True, it can't do funk like a strat, and it can't do twang like a tele, and it's pretty hard to fault a real '59 Les Paul for that LP sound, but I don't think I have a guitar that's as versatile as this I-35. For sessions where I'd normally grab a LP (heavy rock), lately I've been trying the I-35 and it has covered those session beautifully. Better than a Gibby or a Collings CL??? Maybe I'm still on the honeymoon, but my best objectivity tells me that it sounds better than these others.

Well, the I35 arrived today and I've had a couple of hours to play it.

First impression opening the case: It's absolutely beautiful. Looks better in person than the photo. I'm not a huge fan of quilt maple because I'm caught up in the LP historic eastern maple craze, with mineral streaks, etc. but on this guitar it works beautifully. I've never seen a brazillian board on an electric in person before. This one is very dark with an occasional light streak - gorgeous. The best part about the fretboard is how well it works with those parallelogram inlays - the color in those inlays is gorgeous and changes with the light from various angles, something I've never seen before - love it.

When I picked it up from the case the first thing that ocurred to me was the weight! I'm not used to light guitars except my 62 RI strat. My lightest LP is 8.6 lbs. I don't know the exact weight of the collings but it is nice and light, probably around 6 or 7 lbs.

Strummed it a few times unplugged - acoustically it rang loud and beautifully then I anxiously plugged directly into my 64 BF bassman head with Avatar vintange 30 / G12H30 open back and WOW!!!! This is the greatest electric guitar I have ever played.

Granted, I have never played a super-expensive vintage solidbody OR semi-hollowbody guitar before, so I don't have anything like that to compare it to. I have not played any Gibson custom shop CS or ES semi-hollowbodies, but this I35 seems to be all the electric guitar I'll ever need for what I do. Absolutely gorgeous sounding. Perfect intonation, not as midrangy as my lps, more bright and punchy, great pick attack, voice separation, sustain, perfectly clear neck pickup, huge myriad of tones, it seems capable of any tone I would want. Volume/tone controls are all very useable. Yeah, maybe it couldn't do the tele or strat bridge pickup thing, but I'm not much of a chicken-picker anyway. Finger-style is completely doable on this guitar. I was even playing classical etudes on it and they worked.

The I35 is the newest member of my terrific trio of very best guitars, my 1995 Robert Ruck Classical, my D2HA and now the I35. Sorry Gibson, but it kicks all of my LP historics Arses and can give me whatever I've been trying to get from them and then some. (yes, all that in two hrs, obviously the honeymoon has just begun )

I don't think I have ever really been spoiled in the electric guitar dept until now!

This is a lot of happy talk, I know, but I really can't find anything I don't like about this guitar.

Next stop - a 290...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: marklp,

The I-35 is like an exotic tea. Some tea drinkers love a white tip Himalayan Darjeeling.

www.harney.com/himalayantips.html

Other tea connoisseurs will drink a cup of it, but don't prefer it enough to keep it in the tea cupboard. The "cup of tea" analogy maps very well to exotic guitars.

quote:

Originally posted by maunakea:
The I-35 is like an exotic tea. Some tea drinkers love a white tip Himalayan Darjeeling.

www.harney.com/himalayantips.html

Other tea connoisseurs will drink a cup of it, but don't prefer it enough to keep it in the tea cupboard. The "cup of tea" analogy maps very well to exotic guitars.

Very good analogy. I concur...and I would really like to try a Gibson semi-hollowbody sometime.

My I-35 deluxe is being sprayed this week! I requested a custom color and Alex was very helpful and getting it done for me. He really is a great person. I will post pics as soon as I can.

just my epilogue: a year after having to sell it, I still consider the I-35 deluxe the best electric guitar I ever owned, by a lot. A whole lot. And I've owned old Gibsons, Getsch, Anderson, Surh, PRS, G&L, and bob and carol and ted and alice. Tone, playability, looks, the whole shot. Number one with a bullet.