Thanks Mick for giving the 345 some love. It gets beat up pretty good in the forums because of the Varitone. I have a ‘63 345 and I love mine and never get rid of the Varitone…it’s a secret weapon
Okay this is my second comment on this video.... but I just want to write as a long time sub', that I hope Dan and Mick know how much we love that you guys have finally purchased some great guitars and we all share in the joy of discovery. Ain't it a wonderful thing? .... and hard work pays off! Long live TPS.
Congats and early Happy Birthday Mick! Beautiful guitar. My own 50th present to me was a PRS DGT with a rosewood neck/Brazilian fretboard. Best guitar I have ever played.
Somewhere, a guitarist says - “I’m not going to buy anything for a while” Somewhere else - a B string breaks on a mid-solo bend! Are these event’s connected? Don’t take the chance! Gather unto you the joy bringing things, and play!
Ok, mine aren’t vintage guitars, only Memphis 1964 Reissues, and so they only have the mono Varitone and don’t have the out of phase pickups, but I’ve always really struggled to understand the hate there seems to be for the ES-345 because of the Varitone. I’d pick one every day over an ES-335. Wonderful guitar Mick!! Congratulations!! So glad you’re not going to mod it!
With carefully tuned pickup heights, there’s already a world of sounds to explore just from the out of phase dual vol / dual tone pots. With the added varitone, there’s probably timbres for a lifetime in one axe.
One odd example of other Varitone equipped guitars if you're curious, although kind of a similar shape : the Epiphone Al Caiola, which is a Casino variant, fully hollow, albeit without F holes, longer scale, slightly more spaced out pickups, only one set of volume/tone knobs, no middle position and, instead of a rotary switch, the Varitone comes with individual switches, allowing to combine positions. Produced in small quantities in 63-69 as a "Custom" version with mini humbuckers, and an oddly even less common (a couple hundreds made, only in 67-68) "Standard" version with P90s, which is a dream to play.
This is the third time I'm watching this... Only for the fact is that I 3:19 play Gibson EB.. EB0 , EB2, ,EB3,,, EB4L❤ Varitone...... Between the 2 the 345 rules.......❤
Finally watched it all, as a Lucille owner, and toying with the varitone, the flipped bridge magnet, and the stereo jacks, there's definitely a magic and a vibe to having it all in one guitar. I think that the varitone is probably better suited for a guitar pedal, like what Rothstein, De Lisle, and Tiny Tone have out. Because it saves adding an extra pound of weight, and modern varitone style pedals come with a boost for even more fine tuning. The stereo wiring and flipped magnet are really cool with the right amp, like a JC-40, Twin Reverb, etc., but swapping in a push-pull pot would be wise for controlling the pickup phase on the fly, in addition to rolling the knobs.
I have an old Guild guitar with humbuckers that had a switch to convert the two pickups in and out of phase! It was amazing...however I didn't appreciate at the time. I changed the pickups to Gibson PAF and continued over the years to eventually changing the wiring. Fast forward to today and it is unplayable, I ruined all of the original wiring and from many years of changing different pickups the wood eventually stripped and humbucker rings broke. I had tried Gibson rings but none fit. What a shame, so yes Mick, don't ever ruin this guitar!!!!
It may have already been noted here, but Joe Robinson has an old stereo Gretsch. IIRC, they took a different approach, with the high strings running one signal path and the low ones the other.
Epiphone have just released a limited edition ES345 varitone with a stoptail piece, they're excellent guitars also the current gibson USA model's don't have a varitone, so unless you have 4k spare for custom shop jobby the Epiphone is a good one to try a ES345.
Maaaaaaaan, took me 3 days to watch this but now that I finally have - that 345 is wicked! Beautiful playing to both of you, but the inspiration was bleeding out of you Dan!
Not sure if someone else has mentioned this in the comments but Gibson came up with the numbers because they were the original price. So an ES-335 is Electric Spanish and cost $335 in 1958, so the fancier 345 and 355 were more money by $10 and $20 in 1958. This numbers for price is also true for things like the ES-125 and such.
Hi Guys........hope both are well.......i asked a question after watching a later show...... just asked our TPS community for an answer......never believing the hosts would reply.......(for me you guys are just as much hero,s to me as my favorite Band Guitarist,s never meant to bother you) i guess You guys are just SUPER COOL.....Getting to the point (just like your show tangents ( why oh why would anyone want a shorter TPS Show its all about the Tangents) Anyway watched Dan on Andertons .........Dan do you live in WOOTEN BASSETT ( Or now as are government sent so many poor souls to wars ,which in my opinion was outrageous) What the people of Wooten basset did was turn out to receive the Coffins......hence it got" Royal " Prefix......anyway i lived on Station rd round the corner from the CROSS KEYS........Misses worked for st Ivealls....i commuted to London for 4 years..........Sorry LOVE THE SHOW.........Thank You so much.........Best show on TH-cam 😊
That 335 and 345 sound like completely, completely, completely different types of guitars. Toward the end where you AB them, I more often prefer the 345, but the 335 definitely has it's moments. The 345 is sweeter. The 335 is more.... traditional?
