Johnsy Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Hi guys! I’m in need of some advice here. I’m completely new to the guitar world and I’m currently researching the type of electric guitar that would be suitable for a newbie like me. I ultimately would like to play Blues/Rock and love the idea of the Epiphone ES 399 but not sure if I’m on the right track. Any advice here would be much appreciated. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Great guitar with very friendly proportions. A friend of mine had/has one of these and I was very impressed by the range of tones. A good choice for your chosen genre IMO. Oh yeah, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnsy Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 11 minutes ago, ezbass said: Great guitar with very friendly proportions. A friend of mine had/has one of these and I was very impressed by the range of tones. A good choice for your chosen genre IMO. Oh yeah, Hi there, thank you for the welcome. I’ve looked into so many lists of guitars suitable for beginners which is fine but I believe it’s surely important to understand what style you ultimately would like to learn and therefore this would help me choose. I’m struggling to find much based on the Es 399 as suitability for a beginner so hence joining the forum. I love the diversity this guitar offers but wondered if this was above my league? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 Fundamentally, any guitar is good for a beginner, whether a particular guitar is more suited to a certain style is another question. The ES335 is generally regarded as one of the best all round guitars made (certainly Gibson’s). However, it’s a big beast for some, so the 339’s reduced proportions makes it a great choice for anyone. Then we come to the Epiphone variant, which, due to its coil tapping, makes it even more versatile. The one thing it lacks to make it truly all round, is a vibrato system, but you can add a Bigsby (or a Stetsbar if you can source one) at a later date. I nearly bought an Epi 339 myself some years ago, but I’m a sucker for P90 pickups, so I bought a Casino Coupé instead. Since owning it, I’ve upgraded the pickups and added the aforementioned Bigsby (plus a few cosmetic touches). The one drawback of my Casino is that it’s more prone to feedback because it’s a full hollowbody, whereas the 339 isn’t because it’s a semi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnsy Posted November 28, 2021 Author Share Posted November 28, 2021 3 hours ago, ezbass said: Fundamentally, any guitar is good for a beginner, whether a particular guitar is more suited to a certain style is another question. The ES335 is generally regarded as one of the best all round guitars made (certainly Gibson’s). However, it’s a big beast for some, so the 339’s reduced proportions makes it a great choice for anyone. Then we come to the Epiphone variant, which, due to its coil tapping, makes it even more versatile. The one thing it lacks to make it truly all round, is a vibrato system, but you can add a Bigsby (or a Stetsbar if you can source one) at a later date. I nearly bought an Epi 339 myself some years ago, but I’m a sucker for P90 pickups, so I bought a Casino Coupé instead. Since owning it, I’ve upgraded the pickups and added the aforementioned Bigsby (plus a few cosmetic touches). The one drawback of my Casino is that it’s more prone to feedback because it’s a full hollowbody, whereas the 339 isn’t because it’s a semi. Thanks for your help and reply on this that’s great. Sounds like I’m on the right path. Are amps necessary to start with also, excuse my ignorance any advice on gear to follow that I should be considering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 28, 2021 Share Posted November 28, 2021 Although not absolutely necessary, if you want to play live at some juncture, you’ll want an amp. You can get away with modelling FX boxes into the PA and these are also ideal for playing at home, but it just isn’t the same as hearing and feeling a conventional amp behind you (opinions vary on this, so is really just my POV). In terms of recommendations, a lot depends on budget, followed by the kind of tone you’re aiming for. However, a good starting point would be a modelling amp, something like a Fender Mustang or Boss Katana, which allow you to tweak the different voices and include a bunch of FX too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Hi there @Johnsy and welcome to the forum. Some excellent advice here from the estimable Mr. @ezbass. The few thoughts I could add are based on my ownership of an '84 335 dot. It is indeed a fantastic and very versatile instrument, well suited to the sort of music you plan to make (not to mention Jazz - may not be your thing of course but just so I've said it...). I've always thought it a very well balanced guitar as it happens, but that's just me I suspect. I can understand why some would consider it a touch bulky, but I've not found that to be the case personally. That said, the 339 is in most respects very similar to the 335, and the smaller body shape should address the concerns of anyone who likes the instrument but is worried about the 335's size. I tried out a 339 in a shop some years ago and liked it very much (but I still wouldn't swap my 335 for it ). As to amps, suffice it to say there's lots out there, and choosing one needn't be a difficult task provided you're reasonably clear what sort of music you're planning to play (and I would concur with ez in that while you don't actually need an amp to make an audible noise - especially with a 335/339 style guitar - a decent amp is as much a part of the sound you make as the guitar itself). Personally I wouln't bother too much about effects at this stage, but again that's just me. IME lots of effects can become a bit of a rabbit hole if you're not careful. If the amp has them then fine, but I'd be inclined to work at getting a decent basic sound out of it to start with and think about how you can tinker with it further down the line. As always, just my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
