Guitar World Verdict
The Epiphone Futura ES-335 takes the famed guitar and gives it a bit of a glow-up with a collection of modern features and a stunning finish. It’s the semi-hollow tone with the same sustain, a tighter low end, and a ton of output. That high output is a strange choice given the tendency for semi-hollows to feed-back, but the result is a 335 capable of a little more growl than you might expect, and a worthwhile iteration of a time-honored guitar.
Pros
- +
Stunning finish.
- +
Tighter low end makes it more suitable for gain than 'normal' 335s.
- +
Effortlessly playable.
- +
Semi-hollow sustain.
Cons
- -
High-output pickups mean adjusting your gain staging to prevent the unwanted kind of feedback.
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What is it?
Modern appointments on guitars with a storied history can often elicit some pretty strong responses. Some applaud the innovation, while others would rather classic formulas remain un-messed with. Thankfully, we are spoiled for choice, with a lot of options on both sides of that fence, one of which is the new line of Epiphone Futura guitars.
As the name suggests, these lean into a more evolved, modern side of things, not only with their specs, but also with the striking finish that changes depending on the angle you are viewing the guitar from.
The line gives the Futura treatment to six revered Gibson guitars - the Les Paul Custom, SG, ES-335, Firebird, Flying V, and, interestingly, the RD Custom.
In my hands for review is the Epiphone Futura ES-335. A classic semi-hollow shape, but with a 10-14” compound radius, a modern C-shape neck profile, Epiphone’s ProBucker Ignite pickups, push/pull coil-splitting and phase-switching options, stainless steel frets, locking Grover Rotomatic tuners, and a Chromashift high-gloss finish- in this case, the Dragonfly Shift flavor.
Things get a little more familiar with the maple/poplar five-ply body (the Gibson ES-335 is usually a trio of maple/poplar/maple), a solid maple center block, mahogany neck, and an ebony fretboard. In short, it's still an Epiphone ES-335, but with quite a few high-performance tweaks to the traditional formula to get stuck into.
Specs
- Launch price: $899 | £849 | €999
- Made: China
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: 5 ply maple/poplar
- Neck: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Scale length: 24.75"/628.6mm
- Nut/width: Graph Tech, 42mm
- Frets: 22, stainless steel, medium jumbo
- Hardware: Grover locking Rotomatic tuners, LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge and stop bar
- String spacing at bridge: 11mm
- Electrics: 2 Epiphone ProBucker Ignite pickups, 3-way pickup selector, 2 volume, 2 tone, 2 push/pull coil split, 1 push/pull phase change
- Weight: 8.8lb/4kg
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Dragonfly Shift (as reviewed), Firestorm Shift
- Cases: Epiphone soft case
- Contact: Epiphone
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★½
Let’s get straight to the point. That Dragonfly Shift finish is show-stopping. Shifting from green to blue-ish as you view it from different angles, I can’t help but spend a chunk of time admiring the guitar every time I pick it up.
It’s not perfect, though, as the finish on the inside of the F-holes is a bit scrappy and slightly sticky, so there is a little room for improvement.
Despite this, the guitar's Gibson Custom-inspired split-diamond inlays plus the bound fretboard and body lend it a premium look beyond the price tag.
Furthering this aesthetic and adding some much-needed grip is the knurled finish on each of the controls (two volume, two tone). Additionally, the three controls that sport push/pull functionality execute this with a satisfying and reassuring clunk.
The stainless steel frets are finished nicely, and the guitar arrived well set up with a buzz-free, low action (1.25mm low E, 1mm high E). If I'm being picky, the nut is a little sharp, but it's far from a deal-breaker.
There is also some scope to be picky about those Posi-Lok strap buttons, as Epiphone states that they “keep your strap securely attached without any extra hardware”. To me, this implies that they can be used in place of strap locks.
So it’s worth pointing out that, despite the pointed sides, the strap can still detach in the same way as it would on normal strap buttons if pulled at the right angle. Having said that, they still add an appreciated level of extra security, just not quite enough if you're planning to be spinning your guitar around your back.
The rest of the hardware, which includes the Graph Tech nut, locking Grover Rotomatic tuners, LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge, and LockTone stop bar, all perform admirably, with the guitar's stoic tuning stability a testament to the quality here.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★½
The guitar's stoic tuning stability is a testament to the quality here
Traditionally, an ES-335 would come equipped with a 12” fretboard radius, but this Epiphone Futura version boasts a 10-14” compound radius. We are in the realm of preference here, but the convention is that the rounder feel of the lower frets makes those cowboy chords a little more comfortable, and the flatter curve as you move up the fretboard helps facilitate those flashy runs.
