Ever since the 335 was first introduced in 58…….there have been people trying to imitate it.
And of course, as people say……….nothing compares to the original….right?
I’m going to say wrong. There are some INCREDIBLE alternatives to the ES-355……Here are my absolute favorite alternatives currently out there….
Epiphone Sheraton
This is one of Epiphones most popular models, and for good reason. First off, they FEEL really good to play. Which to me, is the most important thing. (The neck felt slightly fatter than a Gibson however, which is odd. But their build quality is what’s really impressive for what you’re paying. I couldn’t find anyone complaining about these absolutely at all online when it came to build quality.
But the best part. Is the tone. It will blow your hair back and knock your socks off. It’s just so full and well rounded, you’ll absolutely love it. It’s the tone you hear in your dreams. I’m not kidding either, just listen below. This is a great review of the guitar btw:
(See More Details, Specs, and Pricing info on Amazon)
Eastman T386
I’ve got a lot to say about every guitar on here, but…..a lot of it will be repeating myself considering this is a list of my favorites “I love the tone, playability, etc.”
But what makes this guitar stand out quite a bit, isn’t actually any of those things. Even though it DOES have insane tone…..playability….etc.
What makes this guitar so cool and unique is that it is COMPLETELY handmade. I mean absolutely everything on these babies are handmade. Even if you were to purchase a Gibson nowadays it wouldn’t be handmade. The reason Eastman does it, seems to be an obsession with quality. Even just a quick glance at their website would tell you that though.
Honestly, these are works of art……if you haven’t shed a tear yet wait til the next one I share….
But just listen in this shootout….
Ibanez Artcore AS93
Of course, if you’ve read any reviews of mine on here……it would make absolutely no sense if I didn’t include one of my favorite, and I think underrated brands…..Ibanez.
Like I say a lot with Ibanez…….the quality of their guitars are absolutely INSANE for how much you pay. Their guitars are seriously way to inexpensive for what you get.
Now, I could go on and on about how insanely good it sounds and how it feels…..but you’ll hear that in the video below.
What I do want to mention that makes it unique, (other than the price and quality) is that this guitars body is slightly smaller than your normal 335. Honestly this is great for people who love 335s but find them to bulky to sit down and play for an hour or so.
Awesome guitar, another great one from Ibanez.
(See More Details, Specs, and Pricing info on Amazon)
Hagstrom Viking
A brand you may not have heard of, but probably should know. Hagstrom has been around for quite awhile. Originally an accordion manufacturer in Sweden, they went on to start making guitars in the 50s along with some amps.
So why haven’t you heard of them? Well, if you’re American I’m sure you’ve heard of Goya guitars…..surprise! They’re the same brand.
Fun fact: they’re extremely popular among many great players – seriously TONS of great players have played these guitars. Including Frank Zappa and Elvis Presley.
Now here’s the kicker, at this price…….These are hands down the absolute BEST absolutely most RAW sounding tone you’ll find on a es 335 alternative.
Yeah that’s a big claim, but seriously the second you hear one of these your heart will skip a beat. Yes, I get excited about guitars. But man……this guitar….
Now listen…….if that doesn’t make you shed a tear nothing else will.
Really cool guitar, also looks unique as well. Honestly I didn’t like the look at first, but it grew on me. The tone on this guy is where it’s at.
(See More Details, Specs, and Pricing info on Amazon)
Fret King John Etheridge
Be careful not to be sucked in on this one. Everything about this guitar is very very unique. It’s the design is of course like an es-335 but…….the subtle differences give it a more classy, simple vibe. Which is ironically kind of how the tone sounds as well. It’s very simple, elegant. Not to much brightness or bass, very well rounded and ridiculously pleasing to the ear in such an odd way that is addictive.
Honestly listening to Etheridge play his signature model was made me fall in love with it…..while it may not be my absolute favorite on this list I still just have to have it one day……guess I’ll just keep on crossing my fingers and hoping. Such a unique instrument. I always love seeing custom stuff and seeing the spins artist put on their gear.
Yamaha SA-2000
Man, I’ve always disliked Yamaha. But honestly, other than my first experience with one…….(a really beat up budget one) I hate to say it, but they’re all really nice guitars. I guess it’s just the stigma they have.
This guitar in particular is very interesting…….it’s an alternative to an Es 335….but unlike most alternatives, the fretboard has a slightly flat radius. Very odd, but very cool for when you’d rather play a flatter radius neck.
It’s also super versatile when it comes to the tone, but as with a lot of Ed 335 alternatives the best thing is the price for sure.
The craziest thing about these though, is that you can find them INSANELY and I mean absolutely ridiculously cheap used. I guess people just have something against Yamaha. Good for you if you’re looking for a deal on one.
Oscar Schmidt 0E30 Delta King
This guitar is extremely confusing to me. What doesn’t make sense to me is just the price. Honestly this guitar sounds………really really nice. Well out of its price range, and really the quality…..while there are some minor adjustments that can be made, it’s just a really really nice guitar for this price.
Not a lot of people have played on these, and at this price most people don’t expect a lot…..but Oscar Schmidt Guitars do feel really good to play.
Go ahead and listen and be confused for yourself. I’m sure Oscar Schmidt could easily charge more for this guitar.
FYI, I’m not trying to bash on this guitar at all. Just the opposite really, I love this guitar and am actually planning on getting myself one in a purple burst finish whenever I can…..I’d like to find one used because I’m a penny pincher, but odds are I’m not gonna get that lucky. Fingers crossed.
(See More Details, Specs, and Pricing info on Amazon)
Collings i35 lc
Now let’s go really really high end. This guitar is the definition of perfect to me when it comes to ES 335 alternatives……I might get some hate for this, but I’m just gonna say it…..I actually like this guitar more than the original Gibson. Is that a crime? A sin even? Well, maybe I’m just biased……Ever since I saw/heard John Mayer playing his I got slightly obsessed……and John Mayer is one of my idols.
Just another dream guitar to add to the list……
Also want to feel like you’re dreaming? Listen to the begin of the review below……now that’s some serious talent….
Heritage 535
Honestly, I’m sure you expected this one to be on this list…….so surprise! You were right.
And of course you’re right, this is the one that everyone seems to love the most. Incredible playability, tone, and a stupid good price……you’re really just not able to beat this guitar. I think what really makes it stand out is the tone though. Major head turner.
What’s interesting for those who haven’t heard of this guitar, is it’s actually built in the same factory as the original Gibson guitars. Yep. Same exact place. It’s almost like the place has mystical powers to make guitars sound good. Only partially joking.
But yes, this is the Heritage guitar everyone talks about. Give it a listen if you haven’t before. Pretty cool guitar.
Ibanez AS73
Of course, I had to add just one more Ibanez model to the list…….it comes with my obsession of these guitars.
Ibanez guitars are seriously just so incredible, they’re hard to put down. And every single one has such a great price point. It’s just ridiculous. And they keep getting better and better to.
This particular model just sounds so, so good……and for the price I think it’s unreal.
Now, I will say not everything about this guitar is perfect. You probably want to make some adjustments for sure. But it’s such a good deal.
The main thing though to pay attention to, is how this model sounds…….that’s the reason it made this list.
(See More Details, Specs, and Pricing info on Amazon)
Conclusion:
Hope you enjoyed reading this article on my personal favorite Es 335 alternatives! The ES335 is an absolutely incredible guitar, but the alternatives out there are also incredible.
also, there are a TON of other alternatives out there that are incredible. So, if you didn’t like these definitely go and look at other options. Nowadays there are an insane amount of great options.