AN ES-WHAT?
The Gibson ES-333 was launched in 2002 as a minamilist, stripped back version of the venerable ES-335. It had a thin satin finish, silkscreen headstock logo with no inlays, and no pickup covers or pickguard.
The sound was certainly not stripped back though – the 490R and 498T humbucker pickups made sure the ES-333 packed a punch.
The lower price and limited production run has made the ES-333 a sought after guitar that’s well worth seeking out. Scroll down to find out more about this special instrument.
Photo credit: guitarchimp.com
Photo credit: guitarchimp.com
At the time the RRP was $1200, but they were often reduced to less than $1000, and represented a great deal. The cream binding, thin nitro finish, and mint-green tuner heads gave the guitar the look and feel of a vintage instrument, at a time when the standard ES-335 came with bright white binding, and there were no “vintage reissue” models.
The Les Paul pickups really pack a punch, with a brighter and hotter tone compared to the usual Classic 57’s, they are best suited to overdriven rock and blues tones. But, if they’re not to your taste, they can be swapped out easily. Using pure nickel strings helps take the edge off them a little.
Photo credit: guitarchimp.com
Instead of the typical Classic 57 pickups, the ES-333 uses the 490R and 498T in the neck and bridge positions. It retains the standard 3-way selector switch and two-volume, two-tone controls.
One welcome feature is the access panel in the back of the body. This was carried over from the ES-335 studio of the 1990’s. It’s interesting that Gibson included this, considering the ES-333’s position as a no-frills, stripped back ES, but it makes repairs and modifications to the electronics much easier, so it’s no bad thing.
Photo credit: guitarchimp.com
Photo credit: guitarchimp.com
After only two years in production, the ES-333 was sadly discontinued in 2005, allegedly because it was taking too many sales from the more expensive ES-335. It was eventually succeeded by the ES-335 studio, which was reintroduced in 2013. Despite their short production run, the ES-333 sold well, and used examples can be found fairly easily today.
In recent years their values have increased, but they are still priced lower than the ES-335, and still represent a bargain for a USA made Gibson semi-hollowbody guitar.
“The 333 looks like a player’s guitar, with its well-worn satin faded finish, and it plays like one too, with all the essential performance features of its more expensive cousins in the 335 family.
The ES-333 is an unbeatable combination of looks, sound, and affordability.”
Colors
The ES-333 was available in four colours: Cherry Red, Sunburst, Faded Brown, and Natural. The body finish is thin satin nitrocellulose, and the neck is gloss.
The thin finish allows the maple woodgrain to shine though, adding to the vintage vibe. Some would argue that it allows the body to resonate better, giving a better tone. I’ll leave that one up to you – but from an aesthetic point of view, I much prefer a thinner finish to a heavy gloss that coats a lot of new guitars today.
Cherry Red
Faded Brown
Natural
Sunburst
Photo credit: guitarchimp.com
specifications
Body
Body shape
ES-335
Top and back
3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Bracing
Maple
Binding
Single ply, cream
Finish
Satin nitrocellulose
Neck
Material
Mahogany
Profile
60’s slim taper
Scale length
24¾” (629mm)
Radius
12″ (305mm)
Fingerboard material
Rosewood
Inlays
Dot, pearloid
Number of frets
22
Nut width
11 11/16″ (43mm)
Hardware
Finish
Nickel
Bridge
Tune-o-matic
Tailpiece
Stoptail
Tuning machines
Vintage deluxe, green buttons
Control knobs
Black, speed style
Switch tip
Cream or black
Electronics
Neck pickup
490R
Bridge pickup
498T
Controls
Two volume, two tone, three way selector
Modifications
With the addition of a pickguard, nickel pickup covers and top-hat control knobs, the ES-333 can be made to look like an ES-335. The cream binding, thin finish and green tuners lend themselves very well towards a vintage look. The only thing missing is the traditional crown inlay on the headstock, but you can buy decals online that’ll look good enough unless you look too closely.
The satin finish can be polished with a fine cutting compound, and buffed to a mirror shine with an automotive wax.