Personally, I love the feel of this. Open chords and country picking are a breeze at the bottom, and legato acrobatics are coming off nice and easy at the top. The usual 24.75” scale length makes bending and vibrato flow off the fingers too, in a guitar that is a joy to play.
This is aided by that aforementioned low action, which results in lead licks feeling buttery-smooth, and stretchy chord shapes popping out with minimal finger strength required.
The only point of complaint is that, as with all ES-335s I’ve played, the shallow cut of the lower horn makes reaching those top two frets a little awkward. And if you have bigger hands, the 20th fret may be slightly uncomfortable too.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
The ES-335 has always offered a relatively rounded sound, with plenty of low end, a smooth high end, and a midrange that is not as forward as something like a Les Paul. This Futura iteration is similar, but thanks to the Epiphone ProBucker Ignite pickups, it has a slightly tighter low end than a traditional 335, and considerably more output.
These changes make for a guitar that offers sparkling cleans, if not quite as full as other ES-335s, but excels at overdriven sounds, with an interesting, fuller-range flavor than its solid-body counterparts.
With the guitar's semi-hollow propensity to vibrate in sympathy with an amp, the Futura not only offers buckets of sustain, but readily breaks into musical feedback at even minimal levels of overdrive when combined with a dollop of volume. A ton of fun.
There is a limit on how much gain can be applied without getting into uncontrollable feedback territory, which is as expected with this type of guitar. Here, I am getting right up to the heavier side of classic rock before this occurs.
Something to consider, however, is that the increased output of the Futura ES-335 is driving my setup harder than my Les Paul and '61 SG Standard. I am running into a Hot Rod Deluxe with a Browne Amplification Ethane handling drive duties, and I find I am having to significantly adjust my level of gain when switching between the Les Paul and Futura ES-335.
Mid-level gain on the Burstbucker-equipped Les Paul is a heavy drive on the Futura - enough to get into the aforementioned uncontrollable feedback.
This feels the wrong way round, and makes switching guitars kind of a pain. But, obviously, not a problem if you are just running one guitar during a gig, and you can always roll the volume back on the Futura ES-335. Either way, I would prefer a lower output on this type of guitar.
Another modern tweak is the push/pull pots, of which we have three. One for each pickup in order to split the coils, and a third that changes the phase of the neck pickup, resulting in that distinctive, quacky midrange when both pickups are active.
Like most coil-splits, these are a little thin-sounding, but not so much as to make them inviable for some single-coil spank. For snappy, funky playing, the split neck pickup is a good option.
And then that out-of-phase sound is slightly reminiscent of a cocked wah, great for that Peter Green thing. It’s a distinctive tone, and one that most will be using sparingly, but pleasing all the same.
Like most coil splits, these are a little thin-sounding
Verdict
Although some may argue that little has changed in the world of electric guitars since the ‘50s, I’d suggest that there have, in fact, been more tweaks than the industry usually gets credit for. The compound radius, high-output pickups, coil split, and phase options that this Futura boasts are good examples.
What these features create is a guitar that respects the ES-335 heritage, whilst lending it some modern accouterments that bring it up to the present day, and all in that stunning finish.
Something a little different from the traditional ES-335
Obviously, if your preference is for a traditional spec (personally, I think there is a place for both), this is not for you, and I would rather have the pickups tweaked to a lower output in order to reflect the semi-hollow nature of the guitar.
The upside, though, is a superbly playable instrument with a sound that offers something a little different to the traditional ES-335.
Guitar World verdict: The Epiphone Futura ES-335 takes the famed guitar and gives it a bit of a glow-up with a collection of modern features and a stunning finish. It’s the semi-hollow tone with the same sustain, a tighter low end, and a ton of output. That high output is a strange choice given the tendency for semi-hollows to feedback, but the result is a 335 capable of a little more growl than you might expect, and a worthwhile iteration of a time-honored guitar.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
A mesmerizing finish and a quality build with just a few imperfections around the F holes. |
★★★★½ |
Playability |
Effortlessly playable, although that 335 shape doesn't give quite the higher fret access you might expect at first look. |
★★★★½ |
Sounds |
A different, rockier take on the 335 sound, but the high output pickups are perhaps not suited to a semi-hollow. |
★★★★½ |
Overall |
A great guitar that is a worthwhile alternative take on the ES-335. |
★★★★½ |
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