[colchar]

So I saw an orthopedic surgeon this week and finally have a definitive diagnosis for the problem in my right wrist. It turns out that it is not arthritis, but is a TFCC tear in a ligament in my wrist as well as a problem with the ulna bone in my arm. For some reason that ulna bone is a little too long and isn't sitting in my wrist properly. It is sitting long, and it is sitting up a bit. The surgeon thinks it is because I broke the radius bone in that arm when I was a teenager and that it didn't grow properly after that, thus making the ulna longer because it had grown properly. Anyway, the solution seems to come down to two options: 1) wearing a brace for a while and hoping that we can find ways to manage symptoms or 2) having surgery which involves cutting in, repairing the torn ligament, breaking my ulna bone, cutting a piece of it off, placing it properly back into the wrist, and then inserting a metal plate and screws to keep the two pieces of bone in place while the bone grows to cover the plate.

Needless to say, I would like to avoid that surgery so I went to a good sports medicine place today and bought a decent wrist brace!

But this obviously has an effect on playing guitar, and on what my next purchase will be.

For a while now I have been resting my hand on the bridge thinking that this was stabilizing my wrist but she told me that I was actually making things worse because this causes my hand to bend backwards a bit and that is really bad for this wrist condition. So now I will have to go to a fully floating hand, or to bracing with my fingers (she pointed out that classical players do this for a reason). Either way, my picking style is going to have to change.

All of that got me to thinking that an ES-335 sized guitar would work well because I always play sitting down and the size of the body would cause my arm to hang, thus making it easier to keep my wrist straight. I confirmed this by playing a 335 at L&M this evening and it felt quite comfortable.

I have been searching out a 2013 SG Standard or a '61 Reissue SG for a little while now but tonight I started to look into used ES-335s and it turns out that I can get one in the $2500 (before taxes) range. If I do that, it will be the only guitar that I buy.

But I could also grab one of the SGs and also pick up an Epiphone Sheraton. The two together would come in somewhere in the $1300-$1800 (before tax) range, depending on which SG I got and for what price.

So now I can't decide - do I go for an ES-335 or do I get the SG I have been after as well as a Sheraton?

I already have a Tele and an SG that is set up for slide. I only play at home so don't really need two new (well new to me) guitars. Based on that, the ES-335 would make more sense. But if I got the SG and Sheraton I could scratch the SG itch I've had for a bit while also having a 335 sized guitar to play when my wrist is bothering me and I need to keep it as straight as possible.

What to do, what to do...................

 

[jdto]

Sheratons are pretty damn nice guitars. That's a tough call.

 

[colchar]

Sheratons are pretty damn nice guitars. That's a tough call.

I used to have one and am now sorry that I got rid of it as having it would make this decision so much easier!!

 

[davetcan]

Try and find an older Sheraton II , MIK before they moved production to China. Some of the Chinese are also really good but I've yet to pick up a Korean one that wasn't outstanding value.

 

[Adcandour]

I was planning on selling my Cort 335 this weekend in Elmira. If interested, let me know. It plays and feels as good as my all my gibson es-339s save one (that was an anomaly) and 335s. The only difference is the finish. It looks cheap to me - like some ibanez and epis. If you're thinking epi, save some money and get a better guitar (imo)

 

[cboutilier]

Try to find a MIK , or post-2006 Epiphone Dot or Sheraton. Pre 2006 are still great guitars, but the pickups are less good apparently. My 2006 Dot with Sigil pickups is a Gibson killer. Make sure you play the Dot and the Sheraton because they have very different neck profiles.

Do you like Telecasters? The traditional vintage style bridge is very comfortable, to me, for bracing with my pinky.

 

[jdto]

I have also found that the Epi Dot has a deeper neck than the 339 or Sheraton, which I prefer. I'm not sure how you react to the necks on these.

 

[cboutilier]

I have also found that the Epi Dot has a deeper neck than the 339 or Sheraton, which I prefer. I'm not sure how you react to the necks on these.

The Dot is like a 50's Les Paul. Deep C shape, pretty well half a circle. The Sheraton feels like a wide, thin D shape. I like both.

