Today I've got the 2022 Epiphone Joe Bonamassa ES-335 going up against the Epiphone Lucille and Gibson ES-335. The Lucille comes in with the lowest price, even after you add a hardshell case from Epiphone, with an advertised price, at the time of this recording, of $949 by itself and $1078 with the Epiphone hardshell case. The Joe Bonamassa, if you can find one, comes in with a price of $1299, but has Gibson pickups and a hardshell case as part of the package. The Gibson ES-335 can be had for about $2999 and comes with all the standard Gibson appointments. You can get one for anywhere from $1999 to $3999 depending on the trim and how heavily used it is at the time of recording. This particular one has been cosmetically upgraded by the Gibson Demo Shop but has about the same sound as any other ES-335 Satin model with T-type pickups.
So, which one would you choose? Does the Joe Bonamassa check all the right boxes for less than half the price of the Gibson? Would you choose the Lucille and modify it to suit your tastes? Let us know in the comments what your choice would be.
Enjoy!
