I need a guitar with a FAT neck... the 335 neck isn't jiving.

House53

Alright, I have been playing the heck out of this new guitar and I just can't bond with the neck. It is too thin, front to back. I like the width (1 11/16") but it doesn't fill up my hand enough.

My tele has a U shaped neck and is a bit fatter...

So, I need to find a guitar with a big neck... I am open to trades if someone has a guitar in mind.

Otherwise, ideas? I played an R7 and loved that neck... didn't love the price tag, but a big Gibson neck felt good. I also played a PRS with a Wide Fat neck, also very cool... but I didn't dig the body shape.

I wish this guitar had a bigger neck, I really dig the tone, playability, and overall feel of the guitar... sounds like a great 335 is supposed to sound.

exhausted

the '59 dot has the bigger neck i believe.

http://www.gibsoncustom.com/flash/products/es/335Dot/59ES335Dot.html

Pacomc79

one option would be to contact Heritage guitars.... or just go 335 shopping. Try out a bunch of older necks. There have to be some fat ones around.

I think you are going to have to maybe play a few to get the right one. There have to be a few with deeper necks.

nothing else is going to sound like a 335.

we're up to guitar hero level with this one, hello Gibson Custom Shop. yeah, this is House 53's guitar tech here, yeah that neck just isn't jiving, we're going to send you that unit, he needs something more along the lines of a deep U cut like an old Tele style neck, just fatten it up more will ya? Great, have it back by Friday, we've got a gig in Jakarta, Monday.

JofZ

R4, R7, R8 would be good choices and the necks are FAT. R8 plaintops are super cheap, why? No clue other then the market is not sophisticated enough to snatch these babies up. I see them all day for under 1500 and they will be worth twice that in a few years.
There is a few goldtops floating around for cheap as well and while they will never be as hot as the bursts they are great axes.
335s are always hot, you might find some new from super dealers under 1400, so take a look.
If you want a hollow body have you looked at Gretch recently? They are just fantastic, the build quality is A+ and there are some great buys out there. I am looking at a White Falcon and I am shocked more aren't looking at them.

JofZ

House go check the LPF classifieds before buying anything
http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96084
this is one ad, I know the seller, there are tons of axes for sale and these are just the privates, the forums dealers are top notch. I am going to be with the largest one in the country tomorrow, so PM and I can help you out in the afternoon.

House53

Thanks for the replies...

I played about five 335s the other day... all with the same smaller neck.

Yes the '59 dot has a big neck and a $3,300 price tag, a bit more than I want to spend now.

I have played and owned a Gretsch for a while, but again, the neck was a problem... thin.

I agree the reissue LPs have great necks... I have been looking into those lately.

JofZ, How about you buy an R7 goldtop or plain top and then trade it to me for my 335... then I don't have to mess with returning this guitar online. Seems like a great idea to me.

I am going to check out a couple more shops tonight.

JofZ

hahahah you crack me up
I don't think you'll have a problem returning it. As for the replacment that is easy, give me a price and your region and let me know your max driving distance.
I really think you need to check out the LPF dealers, top notch and very, very good pricing.
If you want me to see what Music123 has in stock I will be there in the PM tomorrow and Dave Carpenter is one the biggest and one of the best buyers of Gibson products. He really know his stuff, his staff is forced to go to the factory for a one week session. The lengths they go to is insane.
Its your call, but if you buy a R8 and hate it I am sure I could help you out LOL

FNYNKEZ

The SG Special w P-90s has a nice fat neck

House53

JofZ wrote:

hahahah you crack me up
I don't think you'll have a problem returning it. As for the replacment that is easy, give me a price and your region and let me know your max driving distance.
I really think you need to check out the LPF dealers, top notch and very, very good pricing.
If you want me to see what Music123 has in stock I will be there in the PM tomorrow and Dave Carpenter is one the biggest and one of the best buyers of Gibson products. He really know his stuff, his staff is forced to go to the factory for a one week session. The lengths they go to is insane.
Its your call, but if you buy a R8 and hate it I am sure I could help you out LOL

Let me know what Music 123 has in stock. I would like to keep the price as close to the price of the 335 as possible... $2000 +/- 10% or so...

