Great Demo. You have explained this guitar very well for what it really is and can do. And I have always wanted a 345 too because of the Varitone and the sound of the two Kings, Elvin Bishop and Steve Howe mystified me. I finally just bought one and saw this video right after I opened the box. Perfect. Thanks.
This was very illuminating! I would only add two classic Varitone reference tones: Steve Howe on Yessongs (Siberian Khatru, Close to the Edge), and Bob Weir (China Cat Sunflower from Europe '72, and pretty much anything from Sunshine Daydream, Veneta, OR, '72). Good stuff!
Way back in 1978 my guitar mentor had a Gibson L6-S with the Veritone switch. He then brought home a beautiful brand spankin' new sunburst Fender Strat with what was then the the "new 5 position switch". We spent an entire day A/B and blind testing both and were amazed at how close the L6-S got to mimicking the Strat. Yeah sure, part of it was the L6-S maple body but the switch was what really made it sound Fendery-like.
I absolutely love my 97 Gibson Blueshawk with the switch. I am always fiddling with the setting, but always seem to end up on "1".. haha. My rig is simple.. a Fender Blues Junior, a Wampler Delta Blues overdrive pedal with just a bit of gain.. and then the switch. sometimes I get so confused. Too many settings. 3 position pickup switch, and the V switch. That is why I always end up on 1. But the switch gets you any tone you want
I had an ES-345 TD in the late 1960s. Other guitarists that came to our gigs used to drool when they heard it. It was probably the coolest guitar I ever owned. I sold it in 1967 to pay my college tuition. Thinking back, keeping the guitar was a better idea. To paraphrase Paul Simon's song "Kodachrome," - When I think back on all that crap I learned in college, It's a wonder I can think at all. And though my lack of education Hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.
The varitone was meant to have the 345 not sounding like a gibson: Not fat at all, cleaner for rhythm that the regular sound, and in the lower potions, "underwater", as he says it... very few people use the varitone. If i had one, I'd use it for less presence than the regular sound. I may build one with fewer settings in my old guitar and try to use it...
Once you start using it, it will be something you always use. Give it a few weeks of use and you won't look back. The switch positions 2-6 do drop the volume by about 25%, to over come this I use a clean boost like the Earthquaker Devices BlackEye boost.
Bo B .The Varitone isn’t splitting the coils at all so strictly speaking, no, you can’t get the same sound by putting coil splits on your ES-335. However, as coil splitting thins the sound out and reduces the output you may get sounds that approximate some of the sounds from the Varitone but using a different method.
I have a red one with the maestro tremolo. I love it greatly but my favorite position is number 4 ... I have made several videos with it ... check um out y'all
What a beautiful guitar, sounds great and the color...just awesome. One thing that bugs me, I hate where the chord jack is located. Just looks so out of place.
But it keeps the cable out of your way and flush to the guitar. SG's have the same jack placement. Angle plugs are excellent to use on a guitar like this. The original stereo cables that came with 345's were angle plugs.
i have a gibson 345 and it's the best sounding gibson I own. i used it in some of my videos, if you want to check em out, like in the one I play a grateful dead song on solo parts or on "the deranged tale of a ride". agree on everything he says about the varitone. odd to hear no mention about the stereo function of this guitar. when you plug a PU in one amp and the other PU in abother amp stuff gets fucking serious and weird and huge sounding
+Leonardo M. Most everyone hates the stereo feature of 345'a and 355's. B.B. was one of the few who used it and he did so to great success. It's not needed by 90% of us, so most replace the stereo jack with a mono jack, very simple. I am a 345 fan and have a Walnut '72, changed to mono with vtone still in. A lot of folks do away with that, too, but I like and use it. At one time had a '67 cherry red, with Bigsby. Beautiful and amazing instrument. 345's are a good deal on the used market simply because they are NOT a 335. Every bit as good an instrument, though. The new 345's are way too expensive but they are well made as far as I can tell. Even though Gibson's QC is terrible now, you can still find a great guitar if you try a lot of them to find the right one.
Got one of these on my 355. When asked what it's for I generally reply it's to make a bad sound, worse. If you have to resort to pedals to compensate for what you've just taken away by turning the dreaded switch, then that's a problem you don't need.
Great Demo. You have explained this guitar very well for what it really is and can do. And I have always wanted a 345 too because of the Varitone and the sound of the two Kings, Elvin Bishop and Steve Howe mystified me. I finally just bought one and saw this video right after I opened the box. Perfect. Thanks.
This was very illuminating! I would only add two classic Varitone reference tones: Steve Howe on Yessongs (Siberian Khatru, Close to the Edge), and Bob Weir (China Cat Sunflower from Europe '72, and pretty much anything from Sunshine Daydream, Veneta, OR, '72). Good stuff!
There weren't transistors in the '20's :) But I digress...great guitar. In person, the blue is CRAZY loud next to the other ES's on the rack.
Thinking of buying ES-345 right now. Very informative. Thanks guys!
Way back in 1978 my guitar mentor had a Gibson L6-S with the Veritone switch. He then brought home a beautiful brand spankin' new sunburst Fender Strat with what was then the the "new 5 position switch". We spent an entire day A/B and blind testing both and were amazed at how close the L6-S got to mimicking the Strat. Yeah sure, part of it was the L6-S maple body but the switch was what really made it sound Fendery-like.
I play a blues hawk as one of my main instruments. That varitone switch makes the guitar sing.
