Gibson ES-339 Studio Electric Guitar (with Gig Bag)
Take away the f-holes, binding and neck pickup, add a smoking Dirty Fingers + humbucker -- and voila! You get a stripped-down ES-339 that is a tonal bad boy.
Overall User Ratings (based on 2 ratings)
Submitted June 8, 2015 by Robert F in Pocatello, ID
"Very solid, but lacking setup."
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Finish on mine I received recently was very decent. No noticeable issues in the fit+finish, but the setup was dismal even for the approximately 2 years that'd passed between it leaving Gibson and getting to me. High E was unusable out of box.
After about an hour of setup work on my bench, it now plays stupidly well, perhaps as well as *any* guitar I own.
Sonic options are more varied than I expected - rolling the tone to about 50% nets fairly classic 335-type tones, and the pickup is incredibly high output as claimed. Can run it at 50% and it still sounds good, but full-open it has a throaty, discernable voice that works well providing you don't want to accompany a gospel band in a sensitive funeral service.
I don't blame Zzounds at all - box was still sealed from Gibson, and I"m very happy with the instrument, just be aware that like many Gibsons, it's going to need more than just a quick tweak to get playing well (or at all, in this case).
Sound
Sounds like a 335 on steroids, which is what I expected. Much more full-range sound than I'm used to from a bridge bucker, which is not a bad thing.
Features
The non-standard color and the lack of F-holes were a huge reason for purchase in my case, even though I was considering another semi- or full-hollow instrument.
You don't see those every day.
Only thing that feels cheap on it are the tone/volume knobs, which is an easy fix. Wish they'd used speed knobs. The ones included reminded me of the cheap stuff that gets shipped on imports, not on MIA guitars.
Ease of Use
Once set up properly, very playable. If I couldn't have done my own setups, I would have shipped it back in a heartbeat. I'm used to minor tweaking ordering online - but some $300 Fender-style guitars have arrived with better setup even after surviving a container ship ride.
Bucker is more versatile than I'd have thought, it does perfectly good clean but not surprisingly, shines with pedals and amps that like high output PUs.
Quality
Under the hood, everything looks good. Tuners are top-notch, the fretwork is much better than I'd expect on a Studio, and the finish is even and not sticky by nitro standards at all. It's the glorious love-child I wanted between a 335 and a LP DC (the two things I was considering before buying this!).
Also, the included gig bag was actually decent - doesn't seem like an afterthought, and if I still gigged, I might use this providing I was the one handling the instrument.
Value
Compared to a current production Epiphone Casino I got last year from Zzounds, it's got a little better finish, the tuners especially are better, and it feels just a little more solid. You can tell where some of the money difference is. Is it worth twice the price of the Casino? Heck if I know, but I'm enjoying them both.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't dealt with Gibson on this one. However, let it be known that there's no product manual or anything other than a certificate of authenticity included in the package. If you need an owner's manual, etc...you're going to be visiting the Internet.
The Wow Factor
If you've ever wanted a blacked-out stealth 335 or 339, this is your guitar - no F holes, no chrome, . In a perfect world, it would have had speed knobs and a matching black chrome PU cover..but you can't have everything. It makes me happy every time I pick it up, and because of that I can't see myself being unhappy any time soon.
Musical Background:
Seriously retired home recording guy with lots of fun toys and live experience.
Musical Style:
Free jazz, noise, soundscapes, instrumental
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Submitted January 6, 2014 by Chris Ashcraft in Yellville, AR
"Gibson ES-339 Studio Electric Guitar"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I like the guitar ok...It plays well, sounds good, but the finish is lacking.......
Musical Background:
I've been playing guitar for 44 years, have played in bands...Jam at home now.
Musical Style:
Rock, Metal, Blues....
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