I think if the Gigrig has 2 inputs, running each pickup through completely different signal chains would be cool. Imagine having the neck pickup clean with tremolo and the bridge overdriven with some reverb. That would make a pickup change to completely different sounds. Then the middle would be really interesting to hear what sounds you could put together. Congrats on getting such an amazing Guitar!
Still one more version of the ES 355. I have been playing my 1990 B B King Lucille since this guitar was new somewhere around 34 year now. This version has no F Holes and there are Two Output Jacks, 1 for Bridge PU and the 2 output Jack for the Neck PU. No TRS cable required. Considering the out of phase factor and now the 2 cables, 1 for either of two amps, Mick, you are 100% correct in saying It's not practical for implementing all that. Something is bound to wrong somewhere, but so far for me for the past three decades plus, I plug into the jack that is the top one and everything works like it would on a Les Paul, re both V & T Pots.
I still have, and regularly use, my 1960 Gibs0on GA-79 -the stereo amp made for these guitars. I've owned it since about 1965. It has two independent 15 watt amps each going to a separate 10" speaker. The case angled the speaker away from each other to increase separation.
I've got a '62 GA-79RVT and a '67 ES-345 and the two together are magic. The middle position really opens up the amp and having reverb and trem on one channel only gives the Space Reverb that Swart has been emulating for years. My only critique of this setup is the nut width on the '67 is smaller and not as comfortable as the earlier or later versions... Wish I had a 64-65 for the normal nut width, but hey, it is still a vintage Gibson, so I can't really complain
What an absolutely ace guitar. So many useful and useable tones. Not sure for heat-of-the-moment live performances but for studio use a Swiss Army knife of tones and options. Before you even approach your pedalboard…
When I tried stereo on an old archtop - (barbera piezzo with two DeArmond pickupsI always had a loss of volume and I tried many (!) different cables - I only liked the stiff evidence stereo-cable... maybe you give it a try : )
i play now about 35years and my second selfmade main guitarcable is still on duty... ... some people use these twisted ciol-cable for strat and straight for humbucker-types on the same gig... so why not have a special es 345/trs cable + 1. : a/b/y box to change the pick-up configuration per foot ...funny or useful ?? or 2. : stereo volume pedal even mor fun ? or 3. : different pedals to make the difference even more per chanel ? think most newish digital effects have stereo-input/trs or the second input for mp3... what about an amp-simulation to use this as a kind of stereo- multilayer possibility ? please 1 or three more "shows" with this es345 universe enjoy this fine instrument of pleasure
It's totally feasible to recreate the Varitone using EQ. I created presets using the parametric EQ module on my cheap little MS-50g for each switch position from a frequency spectrum chart I found online for the Varitone. Although I've never used one personally the EQ'd emulation is close enough for my purposes.
THIS IS CLASSIC, GUYS!, - Dan is Priceless!, the "ear of an eagle!-or is that "the Eyes of an Eagle? -regardless!,-Lol!, I get a kick out of Dan's child-like (in a GOOD 👍 😎 way!-perhaps INGENUOUS!, is a better --23:10-- word!- so, Mickey-boy!- Pay att e ntion to Dan's Ear!-👂 THAT IS A marvelous😢piece of work!- SO!,(I looked ahead!)- So-when Johnny Maar et al tell you to e ip out the VARITONE circuitry, DON'T DO IT IT IS A BEAUTY!
Never pressed Like so fast. I love your shows that revolve around your guitar acquisitions beacuse you guys appreciate them so much. I would still love to see a vlog on this discussing more of the story behind why you wanted it, how it came to find you or vice versa, how you acquired it, and any of its history that you can share. Also your 335 is still crackin. The 345 is amazing, but a tad fiddly too. Both amazing in their own right. Love the SG teaser too!
Loved this episode, especially the exploration of phase and varitone. If Dan is interested in a varitone I'd highly recommend the ES-137 Custom as an option. You don't get the same phase fun, but the tone options are great! Keep up the great content gentlemen.
These two often reference Spinal Tap, for those living in UK, and not yet seen it - it is currently on iPlayer, not sure how long it will be there for, but well worth a watch!!
Congrats on the new guitar Mick! If you listen to Hank Garland’s playing with the Everly brothers, he used a 345. The solo on I’m Not Angry kind of sounds like that out of phase position!
You probably think I'm being cheeky or whatnot when i call your channel a show n tell, but it's not like that. It's meant to be exageratedly inspirational. You guys have soooo many pedals and soooo many viewers. Many of us feel you are just wasting good gear that could and should be loved and used. You have such a great opportunity to help musicians worldwide. But its easily perceived as an expensive mini landfill to play guitar in. Again, that may "seem" exaggerated but no. Absolutely NO hate or negativity. Those are legitimate perspectives. I think yall should really consider truthfully about changing the name of your show. Then you could get charities and/or viewers involved with the pedals. Win win for everyone!! Loved you on andertons Danny boy!!!!
