ES 335 Bass

[veebass]

I have been using the ES 335 a fair bit and, while certainly impressed initially, I am liking it even more as I get to know it.
I bought it largely because of the aesthetic to use for some country rock style songs we do, but I have to say it is a really solid rock bass with a good tone.
Obviously too good a bass for Gibson to put into extended production- people might catch on that it is not all about tooth pick necks, mid scoop and access to the 20 th fret.

[uwe]

It's not as hypher-aggressive as the EB 650 (which had a maple neck, the ES 335 has a maho one), still anything but docile. In Les Paul Signature territory I'd say.

As regards knocking Gibson for not pushing it more: Any American-made true hollow-body is gonna price itself out of the market for most bassists. Add to that how hollow-bodies only have limited appeal among bassists right from the start though I grant you that the ES 335 might convert some heathens. Gibson has kept hollow-bodies in production where they found their niche - just look at the Epi Jack Casady Sig (together with the entry-level TBirds and EBs the longest-running Epi bass) which is the most expensive Epi bass model, but still affordable compared to an ES 335.

[veebass]

Yes it is true that the new price certainly put the ES 335 Bass, although not out of line with ES 335 Guitars, out of contention for me.

[Blackbird]

There's a slightly used black one at a store here...$1125 US it works out to.  Nice price. 

[uwe]

The black ones were cheaper right from the start - no binding. But as some Canadian always says: "Binding's only fin-deep."

[Granny Gremlin]

Isn't she American?

[uwe]

  Yup, from that one nation under Canada.

Of course she is, all good things are, she's not Lee Aaron, you know. You're the Canadian in this play (as if you hadn't known!), her album title just alluded to your vocal views on bindings in the past. Besides, you don't really need a reason to post a Cherie Currie pic and I thought it was about time again.

Cherie has held up nicely, must have been expensive.