ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
User avatar
WilburBufferson
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 4:41 am

ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by WilburBufferson » Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:52 pm

I love the sound of an ES-335: that extra depth, woodiness, dimension. So much so, that I've bought and sold 4 of them over the years. There's something about the design/hollow cavities that adds to the sound. But.... ergonomically, they don't work for me sitting down. It's the position of the lower cutaway/bout that makes it feel like the guitar is falling down behind me.

So tell me friends, how close can I get to *that* sound with all the comfort and joy of a JM/JAG body shape? Certainly I can't be the only one who feels this way? 8)

User avatar
Embenny
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 10363
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by Embenny » Mon Jul 25, 2022 7:06 pm

You won't get the unplugged sound and response of a 335 without duplicating its construction. That means a 24.75" scale mahogany set neck, TOM/stop tailpiece, center block and laminated maple top, etc.

And having owned a really good 335, it's really the playing experience/acoustic response that sets it apart. Any Gibson-format guitar with two PAFs the right distance apart (eg, not an SG) can be made to sound extremely similar plugged in. I doubt anybody could pick out a 335 blind from a recording.

It's the feel that really makes it its own class of guitar. Everything from the big but thin body to the way it vibrates acoustically makes it very different to play than a Les Paul or other Gibson, but the plugged in tone could probably be matched pretty accurately by an offset with a 24.75" scale neck, TOM/stop tailpiece, and correctly positioned pickups.

I had a Les Paul, Flying V, and 335 with similar pickups, and I'll be darned if I could identify them by tone with someone else playing them through arbitrary amp settings. They all felt amazingly different and changed the way I played to suit their strengths, but that tone can be copped by any Gibson-format guitar with the right pickup spacing.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

User avatar
MattK
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3571
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Hobart, Australia

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by MattK » Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:04 pm

I guess the Starcaster reissues are an obvious suggestion - the Squier Affinity has standard size hums, stoptail/TOM and is semi hollow and 24.75" scale. Presumably the pickups could be upgraded.
Image

User avatar
barrycreed
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 7:05 am

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by barrycreed » Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:13 pm

ESP also do a slightly offset 335 type guitar.

User avatar
Lost In Autumn
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:01 am
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by Lost In Autumn » Tue Jul 26, 2022 12:54 am

MatthewK wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:04 pm
I guess the Starcaster reissues are an obvious suggestion - the Squier Affinity has standard size hums, stoptail/TOM and is semi hollow and 24.75" scale. Presumably the pickups could be upgraded.
Image
it's 25.5" scale. The pickups are ceramic hot trash. with new pickups and a 24.75" conversion neck, you could perhaps get in the ballpark. That said, the plywood construction of these makes them not quite as woody and airy as the real thing.

I've done a couple semi-hollow offsets in carved ash that have a pretty lively feel:

this J Mascis Japan inspired JM has sound chambers, but no f-hole:
Image

while this Starmaster goes all the way:
Image

User avatar
Shadoweclipse13
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 12435
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue Jul 26, 2022 3:16 am

Starcaster was my thought as well. I feel like there are a few people that make them, or a version of it, where you might be able to find exactly what you want. Warmoth has the Mooncaster, as well as 24.75" conversion necks. Or a Bilt Volare.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

User avatar
ryanthellama
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 131
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 5:02 pm

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by ryanthellama » Tue Jul 26, 2022 11:46 am

I've never played one, but I recently heard good things about the Rivolta Regata

Image

User avatar
Larry Mal
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 19673
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 4:25 pm
Location: Saint Louis, MO

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by Larry Mal » Tue Jul 26, 2022 1:18 pm

Those look really nice.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

User avatar
WilburBufferson
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 4:41 am

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by WilburBufferson » Wed Jul 27, 2022 10:12 am

ryanthellama wrote:
Tue Jul 26, 2022 11:46 am
I've never played one, but I recently heard good things about the Rivolta Regata

Image
Wow, thanks! Ticks the boxes for sure. Only minus for me is if the finish is a *thick* poly. I don't mind poly, but the way that Fender is now doing it on their Pro Series guitars.

User avatar
WilburBufferson
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 4:41 am

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by WilburBufferson » Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:26 am

MatthewK wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:04 pm
I've done a couple semi-hollow offsets in carved ash that have a pretty lively feel: this Starmaster goes all the way:
Image
That is FANTASTIC!!!

User avatar
fuzzjunkie
Expat
Expat
Posts: 7280
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:32 am
Location: Seattle

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:17 pm

Image

The Novo Miris is a seriously good looking guitar, but it’s 25.5” scale.

User avatar
WilburBufferson
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 14, 2014 4:41 am

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by WilburBufferson » Thu Jul 28, 2022 2:47 am

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:17 pm
Image

The Novo Miris is a seriously good looking guitar, but it’s 25.5” scale.
How did you know that GREEN guitars are my thing? That is seriously awesome. How did you acquire it? Did you order direct? Do you find that the scale changes the sound appreciably (I realize that the design strays quite a bit in other aspects from the 335).

User avatar
fuzzjunkie
Expat
Expat
Posts: 7280
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:32 am
Location: Seattle

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Thu Jul 28, 2022 8:12 am

WilburBufferson wrote:
Thu Jul 28, 2022 2:47 am
fuzzjunkie wrote:
Wed Jul 27, 2022 6:17 pm
Image

The Novo Miris is a seriously good looking guitar, but it’s 25.5” scale.
How did you know that GREEN guitars are my thing? That is seriously awesome. How did you acquire it? Did you order direct? Do you find that the scale changes the sound appreciably (I realize that the design strays quite a bit in other aspects from the 335).
Oh, sorry, it’s not mine. I just look at them occasionally on Instagram. It’s just serendipity that I picked the green one.

I don’t know how much the scale length affects the tone when the body is so different, but the type of pickups, how they’re positioned and the distance between them is also a factor. Just going by photos, but the bridge pickup relative to the bridge, and the distance between that pickup and the neck pickup seems to align with the ES-335. I guess that would mean the harmonics and overtones from the strings would be close to the same? Not actually the same, but it might mitigate some of the other differences?

User avatar
Lost In Autumn
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 886
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2020 3:01 am
Location: Philadelphia
Contact:

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by Lost In Autumn » Thu Jul 28, 2022 8:32 am

WilburBufferson wrote:
Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:26 am
MatthewK wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:04 pm
I've done a couple semi-hollow offsets in carved ash that have a pretty lively feel: this Starmaster goes all the way:
Image
That is FANTASTIC!!!
Thanks! I could easily do one in green...

User avatar
Fiddy
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 12391
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:38 am
Location: Canada Dry

Re: ES-335 sound in an Offset design?

Post by Fiddy » Fri Jul 29, 2022 6:45 pm

WilburBufferson wrote:
Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:26 am
MatthewK wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:04 pm
I've done a couple semi-hollow offsets in carved ash that have a pretty lively feel: this Starmaster goes all the way:
Image
That is FANTASTIC!!!
Your quoting game lacks.. MatthewK never said that :D
Last edited by Fiddy on Sat Jul 30, 2022 8:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

Post Reply