Check out this ES-333 next to a 1966 ES-335. Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?
The rear access panel makes changing the pickups much easier. The 490 and 498’s can be too hot for some player’s tastes, and swapping to Classic 57’s is a common modification.
Other electronic modifications include adding a coil split, or even adding a full varitone circuit, à la ES-345.
Photo credit: pintrest.com
Photo credit: andertons.co.uk
Tom Delonge
In 2003 Gibson released a production model of Tom DeLonge’s signature model. It was quite different to the normal ES-333.
The guitar was finished in satin “Olive green”, with a cream racing stripe and binding, and the headstock was finished with a wooden veneer. The minimalist theme of the ES-333 was taken a step further – there was only a single “Dirty Fingers” pickup in the bridge position, controlled by a single volume knob.
A cheaper Epiphone version was also released. This was made in China, but still used the Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup.
Photo credit: andertons.co.uk
Buy an ES-333
Despite their short production run, their relatively low price made the ES-333 a popular guitar, and can often be found for sale on online. The majority are in the USA, but they were sold worldwide, so finding one nearby is just a matter of time.
The best places to look are Reverb and eBay, but keep your eye on forums and social media groups, and even your local music store – you never know when one will pop up.
Prices vary $800 to $1400, depending on their condition and location. The Gibson Tom DeLonge model is much more expensive, expect to spend around $3000 to $4000.
Whichever one you get, you’ll love it.
Hi there, thanks for checking out this website. I made this site to collate all the information about the ES-333 from around the web. If you have any corrections, or know of anything that should be included, please drop a comment here.
I’ve had two ES-333s over the years, one cherry red, one faded brown. As you say, they are easy to modify, and I did so to both. I sold the brown one but kept the red one, which I have fitted with a pickguard, locking bridge & tailpiece, two Bareknuckle Mule pickups, and two push-push switched tone pots to access coil-tap and out-of-phase sounds. The only problem I had was that the necks on both were poorly profiled along their length, and I had to have them ‘shot’. I may have been unlucky to find two such poor guitars, but it does prompt the suspicion that when Gibson made a batch of necks, they kept the good ones for 335s and kept the second-rate ones for the budget ES333.
Hello Greetings from Belgium,
I bought my ES-333 in 2005 at Drome Sound music store 1875 state street schenectady, ny 12304, when I was visiting my American friends in Wyben Westfield, Massachusetts 01085.
Via the serial number I found out it was manufactured in 2003 at the Gibson factory in Nashville, TN.
It is Cherry Red, creme switch, black speed knobs and I only added an original ES pickguard to protect the satin finish, the pick-ups are still the original ones!
I still play it regularly in my bands, it’s a great, assertive but easy playable guitar.. I just love it and I will never sell it!
As for the market in Europe I’ve checked the well known places as Music Store Cologne(DE); Andertons London(UK); Keymusic Benelux etc.. but never found the ES 333.. even second hand I just found 2 this year.. 1 in Slovenia and 1 in Paris France.. price between € 2300 and € 2500,-..
I purchased it at $ 800,- back in 2005.. so in my opinion a good investment.. I’ll keep it another 30yrs I think!!
So far my Es 333 story.. enjoy it!
Grtz. Ronny.
Hey Alan, thanks for your comment. I find the neck on mine to be fine, I think you’re right though, Gibson quality control has always been a bit hit and miss, maybe more so with the cheaper ones! The only criticism of mine is poor paint inside the edges of the F-holes, but I just touched them up with a black sharpie 🙂
Hi Ronny, thanks for your comment! I still have the original pickups in mine, they’re hot but they sound so good with the volume cranked up. Yes they’re very hard to find. I think if somebody gets one, like us, they love it and never want to sell it. I paid £850 GBP back in 2013… If I sold it now I wouldn’t be able to buy another, so I’m keeping it for ever!
I have the Gibson Tom Delonge signature ES 333- I bought it used for $6,000. It sounds crazy but I’m a huge fan of blink 182. I did however add a 2nd pickup to the neck (Seymour Duncan invader) as the sound was a bit flat with just the one dirty fingers bridge pick up. I am in love with the guitar, especially the aesthetics and the quality of the build.