 

[troyhead]

So now I will have to go to a fully floating hand, or to bracing with my fingers

I think back in the olden days, the "guard" on many archtop guitars was actually a finger rest. So if you get a 335 style, make sure you get the guard.

Do you like Telecasters? The traditional vintage style bridge is very comfortable, to me, for bracing with my pinky.

I found myself doing the same thing, but using both my pinky and ring finger to grab onto the bottom edge of the ashtray bridge. I'm normally a "palm resting on the bridge" kind of guy too, but the height adjustment screws and intonation screws on those vintage tele bridges can act as a very good deterrent... kind of like having little spikes to keep your palm away!

 

[cboutilier]

I think back in the olden days, the "guard" on many archtop guitars was actually a finger rest. So if you get a 335 style, make sure you get the guard.



I found myself doing the same thing, but using both my pinky and ring finger to grab onto the bottom edge of the ashtray bridge. I'm normally a "palm resting on the bridge" kind of guy too, but the height adjustment screws and intonation screws on those vintage tele bridges can act as a very good deterrent... kind of like having little spikes to keep your palm away!

The guard on my 335 works good for a finger rest. If it's too low you can add a bass finger rest to the pickguard.

My hand has acclimated to the Tele spikes. I don't even feel them anymore.

 

[davetcan]

Try to find a MIM, or post-2006 Epiphone Dot or Sheraton. Pre 2006 are still great guitars, but the pickups are less good apparently. My 2006 Dot with Sigil pickups is a Gibson killer. Make sure you play the Dot and the Sheraton because they have very different neck profiles.

Do you like Telecasters? The traditional vintage style bridge is very comfortable, to me, for bracing with my pinky.

MIM?

 

[cboutilier]

MIM?

It autocorrected from MIK.

 

[davetcan]

It autocorrected from MIK.

LOL.

 

[colchar]

Try to find a MIK , or post-2006 Epiphone Dot or Sheraton. Pre 2006 are still great guitars, but the pickups are less good apparently. My 2006 Dot with Sigil pickups is a Gibson killer. Make sure you play the Dot and the Sheraton because they have very different neck profiles.

If I decide to go the Epi and SG route I would get a Sherry. I've had both a Dot and a Sherry in the past and think the Sherry is a better guitar (imho).

Do you like Telecasters? The traditional vintage style bridge is very comfortable, to me, for bracing with my pinky.

My main guitar, actually my only guitar for standard playing (my other one is an SG that is set up for slide), is a Tele with a vintage style bridge.

 

[colchar]

I think back in the olden days, the "guard" on many archtop guitars was actually a finger rest. So if you get a 335 style, make sure you get the guard.

I usually prefer to remove pick guards but for this I would keep it on.

I found myself doing the same thing, but using both my pinky and ring finger to grab onto the bottom edge of the ashtray bridge. I'm normally a "palm resting on the bridge" kind of guy too, but the height adjustment screws and intonation screws on those vintage tele bridges can act as a very good deterrent... kind of like having little spikes to keep your palm away!

Don't forget about the raised part on the corner of the vintage bridge! Those act as a deterrent too. Luckily, I got a vintage style Fender bridge that didn't have the little raised bits on the corners so was able to rest my hand there.

 

[cboutilier]

If I decide to go the Epi and SG route I would get a Sherry. I've had both a Dot and a Sherry in the past and think the Sherry is a better guitar (imho).





My main guitar, actually my only guitar for standard playing (my other one is an SG that is set up for slide), is a Tele with a vintage style bridge.

I would agree on the Sherry > Dot, except for when neck profile preferences prevail. I love the deep dot neck for bluesy/country bending, but I think the sherry would be best for jazzy arpeggios and scale runs.

 

[colchar]

I am leaning more and more towards an ES-335. I have always liked them but could just never really justify the cost whereas now I can if I buy used. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that I simply don't need to add an SG and a Sherry to the two guitars I already have. I only play at home so don't need a full stable and four guitars would simply be too much. With my SG for slide and then my Tele and a 335 for standard playing I could cover damned near any sound I would ever want or any style I ever felt like playing.