ES335 styled guitar. Help me choose

[elavd]

I want to buy an ES335 styled guitar because I can't afford buying the real thing...

Can you help me choose one?

The options are:

1) Epiphone Sheraton II


Epiphone Sheraton II E-Gitarre, Jazz Collection Thinline, 3 piece maple neck, maple back an sides, maple top, rosewood fretboard, Triangle Inlays, 2 Humbucker, F-soundholes, ES 335 Style, Gold Hardware

2) Epiphone Rivera:



Epiphone Riviera Hollowbody-Guitar, laminated Maple Body, set in Mahogany Neck, 24,75" Scale, 2 Mini-Humbuckers


3) Ibanez AS103:



Ibanez AS103SM-NT E-Guitar Semiacoustic 335 Style, Artcore Custom Limited, Spolted Maple Top & Back, flamed maple sides, 2 Humbucker, Woodbinding, Wood Pickguard and Pickupframe

4) Hagstrom Vikin



Hagstrom Viking Deluxe NA Semiacoustic Guitar, laminated Maple Body, Flamed Maple Top, Maple Neck, Fretboard Resinator Wood, 2 HJ50 Humbucker Pickups, Hagstrom Trapeze Tail Piece Bridge, 3-wayToggle Switch, 2 Volume and 2 Tone controls, Scale 629mm


So which one would you choose and WHY???

[t_ross33]

My local music store brought in some really nice Hagstrom guitars. I had a chance to play a Viking before it went out the door - in fact it was sold sight unseen before it even arrived at the store.

Very nice guitar, though I can't say I've heard anything bad about any of the guitars in the poll.

I'm still in love with my Washburn HB-30/CH

[tot_Ou_tard]

Why isn't a Reverend Manta Ray on the list?

[jpfeifer]

Hi,

If you like the 335 sound you should also check out one of these:


It's a Hamer Newport. It's absolutely one of the best made guitars I've ever had. It's not exactly like a 335, it's completely hollow on the inside other than a piece of wood under the bridge. It has a very unique sound, similar to a 335 but a bit more woody, and less sustain due to the absense of the center block. But this guitar is a killer guitar for Blues, Rockabilliy, Country, etc. The P90 pickups really make it scream too. It sounds like an Epiphone Casino with more meat to it. It's also a great guitar for Jazz because the P90's really warm up when you back off the volume. The spruce top also makes it sound a litter warmer too.

You can find these used on Ebay for around $700 to $1000 depending on the condition. The quality is superb. They're handmade at the Hamer factory in Connecticut. I've had mine for about 6 years now and it's probably my favorite guitar.

If you want to hear what it sounds like just listen to any of the songs I have posted on Sound Click. All of the non-acoustic songs were recorded with this guitar.

-- Jim

[elavd]

Thanks Jim for your info! I'll check the Hamer too, although I'd prefer to buy a humbuckered guitar because I would like to have a more Larry Carlton-like sound

By the way I like very much your playing!!!

[SuperSwede]

The Sheraton II is a damn fine guitar, it looks and plays really good. Another really cool Epi semi is the Alley Kat.. I really like that one.

[elavd]

Take a look at the Ibanez AS103 with the spolted maple top/back:

[Tim]

The Sheraton II is a fine looking guitar. I look any guitar with the tobacco sunburst design. I own the Washburn HB-30 semi-hollow guitar. I love this guitar. Have you researched the Washburn series? Good luck in your choice!

[jpfeifer]

Thanks evald! I listened to some of your stuff on your myspace site. Great songs and playing. I like the production too!

-- Jim

[tot_Ou_tard]

Hi,

If you like the 335 sound you should also check out one of these:
http://www.thefret.net/attachment.ph...1&d=1179795338

It's a Hamer Newport. It's absolutely one of the best made guitars I've ever had. It's not exactly like a 335, it's completely hollow on the inside other than a piece of wood under the bridge. It has a very unique sound, similar to a 335 but a bit more woody, and less sustain due to the absense of the center block. But this guitar is a killer guitar for Blues, Rockabilliy, Country, etc. The P90 pickups really make it scream too. It sounds like an Epiphone Casino with more meat to it. It's also a great guitar for Jazz because the P90's really warm up when you back off the volume. The spruce top also makes it sound a litter warmer too.