One of the many projects I keep thinking about doing sometime is putting three humbuckers in a guitar with Jaguar-style on/off switches for each pickup and a varitone.
The wood can be heard (its sweetness). Varitone 1,2 and 4 is best. I think you need either several different color cables or 1 cable with incorporated channel and phase switching system incorporated to it. I would choose 2 or 3 differently colored cables. Do not you dare to ever take off that trapeze tailpiece to replace it with some clever idea nonsense. Trapeze differentiates between clinical sound (of normal bridge) and alive sound of various small rattles and resonances (of trapeze). That is why trapeze feels and sounds always better.. Did you ever use before trapeze tailpice guitar?
Great video Guy's. Lovely playing by you's two as always. I've got an early '70's 335 td, but it has got block inlays and neck binding. I loved the sounds that the varitone got out of the instrument, never heard it demonstrated as well as that before. I'm lucky enough to have one of the few made with the coil tap switch on the lower bout. It can make the guitar very Straty like your varitone setting. It's the most versatile guitar l own, you can make her sound like anything you want. It was my go to guitar when l was a London West end theatre pro. Thanks for a great video Guy's, you've got a lovely guitar there Mick.
Mick, if you want to hear a big ES345 user. Check Porl Thompson from The Cure. I know, i know its not your kind of music but he's really incredible with that guitar. Check in particular his performance on THe Cure song "NEver Enough" from the 1993 "Show" concert (there is the video on youtube, it's a 4:55min video). Him, with its red ES345, plugged into 2 Mesa Boogie amps playing like a madman. He was an incredible underrated guitarist and played guitar in the 90s with Plant and Page when they did that tour togehter.
Come on Dan, you've got to have (Or make Mick) some kind of phase inverter box on a foot switch that then sums the two to one, then into a three two one to allow a Strat on its own TS cable.
Moved to comment for the first time in ages. Sheeeesh what a guitar. I’ve only ever heard the Varitone referred to with scorn and derision. Y’all really changed my (frankly, unfounded) assumptions about it. GREAT get, fellas. Sounds killer. And Dan, your jazz chops are shining🔥
Given that Dan's gnarly scar worries me every time I see it, I'm not surprised he's been snowed under. I'm just happy our dear friend is still with us. Mmm varitone, cue BB King.
Could be a number of things that make the 335 a harder sounding guitar, but the nylon saddles on the 345 are likely a big part of it. Gibson may have been using AlNiCo IV in '65, and the MHS pickups in the '58 335 RI should have II in the bridge and III in the neck, so the 345 pickups should actually have slightly stronger flux.
Delighted to see you both using right angle jacks at the body input. It always terrifies me when I see the regular lead sticking out. Both beautiful guitars, really cool. Quite the dynamic duo today. 🤘
@@derekclemons Don’t get me started on the toilet paper! My wife loads the roll to the back, wtf!! I call that the mullet, as opposed to the normal way, which I call the fringe. 🙄
Hearing the 345 via the bitrate of a TH-cam video, I can only imagine how good it sounds in the room. That's a fuck of a good guitar. Congratulations Mick!
Love Micks 335 though , i personally struggle with them I’m a 6 feet plus bloke and feel they are bulky and big 😬 but that is a personal thing , just watch Steve Martiott on the Tube with Packet Of Three , the wee man rocks with his 335 😮
Glad Mick is bonding with the new guitar. Very cool that you've decided to keep both the stereo and the varitone! The varitone isn't true bypass in position 1, but it only "sucks tone" if the bypass resistors have drifted down in value. Charlie Gelber (vintage ES guru) did some experiments years ago with the help of an electrical engineer, and proved that position 1 in the good vintage units made no difference to the signal. I think he had a theory about which years the components became iffy, but I don't recall the date. Really interesting how small the volume change on one pickup can be to bring the sound mostly in phase - I'd always assumed you'd need to roll half the volume off, but it's actually very usable. One thing I just thought of - I wonder if you have PAFs in there? Gibson had a lot of gold covered PAFs to get through, and 345s often have PAFs in one or both positions well into the Pat# and even the T-top era.
Cool - nothing wrong with some nice Patent Numbers @@ThatPedalShow :-) You've inspired me to drag my 345 out, and now I'm wondering about flipping one of the magnets to put it out of phase again (it was converted to mono and put back in phase before I got it)...
Well congrats on the new guitar. That didn't take long into 2024. Already accomplished your mission. Something about a guitar almost 60 years old. For sure the wood it is made out of has been a guitar much longer than it was ever a tree. For sure a reason it sounds so killer. Have a great weekend.
I know that every guitar sounds different, even the same model. After hearing this 345, on my stereo, I don't know why someone would remove a varitone switch. Thanks guys, your playing and content are always excellent!
All 345's are stereo (factory-ordered one-off options could be mono, or without varitone, or with nickel). The 355 was standard stereo with varitone, but could be ordered mono and/or without varitone.
