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Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
VS
Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
74
Value
58
Score
73
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Playability
73
Sound
61
Build
55
Value
68
Score
63
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged vs Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged over Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2022 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
50s Rounded Medium C vs Vintage 50s
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups Brand
Gibson Custom vs None
Pickups from a renown brand
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs P90
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Aged vs Poly
Paint has been artificially aged

Reasons to Get
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior over Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged

Neck Profile
Vintage 50s vs 50s Rounded Medium C
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Pickups
P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with good sustain
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Paint Finish
Poly vs Aged
Resistant paint that ages well
Value Score
68 vs 58
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged vs Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior

Bridge Pickup
Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) vs Epiphone P-90 PRO Dogear
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Laurel
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Nylon vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged vs Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior

Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior's 63 score, which is a significant difference.

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged is the better choice.

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Murphy Lab series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar bridge
  • 50s Rounded Medium C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Kluson Single Line, Single Ring tuners
  • Weight around 7.95lbs (3.6kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Overview

  • From Epiphone's 2018 Artist Collection series
  • Billie Joe Armstrong Signature
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Laurel fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Epiphone P-90 PRO Dogear (P90/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: (/)
  • Neck pickup: (/)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • Lightning Bar Wrap Around bridge
  • Vintage 50s Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Epiphone Vintage Deluxe with White Buttons tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior

Laurel wood pattern used for guitar building
Laurel

There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged.

Pickup Configuration

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged has an HH configuration while the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior has P90 pickups.

Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

On the other hand, P90s are vintage pickups that are somewhere in the middle between a Humbucker and a single coil. They have decent output, and the tone is not too warm. It's a very particular type of sound that is used in many genres, but it was more popular decades ago.

Like any other single-pickup guitars, it should give you a bit more sustain since there will be less interference with the vibration of the strings. However, you're stuck to one single tone, unless you use effect pedals.

Pickups Quality

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Jazz and similar genres.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged gives you 3 switch options while the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior gives you 0. This means that the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged's switch options

The Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior doesn't come with pickup switching options.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged
Pickups 90
Sustain 75
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
Pickups 70
Sustain 65
Versatility 39
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 61

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged compares to the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged is built in United States while the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior is made in China.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged has a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

On the other hand, the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged's are Kluson Single Line, Single Ring while the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior's are Epiphone Vintage Deluxe with White Buttons

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Nylon Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged
Quality of materials 66
Features 55
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 74
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 55

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged Nut Width
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged Nut Width
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Nut Width
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged and Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged Neck Profile
Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged's neck profile
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Neck Profile
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior, on the other hand, has a V neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

Fretboard Radius

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged and the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior favors large hands more than the Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged.

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged and Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73
Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged vs Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
General Gibson Custom 1959 ES-335 Ultra Light Aged Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior
Brand: Gibson Custom Epiphone
Year: 2022 2018
Configuration: HH P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States China
Series: Murphy Lab Artist Collection
Colors: Black, Natural White
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: 3-Ply Maple/Poplar/Maple Mahogany
Bridge: Lightweight Aluminum Stop Bar Lightning Bar Wrap Around
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Kluson Single Line, Single Ring Epiphone Vintage Deluxe with White Buttons
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Indian Laurel
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Pearloid Dot Dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: 50s Rounded Medium C Vintage 50s
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Nylon Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker / Passive) Epiphone P-90 PRO Dogear (P90 / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Custombucker Alnico III (Unpotted) (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 0 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1