Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck 

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

It is a great guitar, plain and simple. It feels more balanced than the 335, and it is lighter and more comfortable to play. The craftsmanship is superb. The finish is of the highest caliber. Be sure and order a 5/16" truss rod wrench the day you order this guitar so that you can do your own setup when it comes in. This is the main gripe. The guitar arrived with what I think are the standard 9-42 string gauges that typically come with Musician Friend guitars. It's too bad the gauges can't be specified on a guitar like this at the time it is ordered, so that "setup" isn't a waste of time. Speaking of setup, they had the tailpiece adjusted all the way as tight as it would go, all the way to the body. The string angle from the tailpiece to the bridge saddles was so sharp that the bridge studs were leaning toward the neck, succumbing to the exerted pressure. Look, the tailpiece needs to be down only so far as to secure the strings so they don't jump off the saddles when the guitar is strummed hard. Fortunately, there was no lasting damage, as the studs were not bent, only leaning. After many adjustments, the guitar now is set up properly with 48 38 28 18 15 13. One other thing, the Memphis tone circuitry is cool the way it works, which is evident when you turn knobs and listen. There is, however, a slight grounding issue that can be heard when you go from not touching the strings to touching them. The frets are nice and round, unlike when you see Gibsons at your local vintage dealer (all flat on top). The neck, having meat on it, can handle higher string gauges for you Adam Rogers fans out there. It is more resistant to seasonal fluctuation with the bow. Oh, and it has a natural volume unplugged which is quite nice for those of us who can't practice until their kids are asleep. So, yeah, get this guitar. It will be the envy of all your guitar nerd friends. Plus it sounds great.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

I have wanted either a hollow or semi-hollow guitar for some time and tried many. Rics,Gretch,PRS, and Gibsons. None seemed to feel or sound right. The best I found previous were the Gibson ES-335s.
What I didn't like was the skinny neck, and the size of the Guitar.The sound was great. This ES-339 with thick neck is about the size of a Les Paul standard. It more than meets my size,feel and soun requirements.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

One great guitar! Bought a cherry one a few years ago. Added replacement tuners (not needed) and an aluminum tailpiece (good move). Tried TonePros AVR II. Original ABR bridge was better but not by much. Buzzing, sitaring, etc. Had frets leveled and crowned. I knew this guitar could be, but wasn't, great. Put it away for a year. Brought it back out. Still buzzing and dark sounding. Bought a Callaham ABR replacement bridge and it made all the difference in the world. This guitar is the most versatile, expressive guitar I own. And, I own a LP R7, '62 AVRI Strat, '52 AVRI Tele, and a couple of Strats and Gibsons that I've modded heavily. This 339 is my #1 hands down. It has it all. Best value for the money out there. Get it, try it, and if you have any questions about the bridge, get a Callaham.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

This guitar can give you a wide range of sounds from a Jazzy / bluesy clean tone to ripping overdriven leads with controlled feedback. I play my 339 through Carr amps and it sounds great. I play everything from Jazz to Blues to Rock. This guitar does it all. I also own three R9 Les Pauls and Three R9 ES-335s. I love them all but all I need right now is this baby because it does the work of both the Les Paul and 335. You won't be disappointed.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

Very versitile instrument. Can cover a wide range of tones and musical styles. My first semi hollow..own a couple Strats, Les Paul, and a Tele and I find that the 339 is my number one right now. Mine is the 59 neck and it is a nice chunky feel. Plays great, frets and fretboard feel perfect to me. Lightweight, slim body, make it comfortable sitting or standing. Really out of the few guitars that I own, the 339 is really the one I have bonded with. Has a great clean, warm tone to it, add some gain on your amp and let the pups go to work and you will get that nice classic rock odrive. The tone cleans up nicely when you roll off the volume knob(s), which I like..I'm not an effects guy, like to let the amp and the pups work and this guitar does it better for me than my others. The craftsmanship is also top notch. This guitar is a piece of art. Highly recommend. I would also like to note..I received this as a gift..so Musician's Friend provided contact info if there were questions, etc. I circled back with them just to talk about the guitar, it's care, maintenance, etc and whoever I spoke with provided great service.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