1958 Gibson had pointy guitars but 1957 Chevy's points were contagious. My 1957 Leescraft speedboat has same quarterpanel point. LOVE LOVE LOVE 345 possibilities. My Epiphone 339 ultra iii has rare out of phase thing that, like 345, if the 2 volumes match volume drops because of phase. (Strangely Gibson has standing offer to rewire the few ultra 3 les pauls and 339s that were wired this way) I use 2 amps with wet in one amp only because of TPS. I look forward to hearing more 345.
My 1964 ES345 has very large chokes as part of the varitone circuit and this makes the guitar heavier than a 335 and maybe made it less popular. Nice guitar but cheap modern guitars are all pretty good whereas in 64 cheap guitars were rubbish and pretty unplayable - that's why people bought Fenders and Gibsons at great expense. Nowadays I don't much mind what guitar I'm playing and to be honest if you're processing the hell out of them anyway it probably doesn't matter.
345 is sounding awesome but also so is Dan… maybe the Sg coming along should be the dawn of a new era of TPS where the sg and 345 are swapping hands every week or somethin ?
I totally agree, that 345 sounds asolutely crazy good. No comparison with your 335 ... really, why would you need to keep that 335, it's clearly useless now ... I'd even say that it's lost at least two thirds of its price beacause of (thanks to?) this video. Now, I'd be happy to buy it if you sell it 🤣
The Les Paul that featured a Varitone was the Les Paul Personal, Professional and Recording Models. The knob was labeled Decade, and had 11 positions(1 being off).
C’mon guys I own 30 guitars and had sworn no more -ever, then I hear this 345 arghhhhhhh 😮locking myself in a cupboard for the next 12 months so I don’t have to mortgage the house
![Rick Beato At That Pedal Show! [Recording Guitar Tips, Producing & More]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9vefw_c2BRA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Rick Beato At That Pedal Show! [Recording Guitar Tips, Producing & More]](/img/tr.png)
![Mick’s Gibson ES-335 Gets New Pickups & Loom [Hardest Pickup Swap Ever?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Out2LP6Tafc/mqdefault.jpg)
Love this, hard to beat the versatility of an ES345! Happy new guitar day Mick!
“I guess you’re not ready for that yet… but your kids are going to love it”
Hahahahhha!!!
Norm said they rented that guitar so long they could have easily bought the thing!
I think Dan needs a guitar like that 345 because his jazz chops really shine on it.
Totally agree
Definitely
Yup. There was something different about Dans playing when he started playing that guitar. He just floated. Was great.
Agreed, and I also want to hear him on a "proper" jazz box.
On the other hand, I think Dan would totally love a Gibson's proper Big Jazz box like what Ron Quillo played from Carter Vintage
Thanks Mick for giving the 345 some love. It gets beat up pretty good in the forums because of the Varitone. I have a ‘63 345 and I love mine and never get rid of the Varitone…it’s a secret weapon
This was a SUPER VIDEO for sure!!!! Dan would CUT MICK's ARM off if he Touched it you could TELL!!!!
@@ksharpe10 luckily Dan is trained in the means of restraining Mick without the need to carry out any impromptu amputations!! 😜
As Mick says, it was a Mick-indulgent show but, like most Mick-indulgent shows, it went down an interesting rabbit-hole.
Okay this is my second comment on this video.... but I just want to write as a long time sub', that I hope Dan and Mick know how much we love that you guys have finally purchased some great guitars and we all share in the joy of discovery.
Ain't it a wonderful thing? .... and hard work pays off!
Long live TPS.
Thank you!
But can it shoegaze?
Congats and early Happy Birthday Mick! Beautiful guitar. My own 50th present to me was a PRS DGT with a rosewood neck/Brazilian fretboard. Best guitar I have ever played.
Somewhere, a guitarist says - “I’m not going to buy anything for a while”
Somewhere else - a B string breaks on a mid-solo bend!
Are these event’s connected?
Don’t take the chance! Gather unto you the joy bringing things, and play!
Ok, mine aren’t vintage guitars, only Memphis 1964 Reissues, and so they only have the mono Varitone and don’t have the out of phase pickups, but I’ve always really struggled to understand the hate there seems to be for the ES-345 because of the Varitone. I’d pick one every day over an ES-335.
Wonderful guitar Mick!! Congratulations!! So glad you’re not going to mod it!
I used mine back in the 70s with the gibson stereo jack going into a Twin and a Super. Overdrive on the twin and clean on the Super
Pure magic
With carefully tuned pickup heights, there’s already a world of sounds to explore just from the out of phase dual vol / dual tone pots. With the added varitone, there’s probably timbres for a lifetime in one axe.
One odd example of other Varitone equipped guitars if you're curious, although kind of a similar shape : the Epiphone Al Caiola, which is a Casino variant, fully hollow, albeit without F holes, longer scale, slightly more spaced out pickups, only one set of volume/tone knobs, no middle position and, instead of a rotary switch, the Varitone comes with individual switches, allowing to combine positions. Produced in small quantities in 63-69 as a "Custom" version with mini humbuckers, and an oddly even less common (a couple hundreds made, only in 67-68) "Standard" version with P90s, which is a dream to play.
