The Gibson es 339 is a slightly smaller and more compact model of the legendary Gibson es 335, and it retains all its classic style and sound. It was produced in Gibson’s custom factory in Memphis, Tennessee, and it is a high-quality semi-hollow electric guitar that is a cross between a Gibson Les Paul and a Gibson es 335. Prior to this detailed Gibson es 339 review, many people favored the es 335 for its rich semi-hollow tones, and its body size is considered too big by some people, which is the reason for the es339 that combines the es335 tone and the feel of the Les Paul.
In the es339, all the regular es335 features are present, and it is excellent in terms of quality. Our Gibson es 339 review will give the information you need to help you decide on the best guitar for you.
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Things to Consider Before Buying a Gibson Es339
Size
Your comfortability matters a lot while playing the guitar; playing the guitar that doesn’t feel comfortable while you’re playing it may stunt your playing. Although it is a well-known fact that bigger guitars have more sound and volume, if you’re a small person or with small hands, I bet you can find smaller-sized guitars that sound pretty awesome, an example is this Gibson es339.
Tonewoods
The woods used for a guitar’s construction greatly impact the guitar’s tone. Maple, for instance, is a heavy, thick wood that provides depth and a bright tone. The mahogany also offers a warmer sound, steady sustain, and a subtle gain in the highs. Another popular tonewood is the Sapele. The Sapele is durable, lightweight and very defined high range.
Pickups
The pickups also greatly influence the sound of your guitar. We have single-coil pickups and humbuckers. Humbuckers produce warm tones with depth thickness which single-coil pickups are bright sounding with moderate output.
Price
Expensive things are supposed to be better than their cheaper counterparts; this also applies to guitars; more expensive ones have better quality and are better sounding, the littlest things are not spared in their construction, and they’re constructed with the best materials money can buy.
However, there are also less expensive guitars that are great-sounding guitars and are also durable. So if you have the money, buy an expensive one, and if you’re on a strict budget, less expensive great quality guitars are available.
Hardware Quality
When talking about electric guitars, the hardware matters a lot as they’re an essential part of the guitar; if you’re buying your guitar in a store, check the hardware very well to ensure that the guitar parts are properly aligned nuts are not cut too deep. There are no loose knobs, controls or pegs.
Alternatives to the Gibson es339
Ibanez Artcore AS73 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar Tobacco Brown
Another excellent semi-hollow electric guitar, Ibanez, is one of the leading guitar producing companies, and they maintain consistency both in the quality and sound quality of their products.
This guitar features a 22-fret mahogany set and bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, these features enhance the guitar’s tone, producing a satin-smooth tone with sweet sustain. It’s a double-cutaway; all-maple body is solid and resonant. This guitar screams for attention with its fantastic finish options.
It features chrome finished hardware, which includes ACH humbuckers, ART1 bridge, and tuners.
Pros
- A slim comfortable neck
- Frets as smooth as glass
- Versatile sound
- Low action
Cons
- The pickups need to be changed to experience the full potential of the guitar.
EART Classic Telecaster Electric Guitar Maple Fingerboard, Stainless Steel Frets, Tabby Grains Veneer-Wine red
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced level player, this guitar gives you as much visual flair as it gives you sonic force. It is aesthetically pleasing and features a dark and warm mahogany body tiger pattern veneer, maple neck, smooth maple fingerboard, tele pickups/ S-S pickups are matched stainless steel frets with their round ends polished, the sound it produces is bright and sweet and D’ Addario strings. The tone it emits is crisp, very bright, and the mid and high frequencies are more prominent. Suitable for playing: blues, pop, country, rock with less distortion. The raw, brilliant sound complements the warm sounds of the solid wood.
Pros
- Highly versatile sounding guitar
- Frets are perfectly rounded
- The neck is smooth and slim with a satin finish
- The guitar holds its tune
Cons
- The pickups are not as good as fender pickups
Fender Player Telecaster Electric Guitar – Maple Fingerboard – Black
Fender is a name to reckon with in the guitar world, and their telecasters have been reigning for a while now. This Fender Player Telecaster honoring Fender’s legacy while maintaining its innovative spirit features the pair of Player Series single-coil Telecaster pickups that are crisp and articulate. The authentic Fender tone has a modern edge. The Player Series Telecaster Pickups encompass Alnico 5 magnetic pole pieces, which provide a vibrant and harmonious bass response, punchy mid-range, and crystalline bell-like highs with enhanced focus and versatility.