You can find these used on Ebay for around $700 to $1000 depending on the condition. The quality is superb. They're handmade at the Hamer factory in Connecticut. I've had mine for about 6 years now and it's probably my favorite guitar.

If you want to hear what it sounds like just listen to any of the songs I have posted on Sound Click. All of the non-acoustic songs were recorded with this guitar.

-- Jim

Man, Jim! That's the very guitar I've been slobbering over. Don't want a Bigsby tho'.

Can you post a link to your Soundclick songs?

That Ibanez is a beaut!

[sunvalleylaw]

I know I love Jim's sound so the guitar he suggests deserves a look. But based on looks alone, the Viking portion of my heritage (Norwegian, not Swedish) cries out for the Hagstrom. I read earlier threads and remember that SS points out the new ones are not like the old ones. But they still look cool to me.

[elavd]

But they still look cool to me.

I don't like their headstock...

[Tone2TheBone]

I kinda like that headstock.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, I like the headstock, and the asymmetrical "Bigsby" type trem. Kind looks like something you'd see in a rock opera version of LOTR. Aragorn weilding his guitar called Anduril! LOL!

I like the natural colors and the shape of the PG too. Guess I just like the look. Would love to hear how it sounds too. Go buy one someone and post a clip!

[jpfeifer]

Hi tot_Ou_tard,

You can find the Newport model without the Bigsby and loaded with Humbuckers instead of the PhatCat P90's, this model is called the Newport Pro. I've played one and they're really nice. My only complaint about the Newport is that the sustain is not the same as you would have with a traditional 335 style guitar, but the spruce top makes it more fun to play because it's a little more responsive to pick attack, etc. So it's kind of a different beast anyway. However, I'd like to get a 335 someday or maybe a PRS hollowbody, but both of them are so extremely pricey. I played a PRS hollowbody several months ago and I was blown away by how good it sounded. (it should sound good for $4000!)

You were asking for a link to my SoundClick page, here it is:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandid=301718
Thanks, -- Jim

[Big_Rob]

I chose the Ibanez because I have an AS73 which is exactly the same as the AS103 sans the pretty wood, the fine tuning bridge (Why?) and MOP fret markers

[duhvoodooman***]

....However, I'd like to get a 335 someday or maybe a PRS hollowbody, but both of them are so extremely pricey.

Hey, Jim, have you ever considered one of THESE as a means of owning a 335 without paying the $2600 or so Gibson wants for one? The Epi Elitist guitars are Japanese-made instruments of extremely high quality. Owners seem to uniformly love them. I have an Elitist LP Std. that I'll match against any Gibson LP Std for quality and playability.

I understand that production has ceased on these, and that when current stocks are depleted, they're gone for good.

[jpfeifer]

Hi Duhvoodooman,

Thanks for the tip on these Epihone Elitist guitars. No, I haven't played these before. They look pretty good in terms of the quality. One of my former guitar students bought a Epiphone dot neck 335 model and it seemed to be a very good guitar. I guess there are some options to paying the higher price for the Gibson version.

[duhvoodooman***]

I have one of the "standard" Epi Dots that I bought used on eBay last year, and it's an amazing guitar for the money ($400 new), but as a mass-produced Korean guitar, it's certainly not up to the qulaity standards of the Elitist series. Just reading through the customer feedback from Elitist owners, you see the same basic comment being made again and again, particularly by people who have owned the Gibson originals--"as good as" or often "even better than the Gibson version". Pretty high praise. Apparently, these Japanese luthiers feel that they have something to prove and are doing an amazing job of doing just that!