This is the third time I'm watching this...
Only for the fact is that I 3:19 play Gibson EB..
EB0 , EB2, ,EB3,,, EB4L❤
Varitone......
Between the 2 the 345 rules.......❤
Finally watched it all, as a Lucille owner, and toying with the varitone, the flipped bridge magnet, and the stereo jacks, there's definitely a magic and a vibe to having it all in one guitar. I think that the varitone is probably better suited for a guitar pedal, like what Rothstein, De Lisle, and Tiny Tone have out. Because it saves adding an extra pound of weight, and modern varitone style pedals come with a boost for even more fine tuning.
The stereo wiring and flipped magnet are really cool with the right amp, like a JC-40, Twin Reverb, etc., but swapping in a push-pull pot would be wise for controlling the pickup phase on the fly, in addition to rolling the knobs.
...and 5,000 reverb searches for an ES-345 commenced.
Great episode! I was thrilled to hear the reference to Freddie King when talking about the middle position.
Man that middle pickup position tone is NASTY. Absolutely phenomenal. Good for you mate. Cheers
Very cool !!! Congrats.... definitely doesn't sound at all like the '58 re-issue.... totally different character !!!!
I have an old Guild guitar with humbuckers that had a switch to convert the two pickups in and out of phase! It was amazing...however I didn't appreciate at the time. I changed the pickups to Gibson PAF and continued over the years to eventually changing the wiring. Fast forward to today and it is unplayable, I ruined all of the original wiring and from many years of changing different pickups the wood eventually stripped and humbucker rings broke. I had tried Gibson rings but none fit. What a shame, so yes Mick, don't ever ruin this guitar!!!!
It may have already been noted here, but Joe Robinson has an old stereo Gretsch. IIRC, they took a different approach, with the high strings running one signal path and the low ones the other.
Epiphone have just released a limited edition ES345 varitone with a stoptail piece, they're excellent guitars also the current gibson USA model's don't have a varitone, so unless you have 4k spare for custom shop jobby the Epiphone is a good one to try a ES345.
Maaaaaaaan, took me 3 days to watch this but now that I finally have - that 345 is wicked! Beautiful playing to both of you, but the inspiration was bleeding out of you Dan!
Not sure if someone else has mentioned this in the comments but Gibson came up with the numbers because they were the original price. So an ES-335 is Electric Spanish and cost $335 in 1958, so the fancier 345 and 355 were more money by $10 and $20 in 1958. This numbers for price is also true for things like the ES-125 and such.
Ha! How amazingly short sighted! Hahahah! Same with Martin. D-18, D-28 etc….
I own a genuine 1965 Epiphone Casino with factory fitted (at the time of manufacture) Varitone. Truly a rare bird.
Hi Guys........hope both are well.......i asked a question after watching a later show...... just asked our TPS community for an answer......never believing the hosts would reply.......(for me you guys are just as much hero,s to me as my favorite Band Guitarist,s never meant to bother you) i guess You guys are just SUPER COOL.....Getting to the point (just like your show tangents ( why oh why would anyone want a shorter TPS Show its all about the Tangents) Anyway watched Dan on Andertons .........Dan do you live in WOOTEN BASSETT ( Or now as are government sent so many poor souls to wars ,which in my opinion was outrageous) What the people of Wooten basset did was turn out to receive the Coffins......hence it got" Royal " Prefix......anyway i lived on Station rd round the corner from the CROSS KEYS........Misses worked for st Ivealls....i commuted to London for 4 years..........Sorry LOVE THE SHOW.........Thank You so much.........Best show on TH-cam 😊
I just got a Mid 60s SG special and the pickups are out of phase. It does the same quack no quack when one of the PUs is rolled back a touch. So cool.
That 335 and 345 sound like completely, completely, completely different types of guitars. Toward the end where you AB them, I more often prefer the 345, but the 335 definitely has it's moments. The 345 is sweeter. The 335 is more.... traditional?
I think if the Gigrig has 2 inputs, running each pickup through completely different signal chains would be cool. Imagine having the neck pickup clean with tremolo and the bridge overdriven with some reverb. That would make a pickup change to completely different sounds. Then the middle would be really interesting to hear what sounds you could put together. Congrats on getting such an amazing Guitar!
There are number of ways to do that, and it could indeed offer a LOAD of options. Could be fun. But too much brain for me. Hahahab
Still one more version of the ES 355. I have been playing my 1990 B B King Lucille since this guitar was new somewhere around 34 year now. This version has no F Holes and there are Two Output Jacks, 1 for Bridge PU and the 2 output Jack for the Neck PU. No TRS cable required. Considering the out of phase factor and now the 2 cables, 1 for either of two amps, Mick, you are 100% correct in saying It's not practical for implementing all that. Something is bound to wrong somewhere, but so far for me for the past three decades plus, I plug into the jack that is the top one and everything works like it would on a Les Paul, re both V & T Pots.
