Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar 

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

This is the best value for a prolevel guitar. I hate these review/blog sites...but I couldn't resist hammering the pansy worried about scratching his non-laquered guitar.

Buy a laquered guitar, which will scratch, and write ur name on it with ur pick u toolbox.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

Some say this guitar feels cheap. I do not think that. I like the feel of the Satin version better than the gloss. Sound great and as easy to play. The case is nice and snug. Some people complain about the tulip tuner heads, I actually like them a lot and I am a Grover guy. It plays wonderfully and sounds even better.

So why 2 Stars? The finish scratches so easily. You can take your pick and write your name on the guitar if you'd like. They make shiny scuff marks that cannot be buffed out. You can not see it directly but as soon as you angle your guitar you cannot but help to see them. This finish on the black version is fragile. Called Gibson and they said it should be expected

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

Overall, the Gibson ES-335 Satin Faded Cherry finish guitar is a musical instrument that I am proud to own. No guitar I've ever played has fostered my creativity nor has pleased me more. The big thing is that, in now way, do I feel like I'm "settling" for a lesser guitar. The satin finish is truly beautiful and quite possibly, may be responsible for an even warmer tone than its big brother.
Equipt with standard Gibson electronics and tuning keys, this guitar plays and sounds perfect right out of the box. I have no issues with this guitar staying in tune even with a style of play that involves a lot of note bending. The pickups are very sensitive and have a tremendous amount of sustain. The wiring allows for endless configurations of tonal nuances.The smoothness and contour of the neck allows for a very comfortable playing experience and seems to foster creativity.
The quality is legendary and can be felt from the moment you hold it in your arms. Although the hardware is of traditional Gibson high standards, it is the craftsmanship of the woods and finish that are a thing of beauty.
Although it's been said many times before, the ES-335 with the neck bindings, Grover tuning keys and high-gloss finish, although gorgeous, was slightly out of my price range. The ES-335 Satin, although more than I wanted to spend on an electric guitar, at least made me look at it. Once played there was no going back. I now own a legendary Gibson ES-335 thanks to the satin finish. I'd say it's a great value.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

Overall, this is really a unique guitar. Most of the electric guitars on the market are solid body. This guitar does offer some really nice tone variations when playing on low to medium volumes. When you crank this guitar up, it really sings and provides nice harmonics. A very old school rock guitar sound that I enjoy.
This is a big guitar. I've been playing an SG along with a Strat for years. When I strapped this guitar on yesterday, I was glad I had long arms to reach the volume/tone controls. The neck on this guitar is really nice. It's easy to play. As others have commented, this guitar is very touch sensitive. It picks up every nuance from the pick.
Gibson makes a nice guitar. And for the price it should be well made!
Even though the satin finish model is one of the less expensive of the ES335 family, I still think that the price is a little high. I'd suggest about $500.00 less would be reasonable.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

In the early 60s my guitar teacher said all my students will play Gibsons and I learned on one. ( I, stupidily sold it to afford college or I would now be rich.) After a long time, I took up guitar again and tried out a lot of guitars. When I saw this 335, I went back in time and when I played it, I remembered why I loved guitar, In my opinion, this guitar plays most anything from 60s rock to classical. I have only 2 guitars and will for a long time. This 335 will feel you as you feel it. Don't fool with cheap knockoffs. If you love guitar,save and wait to buy this one. This instrument will love you back. I know the position of the headstock helps the resonance but one warning: Be careful. It will break if you hit it hard enough. Treat it like the fine instrument it is. By the the way my other guitar is a Ricky 12 string 360. I use it as a niche guitar because I like to play 60s jangle. Get a TUBE VOX ,plug in a 335 and go to heaven

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

Basically this guitar is a beast. It's heavy. The bass notes are way louder, more resonant and more percussive. The high notes have an airy, yet super thick slicing woody tone that you will never get from another guitar. It's nothing like my old epi dot. The epi feels like plastic compared to this... this guitar is way louder and way more touch sensitive... it was like going from a honda to a ferarri... and it has challenged my playing, because when you touch it differently... it sounds different. Clearly high quality. However if you don't have a unique playing style don't waste your money on this guitar. This guitar enables you to speak a nuanced musical language. If you don't have really good control of your pick attack and phrasing go for a different guitar. This guitar has a denseee tone.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

The ES-335 for me has been a guitar that has been out of reach (expense wise) for me. Well, I'm almost 40yrs old and found myself in a position to bring an ES-335 home. The satin finish is awesome in its look and function. I played a sunburst (gloss finish) and decided to purchase the satin finish. I could not stop playing chords. I love solo'ing, but I just wanted to play chords. VERY smooth tones and very organic sound.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

After owning four Les Pauls, two ES-335's, four Flying V's, one SG, one Explorer, and one Firebird, I can definately say that the ES-335 is without a doubt Gibson's best all around guitar. The features speak for themselves: double cutaway, slim taper neck, and 57 classic humbuckers. All this plus the fact that this guitar has a more dynamic tonal range than any Gibson solidbody, thanks to the semi-hollow construction. The ES-335 also sports better playability than any Gibson except the SG, this is due to the fact that the neck is almost fully free of the body of the guitar. However, I do believe that Gibson could have offered this guitar at a lower price.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

The tone is soooo sweet with great attack and remarkable sustain. She is beautiful too. I thought I wanted a gloss finish, but I actually like the satin finish, and it hides finger prints. I would have scored all 5's, but even for a US made instrument, the price is too high. If you have an unlimited budget, no problem... I don't, so I bought mine slightly used for a grand less... that's value.

Comments about Gibson ES-335 Satin Finish Electric Guitar:

As my title states, this is a mixed review. Here's why. The first ES-335 satin I received had the tuner holes drilled off center. This was quite obvious and yet somehow got past Gibson quality control. Also the fretboard was made from a piece of rosewood that was obviously rotten in spots. I returned it. Fortunately I had bought it from Musician's Friend and they were great about the return. The replacement guitar was pretty good but not perfect. The bridge pickup was slightly crooked but not bad enough to return. The setup on both guitars was horrible but then I've never found a Gibson factory setup to my liking. Anyhow, I had Browns Guitar Factory do a pro setup and a fret dress. The guitar plays and sounds great now. Brown's btw did a great job. Anyhow, while Gibson quality control has, in my opinion, leaves a lot to be desired, this guitar can be made to play and sound great. I had tried both the gloss finish and the satin finish. Both sounded completely different. To me, the satin's sound was far superior. It had the vintage sound I remember from 1958. Not quite sure why this would be since they are essentially the same guitar but they did sound different. Try this test yourself. Also, fingerprints don't show on the satin finish. Much cooler vintage look. Bottom line, loved Musicians Friend's service, loved the guitar (after setup), not impressed with Gibson quality control. Gibson support was great however.