I used to have the Epiphone version, but it just didn’t nearly posses the same charm and beauty as the Gibson.
Hey Brandon, thanks for your comment. It’s interesting to hear from someone who’s owned both versions of the Tom Delonge. If you love the guitar then it’s worth it, plus you’ve got yourself a solid investment there!
This is a nice site to find on es333s.
I recently bought a used 2002 ES-333 with Natural finish. I love it. For all that I paid for it, I was almost at the pricing point of a new ES-335 Satin. However, my aim was for a 333 due to the 335 core build spec, but with the addition of the back access panel. It came with 57 Classics, plus the older 490r/t ??? that were included in the case. The 57s sound great, but I will try to gain a hair more note separation and chime either through pickup swap and/or through various mods.
I just gutted the controls and will replace with 525k cts pots, new switch etc. .015 neck cap/.022 bridge.(this alone might be enough to open up the 333 with the 57′ Classics.)
I may swap some of the following, one change at a time, to find the tone most to my liking.
Vintage bridge…I’m not going to buy a vintage abr-1, but perhaps a Faber ABRH with brass saddles.
Vintage late 50’s bridge thumbwheels and threaded thumbwheel posts were both brass. My 333’s threaded posts are steel, and thumbwheels are brass. Philadelphia Luthiers sells both in steel and brass at inexpensive price (2-4$) , so I can try one and the other, etc. Posts come out easy using suitably sized lock washer squashed hand tight between two thumbwheels, then the post spins right out of body using wheel/lockwasher/wheel sandwich as a handle. New ones spin in just as easy.
Vintage late 50’s tailpieces used to use steel bushings set into guitar body, with brass threaded tailpiece posts, and lightweight aluminum tailpieces.
My 333 came with steel bushings, steel threaded tailpiece posts, and heavy zinc tailpiece. So theres more options to test.
I already have a Gibson stock aluminum tailpiece kicking around. I saw a vid comparing vintage/gotoh/Kluson aluminum tailpieces. I liked the Kluson better than the Gotoh.
A fridge magnet can differentiate what components are steel or brass. And I’ll try one swap at a time, keeping in mind that putting all the vintage like options in the guitar could possibly be too bright, or not have enough lows. IDK. But i will find out.
While everything was off the guitar I did buff it with Virtuoso cleaner/polish. The previous owner must have already polished it as it was uniformly semi-glossy. A “long” black pickguard, gold top-hat knobs, and an amber switch on the Natural thin polished body will look great to me.
Hey Chris, thanks for your comment. Sounds like you’ve got a solid build there and you’re going to have a kickass guitar. Enjoy it!
correction on my vintage tailpiece description:
vintage TP’s had steel bushings, STEEL POSTS , and aluminum tailpieces.
Hey, any leads on a lefty brown one?
Hello from Adelaide, Australia. I bought my ES333 second hand from a guy in Perth, Australia about 6 years ago. It wasn’t my “go to” guitar until i started playing small venues in Melbourne recently. It is a 2003 natural and just suits my role (rhythm with feature licks) in the band so perfectly it’s difficult to describe. The band’s loyal following have described the new iteration (11th lineup in 15 years) as clearly the best. This guitar (and our superb keys player) have had a lot to do with that. So thanks for this webpage and your posts; my 333 is a keeper of the highest order despite its humble ranking.
Hey David, thanks for your comment. Glad to hear your 333 has helped you and your band find their sound. Do you have any videos of you playing on youtube?
I have one of the sunburst ES 333. Purchased new in 2003 from Centre City Music in San Diego for $999.99 with a hardshell case. I did swap for ’57’s (which i think are a perfect match for semi hollows). At one point I also had a ES 335 and had to sell one due to a financial pinch and I kept the ES 333 and not because i could get more money for the ES 335, but because I prefer the ES 333. Probably a lifer guitar.
Hey thanks for your comment! Shame you had to sell the 335 – what makes you prefer the 333?