I still have, and regularly use, my 1960 Gibs0on GA-79 -the stereo amp made for these guitars. I've owned it since about 1965. It has two independent 15 watt amps each going to a separate 10" speaker. The case angled the speaker away from each other to increase separation.
I've got a '62 GA-79RVT and a '67 ES-345 and the two together are magic. The middle position really opens up the amp and having reverb and trem on one channel only gives the Space Reverb that Swart has been emulating for years. My only critique of this setup is the nut width on the '67 is smaller and not as comfortable as the earlier or later versions... Wish I had a 64-65 for the normal nut width, but hey, it is still a vintage Gibson, so I can't really complain
Can’t unhear “The Captain’s Lick!” 😂😎🎸
I caught that too 😂😂
Is that the "hateful note" Noel Gallagher was talking about?
😂
What an absolutely ace guitar. So many useful and useable tones. Not sure for heat-of-the-moment live performances but for studio use a Swiss Army knife of tones and options. Before you even approach your pedalboard…
I think for me that's jumped straight to the coolest guitar on the show! And it had some very cool stuff to compete with
Yeah no arguement there it was OtherWorldly, like GOD came down and BLESSED it for Sure.
When I tried stereo on an old archtop - (barbera piezzo with two DeArmond pickupsI always had a loss of volume and I tried many (!) different cables - I only liked the stiff evidence stereo-cable... maybe you give it a try : )
i play now about 35years and my second selfmade main guitarcable is still on duty...
... some people use these twisted ciol-cable for strat and straight for humbucker-types on the same gig...
so why not have a special es 345/trs cable +
1. : a/b/y box to change the pick-up configuration per foot ...funny or useful ??
or
2. : stereo volume pedal even mor fun ?
or
3. : different pedals to make the difference even more per chanel ?
think
most newish digital effects have stereo-input/trs or the second input for mp3...
what about an amp-simulation to use this as a kind of stereo- multilayer possibility ?
please 1 or three more "shows" with this es345 universe
enjoy this fine instrument of pleasure
Someone has been working on his jazz chops lately…Right Dan?
Would love to hear this comparison done alongside a Les Paul Signature from the mid-70’s. (I call it the Paul Kelly guitar).
When I had mine, I'd run one pickup through one pedal/pedals and vice versa. Always two amps. Really miss that guitar 😢
It's totally feasible to recreate the Varitone using EQ. I created presets using the parametric EQ module on my cheap little MS-50g for each switch position from a frequency spectrum chart I found online for the Varitone. Although I've never used one personally the EQ'd emulation is close enough for my purposes.
THIS IS CLASSIC, GUYS!, - Dan is Priceless!, the "ear of an eagle!-or is that "the Eyes of an Eagle? -regardless!,-Lol!, I get a kick out of Dan's child-like (in a GOOD 👍 😎 way!-perhaps INGENUOUS!, is a better --23:10-- word!- so, Mickey-boy!- Pay att e ntion to Dan's Ear!-👂 THAT IS A marvelous😢piece of work!- SO!,(I looked ahead!)- So-when Johnny Maar et al tell you to e ip out the VARITONE circuitry, DON'T DO IT IT IS A BEAUTY!
Never pressed Like so fast. I love your shows that revolve around your guitar acquisitions beacuse you guys appreciate them so much. I would still love to see a vlog on this discussing more of the story behind why you wanted it, how it came to find you or vice versa, how you acquired it, and any of its history that you can share. Also your 335 is still crackin. The 345 is amazing, but a tad fiddly too. Both amazing in their own right. Love the SG teaser too!
Loved this episode, especially the exploration of phase and varitone. If Dan is interested in a varitone I'd highly recommend the ES-137 Custom as an option. You don't get the same phase fun, but the tone options are great! Keep up the great content gentlemen.
These two often reference Spinal Tap, for those living in UK, and not yet seen it - it is currently on iPlayer, not sure how long it will be there for, but well worth a watch!!
@HRJ1411 No, don’t even look at it.
Congrats on the new guitar Mick! If you listen to Hank Garland’s playing with the Everly brothers, he used a 345. The solo on I’m Not Angry kind of sounds like that out of phase position!
You probably think I'm being cheeky or whatnot when i call your channel a show n tell, but it's not like that. It's meant to be exageratedly inspirational.
You guys have soooo many pedals and soooo many viewers. Many of us feel you are just wasting good gear that could and should be loved and used. You have such a great opportunity to help musicians worldwide. But its easily perceived as an expensive mini landfill to play guitar in. Again, that may "seem" exaggerated but no. Absolutely NO hate or negativity. Those are legitimate perspectives.
I think yall should really consider truthfully about changing the name of your show. Then you could get charities and/or viewers involved with the pedals. Win win for everyone!!
Loved you on andertons Danny boy!!!!
Strange funny guitars they have holes in the body. Hmmmm
One year of "work" on growing some longer beards - and you could found....Oh, let's leave it alone! 😄
Lovely guitar! I agree with Dan … as gramps used to say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Vintage guitars are magic
One of the many projects I keep thinking about doing sometime is putting three humbuckers in a guitar with Jaguar-style on/off switches for each pickup and a varitone.
