View other reviews for this product:
heads on fire « Sweet, sweet instrument. »
Published on 01/31/12 at 08:08Body
Top Laminated Maple
Body Type Semi-Hollow, Chambered
Back Laminated Maple
Binding Single-ply, CreamNeck
Species Mahogany
Profile 30/60 Slender and ’59 Rounded
Truss Rod Traditional
Joint Angle 4° (+/- 15 seconds)Neck Fit
Joint Mortise & Tenon
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Joint Angle Tolerance +/- .005"Fingerboard
Species Rosewood
Frets 22
Radius 12"
Nut/E.O.B 1.687/2.062
Inlays Mother-of-Pearl Dots
Binding Single-ply, Cream
Other Standard Fret WireNut
Material White Corian
Width 1.687
Slots Gibson PLEK SystemHeadstock
Inlay Mother of Pearl “Holly”
Logo Pearl Gibson Inlay
Truss Rod Cover Vintage Truss Rod Cover
Angle 17 Degrees
Tuners
Model Vintage Tulip (Single Band)
Plating Nickel
Tuning Ratio 12:01Bridge
Type Tune-o-matic (ABR)
Material Zinc Surrounded by a die casting alloy
Plating NickelTailpiece
Type Stop Bar
Material ZAMAK
Plating Nickel Plated GlossHardware
Knobs Knobs Black Top Hats w/Silver Inserts
Pickguard 5-ply binding
Strings .010 - .046, Vintage Style strings
Strap Buttons Aluminum End PinsPickups
Neck Position '57 Classic
Bridge Position '57 Classic
Magnet Material Neck: Alnico II, Bridge: Alnico IIElectronics
Potentiometers Neck: Alnico II Bridge: Alnico II
Type 500k Audio Taper
Coil Wiring Parallel-Machine Wound
Toggle Switch Switchcraft Axial Toggle with Crème Toggle Cap
Output Jack 1/4" SwitchcraftFinish
Process Gloss
Sealer Nitrocellulose LacquerAntique Red Antique Vintage Sunburst Light Caramel Burst Case
Type Custom Shop Silkscreened Case
Case Exterior Black Pleather
Case Interior Charcoal PlushAccessories
Certificate of Authenticity Custom Shop COA
Additional Materials Owners Manual, Adjustment Literature, Lifetime Warranty Information
UTILIZATION
Whoa! Gibson is really onto something here. They've had the ES-335 for a long time, since about 1958. While that truly is a great guitar, it has a rather large body. A few years ago, some genius at Gibson decided to make a scaled-down version of the 335, but keep the neck at the proper length. Thusly, the 339 was born! All the good things one would expect from a high end Gibson - great craftsmanship, gorgeous finish, solid hardware - it's here. The playability is very nice - it's the 30/60 neck, which means it's akin to the neck carve of their 60s models, yet with an extra three hundredths of an inch added on for more resonance.
SOUNDS
This gets a ten. A solid, perfect 10. The 339 has a very sweet tone - sweet as a baby eating chocolate ice cream. The overall resonance of the guitar is very pronounced - this axe vibrates in your hands, and you can FEEL every note. The F-holes allow the acoustic sound to project more when unplugged, but the magic is in the plugged in sound. These pickups are wonderful! I've always loved the '57 Classics from Gibson, and these pickups are the perfect combination for this guitar's body. Rock, blues, jazz, funk, whatever - it all lives inside this axe.
OVERALL OPINION
Breathtakingly good. I'm so impressed with this guitar. I'd have given it a ten if it was just a bit less expensive and had better inlays, like split parallelograms. Gibsons can be a bit pricey for what they are, especially for something like a Les Paul. However, this one is still priced very well for the quality of guitar it is. I'd recommend anyone try this baby out!
Top Laminated Maple
Body Type Semi-Hollow, Chambered
Back Laminated Maple
Binding Single-ply, CreamNeck
Species Mahogany
Profile 30/60 Slender and ’59 Rounded
Truss Rod Traditional
Joint Angle 4° (+/- 15 seconds)Neck Fit
Joint Mortise & Tenon
Adhesive Franklin Titebond 50
Joint Angle Tolerance +/- .005"Fingerboard
Species Rosewood
Frets 22
Radius 12"
Nut/E.O.B 1.687/2.062
Inlays Mother-of-Pearl Dots
Binding Single-ply, Cream
Other Standard Fret WireNut
Material White Corian
Width 1.687
Slots Gibson PLEK SystemHeadstock
Inlay Mother of Pearl “Holly”
Logo Pearl Gibson Inlay
Truss Rod Cover Vintage Truss Rod Cover
Angle 17 Degrees
Tuners
Model Vintage Tulip (Single Band)
Plating Nickel
Tuning Ratio 12:01Bridge
Type Tune-o-matic (ABR)
Material Zinc Surrounded by a die casting alloy
Plating NickelTailpiece
Type Stop Bar
Material ZAMAK
Plating Nickel Plated GlossHardware
Knobs Knobs Black Top Hats w/Silver Inserts
Pickguard 5-ply binding
Strings .010 - .046, Vintage Style strings
Strap Buttons Aluminum End PinsPickups
Neck Position '57 Classic
Bridge Position '57 Classic
Magnet Material Neck: Alnico II, Bridge: Alnico IIElectronics
Potentiometers Neck: Alnico II Bridge: Alnico II
Type 500k Audio Taper
Coil Wiring Parallel-Machine Wound
Toggle Switch Switchcraft Axial Toggle with Crème Toggle Cap
Output Jack 1/4" SwitchcraftFinish
Process Gloss
Sealer Nitrocellulose LacquerAntique Red Antique Vintage Sunburst Light Caramel Burst Case
Type Custom Shop Silkscreened Case
Case Exterior Black Pleather
Case Interior Charcoal PlushAccessories
Certificate of Authenticity Custom Shop COA
Additional Materials Owners Manual, Adjustment Literature, Lifetime Warranty Information
UTILIZATION
Whoa! Gibson is really onto something here. They've had the ES-335 for a long time, since about 1958. While that truly is a great guitar, it has a rather large body. A few years ago, some genius at Gibson decided to make a scaled-down version of the 335, but keep the neck at the proper length. Thusly, the 339 was born! All the good things one would expect from a high end Gibson - great craftsmanship, gorgeous finish, solid hardware - it's here. The playability is very nice - it's the 30/60 neck, which means it's akin to the neck carve of their 60s models, yet with an extra three hundredths of an inch added on for more resonance.
SOUNDS
This gets a ten. A solid, perfect 10. The 339 has a very sweet tone - sweet as a baby eating chocolate ice cream. The overall resonance of the guitar is very pronounced - this axe vibrates in your hands, and you can FEEL every note. The F-holes allow the acoustic sound to project more when unplugged, but the magic is in the plugged in sound. These pickups are wonderful! I've always loved the '57 Classics from Gibson, and these pickups are the perfect combination for this guitar's body. Rock, blues, jazz, funk, whatever - it all lives inside this axe.
OVERALL OPINION
Breathtakingly good. I'm so impressed with this guitar. I'd have given it a ten if it was just a bit less expensive and had better inlays, like split parallelograms. Gibsons can be a bit pricey for what they are, especially for something like a Les Paul. However, this one is still priced very well for the quality of guitar it is. I'd recommend anyone try this baby out!