Gibson Custom ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with 30/60 Neck  

Out of the box, the fingerboard plays as good any player could hope for, coming from the factory.  The tone and volume knobs have a great feel with no skips or slips in the pot range.  The tuning heads all feel perfectly uniform and all respond the same way.  The size was an unexpected joy.  Having a guitar that feels like a Les Paul, but plays like a 335 makes me giddy.  The finish... wow, the finish is fanstastic!

Every inch of the guitar feels sturdy, precise, and "crafted"  By crafted, I mean that you can tell that personal attention was paid the guitar in your hands.  It doesn't feel like a clone.  It feels like a custom-built gem.  The finish is so beautiful.  I got the Antique Sunburst and the picture on the website doesn't do it justice.  I gasped when I open the case for the first time.  It's simply gorgeous!

It's a lot of money.  It really is.  Do I think it's worth it... yes.  I feel so happy knowing that I know have a guitar that I can keep for the rest of my life, and hopefully hand-down to one of my children (if they decide to play).  I absolutely think it's a good value, I simply wish the whole guitar world in general would just do away with the quality concessions found within the void of the $500-$1500 market and bring down the price of high quality instruments like this.

There's a number of terrific Gibson's out there.  Should you consider this new addition in the same class as the established Gibson lineup (335, 175, Les Paul, SG, etc.)?  Yes.  I did not think there was a need for a Gibson that played like a 335, but the size of a Les Paul, but I was wrong.  I used to be firm in my thinking that if you wanted to play rock, you'd always need an electric, and if you wanted to play blues or jazz, you'd always need a full-sized hollow or semi-hollow.  With the 339, you need only one.  This guitar rips with high gain tones that can fill out any rock tune, and also has the smooth sparkle for jazz.  The title for my review, "Malcom in the Middle" refers to what I feel this guitar is.  The middle child between Gibson's lineup of electrics and semi-hollows.  Just like Malcom, this guitar comes across and the smartest and most surprising addition to the Gibson family. 

I play primarily blues and jazz - this guitar has the full range of tones you might want for that style of music, but will rock as well (see any of the demos on Youtube).  The 339 has a richer tone than the 335s I have played; clear, not muddy on the neck pickup.  Played through a Vox AC15 or AC30, the tone is just incomparable.  The 30/60 neck is very comfortable, particularly for those with shorter fingers (like me).  Sustain is great. Overall a very well designed, well thought-out package.

You know, I really, really wish it were better.  I waited a long time before buying this guitar, so had a long time to look forward to it with high expectations.  First the good: the finish is perfect, and beautiful. Not to heavy, even with no defects.  The hardware (except for a very small but deep scratch on the pickup mounting ring) is pristine.  Tuners are fine (no complaints, as others have had, with not staying in tune).  Set up was excellent - low without buzzing - and intonation was near perfect.

Now the bad: the neck binding has cosmetic defects - noticable and not easily remedied - on both sides of the first fret.  More importantly the fretboard is not quite gouged but definitely scratched under the E and A stings at frets 5, 7, 9, 12, and 15, from barely noticable to obvious. Other posts have suggested this may be from the Plek machine, I don't know.  Doesn't affect playablty, but still.  Also, there is what seems to be excess varnish or glue on a couple of the inlays and the surrounding fretboard. As some others have noted there was also a pretty good amount of sawdust in the case - didn't bother me at all, but where do they pack these things?

Einstein said that everything in the universe is cracked, that's how the light gets in.  So nothing's perfect and sometimes the defects serve a purpose. I don't put guitars in glass cases, I play them and none of the above affects playability, which I really, really love.  Consequently, I didn't send the guitar back because I love playing it.  Also, I would be concerned about trading these defects for others that affect playability.  But as I mentioned above, I waited a long time for this guitar, thought about it a lot before ordering, and I imagine I'll keep it for much longer.  I would have really liked it to be right. Sadly, just not good quality control by Gibson.

Would have been a 10, if not for the quality control issues mentioned above.  That said, I've played guitars that cost a lot more, and that I didn't like nearly as well.  Easily my favorite guitar in this price range - nothing else even comes close.

As indicated above, a very well designed and generally well executed package.  Versitility and playability are outstanding.  It's a shame the quality control isn't better - with that improvement this would easily rate a 10.

Love the neck and balance of this guitar. She's light and fast. Not neck heavy like my Gibson Les Paul Goddess, and with more fret room above the 12th.
The Memphis circuit seems to do just what is advertised though adjusting tone and volume on the fly took a little getting used to.
And as for the pick ups.
I can see no reason to own anything else for what I do ... seriously.

The fit and finish on this guitar is way above that of the average guitar on the market in my opinion.
I have no complaints what so ever. Almost to pretty to play, and it might even stay home on those nasty hot summer gigs where I'm sweating bullets all over my axe ... we'll see.

I'm a working man with a large family to support, and the price of this guitar though not as high as some I'd considered, had my wife & I both a little bug eyed.
But once I got her home and plugged into my Carvin VT-16 ...
The tone ...
The playability ...
I'd paid twice that and not been disappointed. Broke, but not disappointed.

I'm in love with this axe. Not only does she play smoother and fit more comfortably than either my Gibson Goddess,  Epi Black Back Paul, and my Stratocasters,  the tone is beautiful, played clean. With the tubes saturated she barks like a rabid dog.
Good sustain and runs easily just at the edge of feedback the way I like for our original rock sound.
Every position on that three way switch give you a different sound ... not just a little difference.
Good usable almost infinitely variable tones due to having a tone and volume potentiometer  for the bridge and the neck.

This guitar has the most value per cost of any of my 11 guitars. It is light weight but feels very solid. The tone is clean and resonant but will certainly dirty up with the right amp and settings. Best sounding jazz guitar I have heard recently.

Beautiful guitar, nice case, pick ups are incredible.  The rosewood on the fretboard is nicely figured, almost as nice as a Ric's fret board.

I expected something really nice....and it is.

For a Custom Shop guitar, this is a great value.  And I couldn't imagine needing anything better...ever.

I returned a Rickenbacker 620 that I did not like at all and got this instead.  This guitar is in another galaxy compared to the Ric.  I could not see anyone being disappointed with this guitar.

I am actually a Strat man (love em) but, when you have Bread everyday, some days you have a taste for Buns.