I am not sure that the reissue Les Pauls can be had for that price. Maybe a reissue SG. As I said, the goldtop or plain top would be cool stuff. If the price is right.

Enjoy your visit.

I am starting to adjust to the 335 neck. I played through several other amps last night. Really enjoyed the Tweed Twin and the Super Reverb I tried. Both great amps there.

House53

FNYNKEZ wrote:

The SG Special w P-90s has a nice fat neck

Don't I know it.

I had a Townshend SG until recently... That guitar had a neck. That's for sure.

JofZ

House53 wrote:

Let me know what Music 123 has in stock. I would like to keep the price as close to the price of the 335 as possible... $2000 +/- 10% or so...

I am not sure that the reissue Les Pauls can be had for that price. Maybe a reissue SG. As I said, the goldtop or plain top would be cool stuff. If the price is right.

Enjoy your visit.

I am starting to adjust to the 335 neck. I played through several other amps last night. Really enjoyed the Tweed Twin and the Super Reverb I tried. Both great amps there.

With a 2K budget you can hace what ever you want. There are a ton of plaintops at that number. Goldtops probably not, but one just sold on Ebay for 1700. You never know
I'll see what Dave has and post tonight.

House53

JofZ wrote:

With a 2K budget you can hace what ever you want. There are a ton of plaintops at that number. Goldtops probably not, but one just sold on Ebay for 1700. You never know
I'll see what Dave has and post tonight.

I might keep the 335 too... It is growing on me... I can feel the guitar starting to resonate after only about 24 hours of playing time... That's the thing, this guitar is BRAND NEW, no break in at all. That has to affect the character.

I have been able to get a really good setup on the guitar right now, and the playability is top notch. Plus, an LP isn't going to sound like a 335.

All the same, let me know what you see. I will be interested to check things out.

Pacomc79

You know what you might like House.....a Pete Townsend SG.

House53

Pacomc79 wrote:

You know what you might like House.....a Pete Townsend SG.

Yeah, watch it.

Actually, the more I play the 335 the more I enjoy it. It really kills with a Fender style amp.

I am trying to decide what amp to get.

I sold the Super Twin back... too heavy and not practical to move a 100+ lb amp to practice/gigs. I am considering three of the reissues:

The Bassman LTD, Super Reverb, and the Twin Reverb (1X15). Also, the new AC30s. I am doing my best to patiently try these models out as well.

exhausted

throw the vibrolux in there too perhaps.

JofZ

What is your amp budget?
A 335 into a BF or BF clone is some pretty good tone
Did you see my Allen Amp, light weight, lots of headroom, swappable tubes and BF tone to die for. I see used Old Flames for under 800 all the time, Super Reverb clone in a box you can carry

House53

JofZ wrote:

What is your amp budget?
A 335 into a BF or BF clone is some pretty good tone
Did you see my Allen Amp, light weight, lots of headroom, swappable tubes and BF tone to die for. I see used Old Flames for under 800 all the time, Super Reverb clone in a box you can carry

Interesting. I have played an Allen before. Does that have the vibrato?

For some reason I am drawn to an actual Fender. I know that shouldn't matter, but it does to a degree for me.

I agree a 335 into a bf style amp is something special. I have been playing through as many as I can for the past week.

The vibrolux was a bit too aggressive for me, not enough headroom with either of my guitars... it had a very cool tone, but no options... it was thick all the time.

The Super had a great warmth and feel to it. So did the Tweed Twin, but that is off the map right now.

I am looking around the ~$1K range for an amp. I suppose, I could spend more towards the amp if I spent less towards the guitar too.

Pacomc79

tell me more about swappable tubes in your Allen J.......I'm really thinking Allen might be a way for me to go. I love that BF tone, but 2200 for a 40 year old amp that's sure to have issues seems kind of nuts to me at times.