This guitar is amazing - it's all it should be (especially for the price). The pickups are hot and the quality of sound is amazing. Could not find a flaw with this guitar. As for the case....If you don't have an older (made in USA) Gibson case to compare it to, this case might not be so bad. But, if you do, it is terrible...Nothing a little patience and a roll of black duct tape wont fix though. Overall - This guitar rocks. P.S. the 339 is quite a bit smaller than the 335, 345, etc, but, still nice and balanced and not light by any means.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

I've had my 339/'59 neck for about 6 months now, and it continues to amaze me. It has that magic something that most guitars don't. Aside from being stunning looking and beautifully made (mine had no flaws other than a dry fretboard, easily fixed with some fret oil), it is the most comfortable, best sounding and smoothest playing of any guitar I have ever played. I also own a PRS and a Strat, but the es-339 is the the only one I find myself playing. Setup was good when I received it, just needed some minor tweaks to trussrod and bridge and pickup heights. Played through my Fender and Vox tube amps it can sing sweetly or growl with raunch. Versatility and vibe in spades!Neck is perfect for me, easier to play than my other guitars, and no buzzes or dead spots anywhere. Great dynamics. I guess you can tell that I love this guitar---for jazz, blues, rock, rhythm or leads.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

The ES-339 I received was way beyond my expectations. All my other guitars have taken a back seat to this little wonder. Out of the box the set up was well done but I will make minor adjustments soon. The fat neck is simply outstanding. This is my first Gibson electric with the '59 rounded profile and I didn't know what I was missing until I laid my hands on this guitar. Tone, playbility, fit and finish it's all here in this guitar. The ES-339 is bound for glory!

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

I've owned a 335 all my life, and a Les Paul for a while. I bought the 339 50's neck (VERY close to the size of the 30/60- and I prefer a smaller neck, but they were SO close). I had a 1960 335 for 35 years, and I say that this 339 is probably the finest guitar I've ever owned and maybe ever played, period. I think that issues with Gibson quality are overblown in general, but specifically in this case the quality is magnificent. It was set up perfectly, frets are perfect, it plays sooo smoothly- I don't understand what that is. The finish has no problems, I prefer the '57 pickups it has over any other, the case is kind of goofy, but it will just fine and anyway who cares?, action is capable of going low, the tone is full like the 335 (not quite as full of course due to smaller body, but still beats the crap out of a solid body), it is nice and comfortable and the sustain seems to be as good as my Les Paul Standard.I don't understand why the Custom Shop makes this and sells it for the price of a non-Custom shop guitar. Maybe you better hurry.

Comments about Gibson ES-339 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar with '59 Rounded Profile Neck:

So I finally bit the bullet and got a red with fat neck. I got one used, however, there are very few out there for sale used. If you get a chance to get one you like, buy it!. Great vintage gibson tones. It's like the les paul and es335 had a kid. For those who think you are going to save money to get this as an alternative to a 335, this is not it. This is a completely different animal. It's not a les paul and it's not a 335, but in the middle. Superb cleans, great growling overdrive tones, also good for heavy rock and no feedback issues!. WOW!. I do have a 335 and though I love it, i find myself playing my 339 more. IT's got similarities but it's still a different guitar. The fat neck is perfect for my hands. I would definitely recommend that you try both necks before buying one. I thought I like the 30/60 but when I got to it, i decided on the fat neck. It also makes the guitar sound meatier if that makes sense!. You will not be disappointed. I don't see any quality control issues, just value I didn't give it a 5. That's because of the cheesy case. I expect better from custom shop. Les paul studios have a nicer case than the 339? What's up with that Gibson!. Finally, for jazz and blues......WOW!. Cannot beat it. Excellent guitar and great price point.