your turn on stage, then take the tuner off and put it in your case, plug in and play. The less you have to think about on stage the better your chances of having more fun. Especially the first day.

YMMV, of course.
Eric
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
I haven't used any pedals at any BGU event. My Les Paul always sounded good through the Nace's that have been there. At least to me. I wouldn't even bother with the tuner pedal. Use a clip on and tune just before you take your turn on stage, then take the tuner off and put it in your case, plug in and play. The less you have to think about on stage the better your chances of having more fun. Especially the first day.

YMMV, of course.
Eric

That's great advice, thanks! And encouraging: I do like the idea of just plug and play, and glad to know that's a viable approach at jams. I even have a Nace right here to use instead of the PA if I want. :Beer:
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
that's one sweet guitar I have and I'm rather fond of it.
Every time I hit a stretch where I'm playing my Epi 339 (like right now), as much as I like it, I always wonder what a Gibson would feel like. You're not helping my GAS at all. Just needed to let you know that. :Beer::Beer:

It also always surprises me that you don't seem to see a lot of 339s being played. Like Eric said, I think the 339 sounds really good straight to the amp...you get a bit of the airiness of the 335 with a bit more bite like a good LP. Imho, they're really good sounding, versatile guitars.

Is yours a Studio or full blown 339? I'm seeing myself at my local GC on my day off this week too test drive some, although, I don't remember seeing them stock any of them.
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
That one's looking good! The satin red model is the one that I would be looking to get. I've got a pair of Bustbuckers (a 2 in the neck and a 3 in the bridge I think) that I bought from Marv several years ago and dropped into my LP. My biased opinion is that I like the 57 Classics better, but my objectivity tries to remind me that I can't really hear a difference. I want to say that the 57s are a touch hotter, but then that may just be them being closer to the strings.

Love the 339! Like I said, to my ear it has a lot of the airiness of a 335, but it has the bite and a bit more sustain like an LP. It's a good hybrid between the two, but it's another one of those things that I have a biased opinion on. I like the 335 better because it's a 335 and the "standard." However, my hypocritical self sees me reaching for my 339 instead of the 335 when they're both on the stand.
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
My biased opinion is that I like the 57 Classics better, but my objectivity tries to remind me that I can't really hear a difference. I want to say that the 57s are a touch hotter, but then that may just be them being closer to the strings.

FWIW I had two guitars with the 57s: the short lived 335 and an ES-LP that I ended up giving to my BIL as a retirement gift. To my inexperienced ear the Burstbuckers are smoother and warmer and I prefer them. I’m learning that tone might not be best in a band mix but as primarily a solo act the smooth warmth is appealing.
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
I know I’ve posted this before but for completeness here’s my Gibby. I’ve recently removed the Bigsby as a distraction but add the FPS and this is how it looks today. The main mods are locking tuners with ebony knobs, a roller bridge, and the String Butler with a TUSQ XL nut to help tuning stability.

A8CEF019-2A9C-4221-A1AA-2A50B2E39EC8.jpeg
 

sloslunas

NM Blues
I know I’ve posted this before but for completeness here’s my Gibby. I’ve recently removed the Bigsby as a distraction but add the FPS and this is how it looks today. The main mods are locking tuners with ebony knobs, a roller bridge, and the String Butler with a TUSQ XL nut to help tuning stability.

View attachment 8694
Ditch the strap and you have a winner! Mine is cherry red and definitely a keeper...

Steve
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
To my untrained ear it's kind of hard to get a feel for the 339's tone straight into my Nace amp when all I'm doing is partial chord chicks. Yesterday I decided that for variety I'd revisit a nice instrumental by Glenn Frey called "I Dreamed There Was No War." It's slow, simple, and pretty easy to play, and when I pluck notes that thing really sings. I have the Nace set with most of the bass rolled off and the gain at noon, guitar on the neck pickup, and the tone is pure and sweet to my ear. Me likes. What pedals? :Beer:
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
Very nice! My skill level and budget don't warrant a Gibson, is the Epiphone 339 any good?

My skill level warrants a couple of sandpaper blocks, but I found it for a decent price needing a little TLC. I've not tried an Epiphone version but I know several folks here have, and speak well of them and of the ultra-cheap Firefly semi hollow that pops up now and then.
 

Dr. Ron

Nuthin’ But The Blues!
I've had my Gibson ES-339 about 5 years. Love it. I admit to primarily being a strat guy; but, I
would never part with my 339.
 

sloslunas

NM Blues
It's hard to go wrong on a 339 of any flavor. Then again, I am a humbucking strat whore. But, you would have to pry my 339 Gibson Memphis out of some very cold dead hands. YMMV

Steve
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
Very nice! My skill level and budget don't warrant a Gibson, is the Epiphone 339 any good?
I've got an Epi 339. Got it back on that second batch of them that shipped in the spring of 2013 I think it was. I tried to get in on the first bunch, but I didn't get my pre-order in quickly enough...I was too far down the list when the first ones shipped. Only difference is that mine has the Alnico Classic pups instead of the Probuckers.

I really want to rationalize getting the Gibby, but, honestly, to my hands and ear, it plays as good as my Gibby 335...the pups are a bit hotter in the 339, but I can't say they're any worse than the 59 Classics in the 335. Maybe I just got a really good one. Seriously, I was sitting in the music room last weekend trolling Reverb looking at Gibson 339s in cherry and sunburst, but the thought kept going through my head, "why do I want to drop $1600 on a used one when I have no assurance that the one in my hand isn't going to be the better guitar." I'm sure I'll end up with a Gibson 339 some day, but I haven't yet.

Imho, bang for your buck, you can't go wrong with an Epi 399.
 

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
I keep going back and forth between my strat and a 339ish Collings.
It always blows me away when I play one that hasn't been touched in a while.
I switched to the Collings I35 from the strat about a week ago and I'm loving it.
I'm quite certain in a month or two I'll fall in love with the strat again.
:sneaky:
 
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