The wood can be heard (its sweetness). Varitone 1,2 and 4 is best. I think you need either several different color cables or 1 cable with incorporated channel and phase switching system incorporated to it. I would choose 2 or 3 differently colored cables. Do not you dare to ever take off that trapeze tailpiece to replace it with some clever idea nonsense. Trapeze differentiates between clinical sound (of normal bridge) and alive sound of various small rattles and resonances (of trapeze). That is why trapeze feels and sounds always better.. Did you ever use before trapeze tailpice guitar?
Luscious, luscious guitar. For a simple version of the phase-flipping trick, I highly recommend the Harmony Comet.
Dan sounds like a jazz master tone wise!. Tasty licks!
Great video Guy's. Lovely playing by you's two as always. I've got an early '70's 335 td, but it has got block inlays and neck binding. I loved the sounds that the varitone got out of the instrument, never heard it demonstrated as well as that before. I'm lucky enough to have one of the few made with the coil tap switch on the lower bout. It can make the guitar very Straty like your varitone setting. It's the most versatile guitar l own, you can make her sound like anything you want. It was my go to guitar when l was a London West end theatre pro.
Thanks for a great video Guy's, you've got a lovely guitar there Mick.
How about a video on Flying Vs and Explorers? They have their own sonic identities and are much more versatile than hard rock and metal.
Been looking for a cherry 345 for so long - wish Gibson would put the varitone back in the new ones, even if it's not wired for stereo.
I wonder if the Eric Valentine Vari-cap guitar cable would offer some of same tone options
It’s that old joke about the Varitone: Position one is normal, position two sounds like B.B. King, and the rest sounds like shit. 😂
Given me lots to think about with my Lucille. Need a summing TRS cable now to see if it does that out of phase thing. Always run it mono
Put a fuzz or 2 for stereo, on that ES-345 and play with the varitone, add a vibe for more fun
If it was mine, I'd mono the 345 at the jack but leave it alone otherwise. Just because the idea of being reliant on a special cable freaks me out.
Trapeze sound different than stoptails imo. More open and airy. Less direct and snappy.
Mick, if you want to hear a big ES345 user. Check Porl Thompson from The Cure. I know, i know its not your kind of music but he's really incredible with that guitar.
Check in particular his performance on THe Cure song "NEver Enough" from the 1993 "Show" concert (there is the video on youtube, it's a 4:55min video). Him, with its red ES345, plugged into 2 Mesa Boogie amps playing like a madman. He was an incredible underrated guitarist and played guitar in the 90s with Plant and Page when they did that tour togehter.
Porl was an AMAZING player. Deserve more recognision
Come on Dan, you've got to have (Or make Mick) some kind of phase inverter box on a foot switch that then sums the two to one, then into a three two one to allow a Strat on its own TS cable.
I think that stereo amp back in the day was The Les Paul Amp the GA-40?
I have 2 words for the sound that guitar produces: Bob Weir
Nice. I cant tell the difference other than tone. But with an Oscilloscope it would be entertaining.
Moved to comment for the first time in ages. Sheeeesh what a guitar. I’ve only ever heard the Varitone referred to with scorn and derision. Y’all really changed my (frankly, unfounded) assumptions about it. GREAT get, fellas. Sounds killer.
And Dan, your jazz chops are shining🔥
Hello Tom, Mick here. I was the same on the Varitone and like you, my option has been totally changed by actually using it. Amazing thing!
Given that Dan's gnarly scar worries me every time I see it, I'm not surprised he's been snowed under. I'm just happy our dear friend is still with us. Mmm varitone, cue BB King.
Sweet guitar Mick ! My Lucille has 2 x 1/4" mono jacks with the Varitone. Cheers from Toronto.
Could be a number of things that make the 335 a harder sounding guitar, but the nylon saddles on the 345 are likely a big part of it. Gibson may have been using AlNiCo IV in '65, and the MHS pickups in the '58 335 RI should have II in the bridge and III in the neck, so the 345 pickups should actually have slightly stronger flux.
Delighted to see you both using right angle jacks at the body input. It always terrifies me when I see the regular lead sticking out. Both beautiful guitars, really cool. Quite the dynamic duo today. 🤘
Those people with regular straight jacks are monsters ! :D
@@jeremygorszczyk Amen brother. 🤪
Probably flip their toilet paper the wrong way ;)
@@derekclemons Don’t get me started on the toilet paper! My wife loads the roll to the back, wtf!! I call that the mullet, as opposed to the normal way, which I call the fringe. 🙄
Prettiest guitar ever.
The varitone is the most under rated control in the history of the electric guitar. All Gibsons should have one in my opinion.
Hearing the 345 via the bitrate of a TH-cam video, I can only imagine how good it sounds in the room. That's a fuck of a good guitar. Congratulations Mick!