I suggest checking out Fender Super Reverbs and that new Bassman LTD (it's exquisite)

335's into Fender Amps is just a good solid marriage of two sexy individuals. Think of the blues players you've seen with that combination, no pedals, just strait in tone to die for.

exhausted

Pacomc79 wrote:

tell me more about swappable tubes in your Allen J.......I'm really thinking Allen might be a way for me to go. I love that BF tone, but 2200 for a 40 year old amp that's sure to have issues seems kind of nuts to me at times.

I suggest checking out Fender Super Reverbs and that new Bassman LTD (it's exquisite)

whatever you do, don't sell your orange. now that they don't make them.

or, sell it to me.

House53

Pacomc79 wrote:

I suggest checking out Fender Super Reverbs and that new Bassman LTD (it's exquisite)

I played both last night. Very enjoyable stuff with both.

I dig the tweed, but I also miss the reverb and vibrato on the super. I think with a couple of pedals the bassman would be a great gig amp.

JofZ

Allen makes 2 amps to my knowledge with both vibrato and reverb the Sweet Spot and Encore. The Sweet Spot is based on the Princeton Reverb and the Encore on the Virbolux. All Allens have the bias jacks on the back of the amp, so you can swap tubes and rebais without pulling a thing. I think you can do it in under 5 mins. All Allens can also have the tubes swapped. The Sweetspot can run 6L6s with an output of 25 watts or 6V6s and drop it to 18. I opted for the 6Vs and there is more headroom then I thought.
All his amps can be bought in kit or finsihed complete by Dave. This is huge for those on a tight budget, the kits are easy to build and 90% go this route.
All Dave's amps are based on Fender designs, there is a 1000 thread post on the Fender forum for those who don't know much about him. David is one of the best amp gurus around and he just happens to build a clone that sounds as good if not better then the original. I say this because it is dependable, light and affordable. They also come in a head or combo and you can pick all the finished materials. I stayed true to the Fender design and opted for a green pilot light and creme knobs like the older BF.
My Allen:


From Dave's site:
The encore is loosely based on the mid 60s Fender Vibrolux Reverb™ but without a normal channel. Design is enhanced with 2-knob reverb, non-opticoupler tube tremolo, master volume control, middle control, RAW control, rear-panel bias measurment jacks, impedance switch, and front-panel power switches.

Sweet Spot:
esign is loosely based on the Fender Princeton Reverb™ but with many enhancements such as a standby switch, middle control, bright switch, choke filtered power supply, filter capacitor bank, fixed bias phase inverter, deeper vibrato, adjustable power tube bias and bias measurement jacks.

allenamps.com

Pacomc79

House53 wrote:

I played both last night. Very enjoyable stuff with both.

I dig the tweed, but I also miss the reverb and vibrato on the super. I think with a couple of pedals the bassman would be a great gig amp.

Indeed, a reverb unit, and a good tremolo and you're in business. It's crazy how much we think alike in terms of tone.

The raw bassman LTD just sounds phenominal but you already have the tubescreamers. Maybe an E-H wiggler/swamp thing/fulltone tremolo and some kind of reverb unit.

(how cool would it be to find an old fender reverb unit at a less than astronomical price?)

Then....a slap back tube echo......

http://www.analogman.com/reverbam.htm

http://search.ebay.com/reverb-unit_Musical-Instruments_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8QQsacatZ619

JofZ

Pacomc79 wrote:

Indeed, a reverb unit, and a good tremolo and you're in business. It's crazy how much we think alike in terms of tone.

The raw bassman LTD just sounds phenominal but you already have the tubescreamers. Maybe an E-H wiggler/swamp thing/fulltone tremolo and some kind of reverb unit.

(how cool would it be to find an old fender reverb unit at a less than astronomical price?)

Then....a slap back tube echo......

http://www.analogman.com/reverbam.htm

http://search.ebay.com/reverb-unit_Musical-Instruments_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8QQsacatZ619

Check the top amp out:
http://www.allenamps.com/usedgear.html

House53

Cool stuff from Allen. I will check around to see if there are any locally to try out.

Re: bassman vs. super

It's tough. The super has fender 'verb and vibrato. Top end stuff to my ears. But the overdrive isn't going to be like a tweed.

