Excellent review, I enjoyed the atmosphere and musical response more than the usual specsheet vlogs which big shop channels release these days. All the best !
I've had this guitar 2020 made in china, needed some attention to fret sprouts and neck relief, bought it used from guitar center in Washington state. After I finished setting it up it has been my go to guitar. Absolutely beautiful guitar and sounds amazing. Love the pickups.
I don't know where you are in the world but here it is coming into 'truss rod tweaking' time. It's a good excuse to check stuff over I suppose 😊 I favour a more vintage voiced humbucker and would wish it were a shade lighter but it's a great thing when you find your 'go-to' guitar and I wish you long life and good health to enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it.
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac east Tennessee. Im hard of hearing so the pickups sound great to me. Your absolutely right about tweaking neck relief this time of year. I check it spring and late fall. Have a awesome day
Glad I finished - That guitar sounds SO GREAT! Very rich and full tone - and I always love the way you put the instruments thru their so called "paces".
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac I'm in terrible physical shape - so standing up with an 8 to 12 pound bass slung over my shoulder is not a viable option for me these days, thereby making weight a non-issue for me - but I valued a light instrument more than anything back in the 90's and early 2000's.
I brought a 339 pro with p90’s in it. £250 off eBay I’ve had 6 months such a lovely guitar it had a few issues nothing serious neck pick-up wouldn’t engage but that was just loose wiring truss rod was rattling around 🙈 I managed to reattach no damage and once I could straighten the neck up and reset the action the thing just plays a dream I really love the p90 sound they come alive in my ac15 c1 standard (greenback version) Everyone has different tastes right but for me they pair together beautifully. The vox breaks up nice you can roll the dial back on the guitar and take away the brittle top end and the hum and you’re good to go no pedals required for some great home tones
It's funny to be noodling on the exact same guitar as I found your video and am watching it. Best 500 bucks I ever spent. I like it so much that it made me start playing electric as much as acoustic. If anyone is thinking of getting one, do it, you won't be disappointed. Perfect to practice on without an amp since it sounds amazing unamped and projects almost as much as an acoustic. The only thing I did not like is the action is a bit on the high side but it can be easily lowered by a pro fret levelling. There is so much guitar here for the money I almost feel like I stole it.
What ho! Mr S. Very good to see you again...and thanks for the very kind words. If it were 1lb and a half lighter I could happily put PAF type pickups in it and it wouldn't take any more than that to make it a top three guitar for me. Living, as it does, among the too many guitars I have, it may not get the playing it deserves, but I'm still glad to own it 🙂
Hi Paul , sweet guitar my friend, I absolutely agree re the pickups , generally they get changed , will you get Monty to pop some pickups in at some point. Nice nod to Trower too 🎸. Build quality of modern day affordable guitars is remarkable. Take care . Cheers John .
Hello John, good to see you. If this guitar really did weigh 6.5lbs then I would definitely consider more vintage voiced pickups and it would get a lot of playing. I can still find a home for it as is though. It's true about less expensive guitars these day. They are remarkable quality. The only area where they are a bit of a lottery is consistency-wise. This one for example weighs in at 8lbs where a lot of folk comment on how light they are at 6.5 lbs. My Squier Esquire is slightly heavier than I'd like but is a superb guitar in every other way. My Squier Thinline Tele on the other hand was really light and comfy but had awful pickups from new. It's all good fun 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I'm lucky enough to own guitars with vintage voiced pickups so I can find a home for these. They are rather plain and modern sounding but that makes them perfect in particular situations.
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If it were a 6.5 pounder as I've seen in lots of reviews, I might think of new pickups but the 8lbs makes it an occasional gutar for me I'm afraid. It is a treat to play but as I get older I need lighter and lighter for comfort :-)
Hi Paul, I been considering a couple of Epiphone’s recently myself the 339 being one of them. I’ve played a blonde example at Richtone in Sheffield which was quite impressive, and at sub £400 I’m tempted to join you and pull the trigger myself. Not that I need another😂 Best Wishes Steve
Hi Steve. Good to see you. The Epiphone 339 is hard to beat at the price or more even, and if we only bought what we needed the whole gutar industry would collapse 😂
Hey Paul, Cool guitar. I think you probably have more than I do . ... Which is too many, but it doesn't stop me from aquiring more... I have problems. Enjoy your guitar, you can always play it sitting down. (if it's too heavy that is).
i used to know what pick up fit my 335 but yes, alnico something ! your headstock is great, and i like 335's headstock, but i can't see LesPaul's headstock. great fresh looking guitar, we can see well the chrome of the pick up. any overdrive brings happiness to hollowbody 335/6/9 :)
Hi Fred 🙂 I don't care much about pickups as long as they sound ok... and different pickups are good for different things anyway. These are certainly VERRRY shiny 😊😎
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac The same for me about pick up, i like Metal pick up for Satriani's things etc, and basics pick up for everything else will be ok :)
Very nice - I'm not finished watching yet - so if you mention it a bit later, I apologize. BUT - didn't Gibson buy out Epiphone in the early 50's? Or maybe gave them creative license at some point? I'm not up on too much guitar history - or bass history for that matter. Lovely playing as always, my friend! Will finish watching now!