I absolutely love my 97 Gibson Blueshawk with the switch. I am always fiddling with the setting, but always seem to end up on "1".. haha. My rig is simple.. a Fender Blues Junior, a Wampler Delta Blues overdrive pedal with just a bit of gain.. and then the switch. sometimes I get so confused. Too many settings. 3 position pickup switch, and the V switch. That is why I always end up on 1. But the switch gets you any tone you want
I had an ES-345 TD in the late 1960s. Other guitarists that came to our gigs used to drool when they heard it. It was probably the coolest guitar I ever owned.
I sold it in 1967 to pay my college tuition. Thinking back, keeping the guitar was a better idea. To paraphrase Paul Simon's song "Kodachrome," -
When I think back on all that crap I learned in college,
It's a wonder
I can think at all.
And though my lack of education
Hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall.
Very informative, thanks. Scott is a terrific player.
I didn't choose the Varitone, the Varitone chose me.
I chose the ES- 339 pro! I'm happy!!
2:19 actually sounds useful and cool! like a intro for a soul song
There is no Varitone on 2020 Gibson ES345's. I wonder why?
Absolutely. They are useless.
@@irishmuso7129 I could say the same about your knob.. but maybe you just don't know how to use it properly.
anyone know where I can get a cable for my Gibson ES345 (1963) with stereo varitone? thanks ..
Sweetwater has a ProCo Excellines stereo guitar cord, 10' and 15'.
What song is at 5:10 ?
Earl00001 Magic Sam's Boogie (Lookin' Good)
Thank you
Definitely check out the live version
Does anyone know What amp they are playing through!
Scott plays through a fender blackface and an old brownface I think, also has a 70s plexi head
In this video it would have to be a fender
Wow I've never heard anyone nail Johnny Guitar Watson's tone and style
I know ! He totally aced that 70s funk vibe. What a monster player all around.
What a great sound demo of the strange knob everyone wonders about lol ! Awesome
The varitone was meant to have the 345 not sounding like a gibson: Not fat at all, cleaner for rhythm that the regular sound, and in the lower potions, "underwater", as he says it... very few people use the varitone. If i had one, I'd use it for less presence than the regular sound. I may build one with fewer settings in my old guitar and try to use it...
Once you start using it, it will be something you always use. Give it a few weeks of use and you won't look back. The switch positions 2-6 do drop the volume by about 25%, to over come this I use a clean boost like the Earthquaker Devices BlackEye boost.
So Could I get the same effect with Split Coils on a 335?
Bo B .The Varitone isn’t splitting the coils at all so strictly speaking, no, you can’t get the same sound by putting coil splits on your ES-335. However, as coil splitting thins the sound out and reduces the output you may get sounds that approximate some of the sounds from the Varitone but using a different method.
@reverb.com Which fender model is this? Sounds cool!
I have a red one with the maestro tremolo. I love it greatly but my favorite position is number 4 ... I have made several videos with it ... check um out y'all
I have a white one w/bigsby & nr 4 is also my fav. position
position number 4 is my wife's favourite position
ITS CUTTING THE FREQUENCIES, SO SHOULD I JUST GET AN EQ PEDAL AND NOT MOD MY GUITAR ?
Bobby G you could actually buy a Vari-Tone pedal. I bought one about a year ago, and I love it.
Anyways. Good Luck.
🤘🤠🤘
What a beautiful guitar, sounds great and the color...just awesome. One thing that bugs me, I hate where the chord jack is located. Just looks so out of place.
But it keeps the cable out of your way and flush to the guitar. SG's have the
same jack placement. Angle plugs are excellent to use on a guitar like this.
The original stereo cables that came with 345's were angle plugs.
If only Epiphone made a version of this or if they made a Les Paul with a varitone switch!
You can get a B B King lucille by epiphone. 😉
Or a epiphone version of a ES 345.
It’s called the blues hawk. 2 p90s and varitone. Semi hollow and a single cut.
i have a gibson 345 and it's the best sounding gibson I own. i used it in some of my videos, if you want to check em out, like in the one I play a grateful dead song on solo parts or on "the deranged tale of a ride". agree on everything he says about the varitone. odd to hear no mention about the stereo function of this guitar. when you plug a PU in one amp and the other PU in abother amp stuff gets fucking serious and weird and huge sounding
+Leonardo M. Most everyone hates the stereo feature of 345'a and 355's. B.B.
was one of the few who used it and he did so to great success. It's not needed
by 90% of us, so most replace the stereo jack with a mono jack, very simple. I
am a 345 fan and have a Walnut '72, changed to mono with vtone still in. A lot
of folks do away with that, too, but I like and use it. At one time had a '67 cherry
red, with Bigsby. Beautiful and amazing instrument. 345's are a good deal on
the used market simply because they are NOT a 335. Every bit as good an
instrument, though. The new 345's are way too expensive but they are well
made as far as I can tell. Even though Gibson's QC is terrible now, you can
still find a great guitar if you try a lot of them to find the right one.
you the man.
Mid plus position two sounds like Southern whiskey tastes.
One of the few gibson's i'd consider owning
Got one of these on my 355. When asked what it's for I generally reply it's to make a bad sound, worse. If you have to resort to pedals to compensate for what you've just taken away by turning the dreaded switch, then that's a problem you don't need.
Hmm, sounds like a Fend... LIKE A BROKEN TRANSISTOR RADIO -- ...oh
Never understood why the Varitone is hated so much... B.B. King, Freddy King, & Joe Bonamassa, get some o' the best Guitar tones, ever! On them...
Kids getting pretty good
1:44 "Transistor radio from the 20's". That's cute! The transistor was invented in 1947.
SOUNDS LIKE ELMER FUD! SAYING IT'S A WOVELY PLACE. LOL!
This guy has no idea about how a Varitone works.
Clickbait.
Does anyone? Do they actually 'work'?
I don't need those varitones.. I need the first position hum bucker that's it