Vintage ES-335 vs Collings I-35 LCV | Can Boutique Beat the Real Deal?

[Saul Goodman]

I like what this guy does. Great videos. 

 

[django49]

Good one. So much is personal preference. I have had many ES variations over the years (330, 335, 347, 355). For a long time, a very good ES-347 was my go to guitar. Well, in rotation with 2 others, one of them a Hamer. (Eventually traded here for a certain Hamer ltd edition). 

I ended up keeping an early blonde dot reissue with Antiquity pickups as my favorite.  Over time, I acquired various other semihollows in search of something "better". One was a Collings I-35. Others included a Thorn Grantura, a Vashencko, McKay Sunrise. They were all great tributes to the original Gibson classic, generally with better quality control than vintage pieces.  But all are gone. I decided my Huber Rietbergen was better, at least for my tastes. Like always, YMMV. (Yeah, I am a broken record). It sorta goes  the other way than the Collings, in that it is larger rather than smaller. And with a longer scale. To me, just a bigger and richer tone---IF that is what you are after. (BTW, my custom order Superpro with Lollars and f-hole has much the same vibe).

All that said, if that vintage vibe is what you are after, the Collings is a good one to test drive. Several boutique builders have zoned in on how to make a great one.

[RobB]

2 hours ago, django49 said:

Like always, YMMV. (Yeah, I am a broken record).

Church. 

[Travis]

On 10/25/2025 at 4:28 PM, Saul Goodman said:

I like what this guy does. Great videos. 

 

Saw that video the other day. Subscribed to his channel a few months ago. I am also liking what that guy does. 

[crunchee]

I do like a head-to-head comparison where 'booteek' doesn't necessarily justify the price difference...and that I can also afford an alternative reasonable facsimile thereof, instead of either just booteek and/or vintage:

 

Edited November 2, 2025 by crunchee