Hi Dan. Good to see you, as always. I have it in mind that it was the late fifties when Gibson bought out Epiphone. I could easily be wrong but they certainly own them now. It's a good way for Gibson to take advantage of their "Made In America" tag while still taking advantage of cheaper manufacturing in other countries. Obviously Fender have Squier for similar reasons but Fender themselves could come form the USA or Mexico or Japan. It also gives Gibson the chance to market some old original Epiphone models at keen prices.
Well, we know what we have to do now, if we want a new electric guitar. Héhé, this was a lesson for me. I guess it must be a little heavy for your back.....after 15 mn. Thanks for sharing, Paul. Have a nice sunday.
I had a Hagström Viking, but I found it a little uncomfortable. I was surprised that the Epiphone 339 was much heavier, and that's when I understood what "center block" means.
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac The weight could be a deal breaker for many. For me, it's fine. Still, I don't use that guitar much. Maybe if I tuned it to my most used tuning...
As long as manufacturers either own and run the factories or keep their quality control high there can be excellent guitars to be had from Korea and China these days
Although your playing is very nice I'd rather you just tell us about your experience and opinion of the guitar rather than saying a few words and stopping to play a licks. I have a few Inspired by Gibson Epis and they are all fantastic. I especially love my TV Yellow L.P. Special, what a sweet player it is!
It seemed to me to be the best way to let people know my thoughts and hear the sound of the guitar. I am pretty sure that me just talking would not be as useful, but perhaps I'm wrong. I'm sorry it wasn't to your taste but I appreciate your visit anyway and thanks for the comment 🙂 At least there is no shortage of Epiphone 339 reviews on youtube.
Hey, if you thought it was the best way for you, then more power to ya brother! It was only my opinion and you can never please everybody! Still an excellent video, a job well done!
Isn't it this the John-Lennon-Get-Back-guitar? BTW it would be helpfull if you turn up you volume while you are speaking. I can hardly hear what you are speaking. I have a 335-copy since 1980 (newly fretted in 2007 and replaced with original Gibson-Humbuckers). It is a very loud guitar with a fat sound. Best regards Frank
The Beatles used Epipone Casinos. They are similar finish but with P90s and bigger than this. Sorry Frank! I use the camera mic and there is nothing I can do other than shout and I don't thnk I wll do that. I found a comment of yours by accident (and responded). UA-cam didn't tell me about it because you posted it as a reply to someone else's comment. I mention this just so you know. It happens sometimes.
Excellent review, I enjoyed the atmosphere and musical response more than the usual specsheet vlogs which big shop channels release these days. All the best !
Thanks very much. I'm glad you liked it.
Spec sheets are ok for computers but you really need more to tell the story of a guitar 😃
I've had this guitar 2020 made in china, needed some attention to fret sprouts and neck relief, bought it used from guitar center in Washington state. After I finished setting it up it has been my go to guitar. Absolutely beautiful guitar and sounds amazing. Love the pickups.
I don't know where you are in the world but here it is coming into 'truss rod tweaking' time. It's a good excuse to check stuff over I suppose 😊
I favour a more vintage voiced humbucker and would wish it were a shade lighter but it's a great thing when you find your 'go-to' guitar and I wish you long life and good health to enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it.
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac east Tennessee. Im hard of hearing so the pickups sound great to me. Your absolutely right about tweaking neck relief this time of year. I check it spring and late fall. Have a awesome day
Glad I finished - That guitar sounds SO GREAT! Very rich and full tone - and I always love the way you put the instruments thru their so called "paces".
Thanks for sticking with it Dan. It has a lot going for it. I just wish it were a bit lighter in weight 🙂
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac I'm in terrible physical shape - so standing up with an 8 to 12 pound bass slung over my shoulder is not a viable option for me these days, thereby making weight a non-issue for me - but I valued a light instrument more than anything back in the 90's and early 2000's.
@@Bassistdan1 I pretty much only stand for UA-cam videos these days and 10lbs is an absolute 'no go' for me now. never mind 12lbs 🙂
That's exactly the guitar I bought last year. Same finish. Never regretted it for a minute.