I think the bassman with an overdrive or two, or maybe just an attenuator would work very well. The cost of this rig is a bit more than the super route though.

Pacomc79

House53 wrote:

Cool stuff from Allen. I will check around to see if there are any locally to try out.

Re: bassman vs. super

It's tough. The super has fender 'verb and vibrato. Top end stuff to my ears. But the overdrive isn't going to be like a tweed.

I think the bassman with an overdrive or two, or maybe just an attenuator would work very well. The cost of this rig is a bit more than the super route though.

you could find a tweed overdrive pedal to add the loose harriness to the tone of the super. for instance the V-Stack tweedy, Pharaoh Rodeo Drive, Way Huge Red Llama (probably cost you the same as a super these days) HAO sole pressure..... it's just another option.

I know the stones were big into Tweed Twins but I prefer the bassman for whatever reason. I wonder what it would sound like with a closed back.

exhausted

i don't recommend the rust driver. the sole pressure is where it's at as far as HAO overdrives is concerned.

Pacomc79

exhausted wrote:

i don't recommend the rust driver. the sole pressure is where it's at as far as HAO overdrives is concerned.

Damnit, see I was, thinking sole pressure and typing rust driver *bangs head* there's so much clutter in there.

JofZ

Or you could just look for a used Victoria or Clark. I have seen a couple under 1k and they have the tweed vibe going for sure.
I think you will like the Allens though, there are some cool features you wont find on anyone elses amps, and the brown sugar is the brown era Fender amp, and to the best of my knowledge he is the only one making a clone.

Good luck finding one to try I had to listen to some cds that were recorded with Allens and the cleans were to die for, that's what did it for me. I also spoke with a lot of people who did business with him and no one ever had a bad thing to say.
He delivered on time to the day. It was a 5 week wait and he followed up to make sure I was happy, can't beat that.

Here is an Allen recording( Accomplice I think):
http://cdbaby.com/cd/roberttye

And another of an old Flame:
http://www.aircanopy.net/~jhinds/

Pacomc79

JofZ wrote:

Or you could just look for a used Victoria or Clark. I have seen a couple under 1k and they have the tweed vibe going for sure.
I think you will like the Allens though, there are some cool features you wont find on anyone elses amps, and the brown sugar is the brown era Fender amp, and to the best of my knowledge he is the only one making a clone.

Good luck finding one to try I had to listen to some cds that were recorded with Allens and the cleans were to die for, that's what did it for me. I also spoke with a lot of people who did business with him and no one ever had a bad thing to say.
He delivered on time to the day. It was a 5 week wait and he followed up to make sure I was happy, can't beat that.

Here is an Allen recording( Accomplice I think):
http://cdbaby.com/cd/roberttye

And another of an old Flame:
http://www.aircanopy.net/~jhinds/

Or a Kendrick...

exhausted

Pacomc79 wrote:

Damnit, see I was, thinking sole pressure and typing rust driver *bangs head* there's so much clutter in there.

it's their pedal names. totally unintuitive. like my clean boost is called a rust booster. well, the booster part makes sense.

the rust driver is a plexi pedal and i didn't find it had any flexibility in it at all.

House53

Pacomc79 wrote:

you could find a tweed overdrive pedal to add the loose harriness to the tone of the super. for instance the V-Stack tweedy, Pharaoh Rodeo Drive, Way Huge Red Llama (probably cost you the same as a super these days) HAO sole pressure..... it's just another option.

I know the stones were big into Tweed Twins but I prefer the bassman for whatever reason. I wonder what it would sound like with a closed back.

The tweed twin I played was great. It is twice as much as a bassman though. I definitely like that tone.

Lots of bands like the VibroKing (Stones - Ron Wood, the Who, etc.) which is an old bassman circuit with reverb and vibrato added on... also handwired.

The tweed twin is a classic... Clapton uses them, Keith Richards... they both have alright tone.

If pressed right now, I think I would go for the bassman with a reverb and overdrive to start... go from there.

Ask me in five minutes though.