Love Micks 335 though , i personally struggle with them I’m a 6 feet plus bloke and feel they are bulky and big 😬 but that is a personal thing , just watch Steve Martiott on the Tube with Packet Of Three , the wee man rocks with his 335 😮
Glad Mick is bonding with the new guitar. Very cool that you've decided to keep both the stereo and the varitone! The varitone isn't true bypass in position 1, but it only "sucks tone" if the bypass resistors have drifted down in value. Charlie Gelber (vintage ES guru) did some experiments years ago with the help of an electrical engineer, and proved that position 1 in the good vintage units made no difference to the signal. I think he had a theory about which years the components became iffy, but I don't recall the date. Really interesting how small the volume change on one pickup can be to bring the sound mostly in phase - I'd always assumed you'd need to roll half the volume off, but it's actually very usable. One thing I just thought of - I wonder if you have PAFs in there? Gibson had a lot of gold covered PAFs to get through, and 345s often have PAFs in one or both positions well into the Pat# and even the T-top era.
Thanks Tim! Yeah that just-off knobs thing is NUTS! I flippin love it. I checked the pickups… they’re Patent Number of the era. Still happy. Hahaha!
Cool - nothing wrong with some nice Patent Numbers @@ThatPedalShow :-) You've inspired me to drag my 345 out, and now I'm wondering about flipping one of the magnets to put it out of phase again (it was converted to mono and put back in phase before I got it)...
But all the tone is in the sticker...
Charlie OK Guitars, he knows ES guitars like probably no-one else.
You know what this means, right gents? 2 pedalboards, one for the neck one for the bridge. COME ONNNN!
Stereo wet dry 4 amps
Ha Ha what would it give to have it Page's wiring added to that? plus a kill switch
Good god, that SG sounds absolutely outrageous! Cannot wait to hear what Dan has to "say" with that incredible guitar.
Well congrats on the new guitar. That didn't take long into 2024. Already accomplished your mission. Something about a guitar almost 60 years old. For sure the wood it is made out of has been a guitar much longer than it was ever a tree. For sure a reason it sounds so killer. Have a great weekend.
I know that every guitar sounds different, even the same model. After hearing this 345, on my stereo, I don't know why someone would remove a varitone switch. Thanks guys, your playing and content are always excellent!
This is based on the title of the video alone... YOU HAVE A 1965 ES345! STOP WHINING!
Hahahahah!
nice guitar but i prefer the sound of the lower output pickups on the newer one
Vlog vlog vlog vlog vlog....please Mick
Tune in next week when Mick mods this to be wet dry wet.
That’s it sell all the pedals 😂
All 345's are stereo (factory-ordered one-off options could be mono, or without varitone, or with nickel). The 355 was standard stereo with varitone, but could be ordered mono and/or without varitone.
Thank you William!
1958 Gibson had pointy guitars but 1957 Chevy's points were contagious. My 1957 Leescraft speedboat has same quarterpanel point.
LOVE LOVE LOVE 345 possibilities. My Epiphone 339 ultra iii has rare out of phase thing that, like 345, if the 2 volumes match volume drops because of phase. (Strangely Gibson has standing offer to rewire the few ultra 3 les pauls and 339s that were wired this way) I use 2 amps with wet in one amp only because of TPS.
I look forward to hearing more 345.
My 1964 ES345 has very large chokes as part of the varitone circuit and this makes the guitar heavier than a 335 and maybe made it less popular. Nice guitar but cheap modern guitars are all pretty good whereas in 64 cheap guitars were rubbish and pretty unplayable - that's why people bought Fenders and Gibsons at great expense. Nowadays I don't much mind what guitar I'm playing and to be honest if you're processing the hell out of them anyway it probably doesn't matter.
If you want to swap the 345 for a less rubbish and more playable modern guitar, please DM us!
345 is sounding awesome but also so is Dan… maybe the Sg coming along should be the dawn of a new era of TPS where the sg and 345 are swapping hands every week or somethin ?
Fantastic video, thanks guys.
I totally agree, that 345 sounds asolutely crazy good. No comparison with your 335 ... really, why would you need to keep that 335, it's clearly useless now ... I'd even say that it's lost at least two thirds of its price beacause of (thanks to?) this video. Now, I'd be happy to buy it if you sell it 🤣
Hahahaha!
Wow! What else is there to say? Mind blown 🤯
The Les Paul that featured a Varitone was the Les Paul Personal, Professional and Recording Models. The knob was labeled Decade, and had 11 positions(1 being off).
that ES-345 is magic but please get the in-phase sound too, that's the most beautiful thing ever
C’mon guys I own 30 guitars and had sworn no more -ever, then I hear this 345 arghhhhhhh 😮locking myself in a cupboard for the next 12 months so I don’t have to mortgage the house
Hahahahah! Sorry Wayne! My friend Jake had the same reaction.
I think I heard that BB King always played his on 2. Congrats Mick! That is a beauty. Nice teaser as well!
Mick, Do Not Change it! Please, you will find these guitars being hunted down after this vid.