I wish you long life and good health to enjoy it 🙂
I brought a 339 pro with p90’s in it.
£250 off eBay I’ve had 6 months such a lovely guitar it had a few issues nothing serious neck pick-up wouldn’t engage but that was just loose wiring truss rod was rattling around 🙈 I managed to reattach no damage and once I could straighten the neck up and reset the action the thing just plays a dream I really love the p90 sound they come alive in my ac15 c1 standard (greenback version)
Everyone has different tastes right but for me they pair together beautifully.
The vox breaks up nice you can roll the dial back on the guitar and take away the brittle top end and the hum and you’re good to go no pedals required for some great home tones
Sounds like you have a cool set-up that suits you well. Enjoy it 🙂
It's funny to be noodling on the exact same guitar as I found your video and am watching it. Best 500 bucks I ever spent. I like it so much that it made me start playing electric as much as acoustic. If anyone is thinking of getting one, do it, you won't be disappointed. Perfect to practice on without an amp since it sounds amazing unamped and projects almost as much as an acoustic. The only thing I did not like is the action is a bit on the high side but it can be easily lowered by a pro fret levelling. There is so much guitar here for the money I almost feel like I stole it.
A superb guitar for the money for sure. Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.
Nice sounds coming from that guitar Paul,have a nice weekend my friend. 😊🎸🎸👍
Thanks Davie... and to you 🙂
Always, and I mean ALWAYS a pleasure to enjoy your videos. Great perspective on the ES339…I’m thinking about it!
What ho! Mr S. Very good to see you again...and thanks for the very kind words.
If it were 1lb and a half lighter I could happily put PAF type pickups in it and it wouldn't take any more than that to make it a top three guitar for me. Living, as it does, among the too many guitars I have, it may not get the playing it deserves, but I'm still glad to own it 🙂
Paul,! Really nice playing, brother! Also, you are the TONE MASTER!
Thanks so much for dropping by and for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it.... and thank you very much for those extremely kind words.
You're a great guitar player! Fantastic sounds as well
You're very kind. Thanks so much 🙂
Nice guitar, sounds smooth as silk, my friend! :) Janet
Thank you Janet. Your kind words very much appreciated🙂
Some of those hunks of wood really are heavy! I have to sit down to play them. Sounded awesome!
You're not wrong Rose. I only really stand for UA-cam these days :-)
Hi Paul , sweet guitar my friend, I absolutely agree re the pickups , generally they get changed , will you get Monty to pop some pickups in at some point.
Nice nod to Trower too 🎸.
Build quality of modern day affordable guitars is remarkable.
Take care .
Cheers John .
Hello John, good to see you.
If this guitar really did weigh 6.5lbs then I would definitely consider more vintage voiced pickups and it would get a lot of playing. I can still find a home for it as is though.
It's true about less expensive guitars these day. They are remarkable quality. The only area where they are a bit of a lottery is consistency-wise. This one for example weighs in at 8lbs where a lot of folk comment on how light they are at 6.5 lbs. My Squier Esquire is slightly heavier than I'd like but is a superb guitar in every other way. My Squier Thinline Tele on the other hand was really light and comfy but had awful pickups from new.
It's all good fun 🙂
Fantastic guitar player
You're very kind. Thank you so much.
I really do appreciate it.
I've got a 339 Ultra, just fantastic. I put a SD JB set in her, sounds nice. Your video reminds me of how I didn't like the pickups.
Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment.
I'm lucky enough to own guitars with vintage voiced pickups so I can find a home for these. They are rather plain and modern sounding but that makes them perfect in particular situations.
When Epiphone moves production out of the CCP's China - i'll be the first in line for one of these.
I'm afraid guitar companies will stay in China until somewhere else can do it cheaper, but I know what you mean.
Love this guitar 👍
Thanks for stopping by. It is certainly good to look at and very nice to play 🙂
Informative and honest review. Great,Thanks!!! I have the same guitar...very customized though. :)
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. If it were a 6.5 pounder as I've seen in lots of reviews, I might think of new pickups but the 8lbs makes it an occasional gutar for me I'm afraid. It is a treat to play but as I get older I need lighter and lighter for comfort :-)
Hi Paul, I been considering a couple of Epiphone’s recently myself the 339 being one of them.
I’ve played a blonde example at Richtone in Sheffield which was quite impressive,
and at sub £400 I’m tempted to join you and pull the trigger myself. Not that I need another😂
Best Wishes
Steve
Hi Steve. Good to see you. The Epiphone 339 is hard to beat at the price or more even, and if we only bought what we needed the whole gutar industry would collapse 😂
Love the look of a blonde 335, or 339, or 330.