Block saddles were added to the string-through-body bridge for intonation, enhancing the Telecaster’s traditional twang and bite and at the same time helping your sound to cut through the mix. Featuring alder wood for the body, a modern C- shaped maple neck with 22 frets, the C neck with its contours adds a feeling of comfort while playing the guitar, and the alder wood used is notable for bright, balanced, and resonant tone with pronounced upper midrange, excellent sustain, and sharp attack.
Pros
- Highly durable
- A slim satin-smooth neck that increases overall playability
Cons
- It makes a humming noise while playing
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Gretsch Guitars GRETSCH 2519010516 G5425 ELECTROMATIC RED Red
Modeled after Les Paul’s guitar, the Electromatic Jet Club electric guitar is constructed with an arched maple top, chambered basswood bodies, and bolt-on maple neck. It features an Adjustomatic bridge, stops tailpiece, and dual-coil pickups that enhance rich sustain and divine tone. Classic Gretsch humbucker tone, fast-playing rosewood fretboard, master volume, master tone, 3-way pickup selector, with fingerboard end slightly rolled to increase overall playability. In addition, it has vintage type thumbnail fret markers, the G arrow, chrome, knurled volume, and tone knobs.
Pros
- Fret ends are well dressed
the sound it produces is deep and rich - Tuners are smooth and accurate
Cons
- It needs to be set up properly before use to enjoy playing it
Gibson es 339 Review (features, pros, cons)
The Gibson es339 is lightweight, well balanced, and very comfortable to play; it has a maple-faced laminate top, back, and sides with a maple center block. Built almost the same way as the Gibson 335, the pressed, lightly arched laminate top and back are glued to laminate sides, and tidily kerfed linings increase the glued areas.
The unique feature of the es335, which is its center block, basic maple with spruce cushions between the arched top and back, is also replicated on this newer model. Again, Nitro-cellulose is used for its finishing, with the old-style sunburst perfectly colored and perfectly glossed.
The Gibson es339 has a one-piece quartersawn mahogany neck, Kluson tuners that reflect the vintage vibe the guitar gives off.
It also features a rosewood fretboard that is well rounded and contains 22 tall frets, and it has two covered ’57 classic humbuckers in both the bridge and neck and chrome hardware, which is the same control layout as that of the es335.
Except for the output jack that is side-mounted and an added advantage for players. In addition, it captions Gibson’s new Memphis Tone Circuit, which maintains the guitar’s frequency no matter where you modify the volume control.
The guitar is more comfortable and playable when compared to its big brother, the es335. Feedback is usable and easy to control when cranked up and is one of the most versatile and great sounding guitars at the moment.
It headlines a 30/60 neck profile with an extra .030” front to back; this feature gives a comfortable feel while playing as fingers can be completely wrapped around it and helps preserve the classic semi-hollow body tone while ensuring solid playability.
Pros
- It is highly durable
- It is more comfortable to play than the es335
- Highly versatile and can be used to play several genres of music
- Amazingly playable
- Gibson’s new Memphis Tone Circuit that helps preserve high frequencies no matter the volume
Cons
- It is pricey
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Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a Gibson 335 and 339?
The main difference between both is the size, as mentioned in this review, the Gibson es 339 is the smaller model of the 335, the specifications are almost the same, another difference is the added Gibson’s new Memphis Tone Circuit on the recent Gibson model that is the es339, there is also a slight difference in tone. However, the Gibson es 339 retains the es335 tone; it tends to be slightly more aggressive and similar to Les Paul’s. However, both weigh the same despite the size difference.
Is Gibson better than Fender?
Due to Gibson’s woods during construction and the use of humbuckers, Gibson rules with distortion or gain added to the guitar signal, and the chords are much clearer and less muddled than on a Fender guitar.
Conclusion
Although the Gibson es 339 is one of Gibson’s most recent guitar models, it is fast becoming one of the best semi-hollow electric guitars. It is a great guitar and cheaper than other Gibson es models; this is the best compromise you could get. And if you have been uncomfortable with the size of the es335, this guitar is good news for you; it offers the looks, style, and sound of the legendary es335 at a more manageable size.
What’s more, you get great workmanship, a great set up and distinctive finishes all from the stable of the Memphis custom shop. We have listed alternative guitars to the Gibson es 339 in our review. Enjoy the collection.
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