Gibson ES-330 Hollowbody Electric Guitar Sixties Cherry
Gibson's fully hollow thinline with dual P-90s returns to the catalog. No center block, just maple/poplar resonance and dogear snarl - it's the "couch guitar" that sounds equally good unplugged or through a cranked amp.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Perfect 5/5 stars from Sweetwater users - one called the neck joint at 16th fret "unique" with corresponding bridge placement creating distinctive tone
- +Hand-wired P-90s with 500k pots and Orange Drop caps deliver "bright, clear cleans and wonderfully nasty, snarling" overdriven tones
- +Fully hollow construction provides exceptional acoustic resonance - ideal for unplugged songwriting
- +Lighter than ES-335 (no center block) at approximately 6.3 lbs
- +Plek'd frets and bound rosewood fingerboard with rolled edges for premium playability
Cons
- −Fully hollow design invites feedback at high gain/volume - not for metal players
- −Trapeze tailpiece limits sustain compared to stop-tail designs
- −At $3,499 it's expensive, especially compared to Epiphone Casino cousin
- −Neck joins at 16th fret instead of 19th - upper fret access is compromised
The Verdict
Sweetwater’s perfect 5/5 score (100%) tells you everything. This isn’t an ES-335 with the center block removed – it’s a completely different animal. One user spent significant time comparing Heritage, Epiphone USA, and Eastman alternatives before choosing this, and the nitro Sixties Cherry finish sealed the deal. The P-90s deliver that classic Gibson single-coil punch Guitar Interactive describes: “bright and snarly” in the bridge, perfect for blues and rock. Yes, it’ll feed back if you’re chasing Slayer tones, but with “judicious palm and fretting hand muting” it sings. At $3,500 it’s a serious investment, but this is a stage, studio, and couch guitar that excels at all three. Legendary.