They're certainly easy on the eye 🙂
Hey Paul, Cool guitar. I think you probably have more than I do . ... Which is too many, but it doesn't stop me from aquiring more... I have problems. Enjoy your guitar, you can always play it sitting down. (if it's too heavy that is).
I certainly have too many but they'll make a great bonfire for a Viking funeral when I go 😀
i used to know what pick up fit my 335 but yes, alnico something !
your headstock is great, and i like 335's headstock, but i can't see LesPaul's headstock.
great fresh looking guitar, we can see well the chrome of the pick up.
any overdrive brings happiness to hollowbody 335/6/9 :)
Hi Fred 🙂
I don't care much about pickups as long as they sound ok... and different pickups are good for different things anyway. These are certainly VERRRY shiny 😊😎
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac The same for me about pick up, i like Metal pick up for Satriani's things etc, and basics pick up for everything else will be ok :)
Thanks, very informative. Where was it made?
Glad you enjoyed it. The guitar is made in China.
Very nice - I'm not finished watching yet - so if you mention it a bit later, I apologize. BUT - didn't Gibson buy out Epiphone in the early 50's? Or maybe gave them creative license at some point? I'm not up on too much guitar history - or bass history for that matter. Lovely playing as always, my friend! Will finish watching now!
Hi Dan. Good to see you, as always.
I have it in mind that it was the late fifties when Gibson bought out Epiphone. I could easily be wrong but they certainly own them now. It's a good way for Gibson to take advantage of their "Made In America" tag while still taking advantage of cheaper manufacturing in other countries.
Obviously Fender have Squier for similar reasons but Fender themselves could come form the USA or Mexico or Japan.
It also gives Gibson the chance to market some old original Epiphone models at keen prices.
Well, we know what we have to do now, if we want a new electric guitar. Héhé, this was a lesson for me. I guess it must be a little heavy for your back.....after 15 mn. Thanks for sharing, Paul. Have a nice sunday.
Hi Joseph. Thank you 🙂
I only really play standing up for UA-cam videos now, and I have a nice wide strap so that's good.
Bon dimanche a toi aussi
to be confortable is best 👍. I wonder how our band guitarist did on stage, performing for 2 hours, with such heavy guitars....
@@zepp2498 I could do it at 35 but not at 70 🙂
I had a Hagström Viking, but I found it a little uncomfortable. I was surprised that the Epiphone 339 was much heavier, and that's when I understood what "center block" means.
I admit it was disappointingly heavy and may not get a lot of playing. I've seen reviews where folk speak of 6.5lb examples so you never know I guess.
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac The weight could be a deal breaker for many. For me, it's fine. Still, I don't use that guitar much. Maybe if I tuned it to my most used tuning...
I have a mik epi dot. It's really nice.
As long as manufacturers either own and run the factories or keep their quality control high there can be excellent guitars to be had from Korea and China these days
How is the upper fret access on that guitar?
Pretty much exactly like a 335. Certainly good enough for me.
@@PaulMcCaffreyfmac thanks!
Although your playing is very nice I'd rather you just tell us about your experience and opinion of the guitar rather than saying a few words and stopping to play a licks. I have a few Inspired by Gibson Epis and they are all fantastic. I especially love my TV Yellow L.P. Special, what a sweet player it is!
It seemed to me to be the best way to let people know my thoughts and hear the sound of the guitar. I am pretty sure that me just talking would not be as useful, but perhaps I'm wrong.
I'm sorry it wasn't to your taste but I appreciate your visit anyway and thanks for the comment 🙂
At least there is no shortage of Epiphone 339 reviews on youtube.
Hey, if you thought it was the best way for you, then more power to ya brother! It was only my opinion and you can never please everybody! Still an excellent video, a job well done!
@@Mr.56Goldtop Thanks
Isn't it this the John-Lennon-Get-Back-guitar? BTW it would be helpfull if you turn up you volume while you are speaking. I can hardly hear what you are speaking. I have a 335-copy since 1980 (newly fretted in 2007 and replaced with original Gibson-Humbuckers). It is a very loud guitar with a fat sound.
Best regards
Frank
The Beatles used Epipone Casinos. They are similar finish but with P90s and bigger than this.
Sorry Frank! I use the camera mic and there is nothing I can do other than shout and I don't thnk I wll do that.
I found a comment of yours by accident (and responded). UA-cam didn't tell me about it because you posted it as a reply to someone else's comment. I mention this just so you know. It happens sometimes.