Univox Custom 335-Style

Beutifull red and black trim finish with ultra fast rosewood board. early 1960's from Japan. Twin single pole pickups that sound good through a solid amp. yes there is some feed back but no rice krispies. two tone and two volune controls with a three way switch, I have removed and cleaned all the pots and switches and they work great. The tuners are origanal and ok but not great, nut has been replaced and tremola removed. Looks awesome and plays great! Just stay away from fender strings!

Blues and 60/70s rock, sounds great. the sound is rich but can be bright on the bridge pickup. I would like a 5 way switch and rewire the pickups throug it, might just do that someday. I am currently running a small fender squire amp and it sounds it. Much better on a tube amp.

I've had this box since 69, got it used as a present from my band. The Univox label was removed so they thought I might mistake it for a Gibson, A big joke but the joke was on them as I retired my Telecaster and played the Univox there after! The frets were a little uneven but I trimmed them, action was real low and clean. replaced the neck screws as they were a little loose.

I've had this box for almost 40 years and performed with it for over ten, without a backup! straps always stayed on. The finish still looks new outside of a small crack on the back of the neck (repaired) that appeared after it was in a fire in my house. The case was destroyed but the guitar survived

No company anymore

Been playing for 43 years. No other guitars, had a kent les paul with major mods that was stolen, and the old tely was sold. If it was stolen I would go on a man hunt!!! I do love this box because of the box itself and because most of my band members are dead, but i still remember them when I play.

Gloss finish, full acoustic (no center block), Walnut body with proper bookmatch top and bottom, Rosewood fretboard/Maple bolt on neck, block inlays
2 Humbucker pickups
trapese tail, Japanese made, ~1965
2vol 2tone 3 way switch.
Fret action is playable while pretty low for a guitar of this style.
Bought for $320 with shipping. It was a steal.

Unamplified the guitar is very thin sounding. It is, after all, an extremely thin acoustic with pickups. When amplified the instrument comes to life. The tone is very full. Neck is a little muddy, bridge is bright but not over bright. Output across both pickups is fairly even.
I've only played it through my USB Analog to Digital converter and Amp Simulation software.
The pickups aren't high output but they and the guitar have a wonderful growl when you run them through something like an AC30 or Fender Twin (both emulated).
I haven't had a chance to play it in front of a real amp yet (still breaking the purchase to my wife) but I expect a lot of feedback given the blockless design. I think that'll be a bonus though.. either I'll be able to control the Feedback when clean or I'll be able to use it when I crank the Gain up.
I got this on ebay for $320 with shipping. If it had Gibson on the headstock and didn't play as nice it's sell for $3grand at Guitar Center given it's style sound and age.

Action is surprisingly low though the frets could use a leveling. It is a 40 year old guitar after all. Overall playability is great.
Given the age of the guitar it's difficult to say what the original craftsmanship was with certainty but the guitar has held up extremely well. The Nut material has apparently shrunk which would explain the very low string height at fret 1. The Nut is secure but it looks like it should be loose so It apears it has shrunk. I like the guitar so much I think I'll have a qualified luther fit a bone nut for it.
The wood making up the body is beautiful. It's a 'walnut' finish. It looks like it's actual wallnut. Strong grain, perfect bookmatch.
This guitar isn't perfect but given 40 years it might as well be perfect.

I haven't had it long enough to qualify for myself but It's held up remakably well for it's age. The neck joint, at first glance, looks like it was cut in a very weak manner but the joint is strong. It looks from the surface like it was cut around the body instead of being set into the body.

you kidding? It's a 40 year old Univox.

Univox are selling dirt cheap on the web.
This guitar was an absolute steal. It's a pre-lawsuit model from the golden age of Japanese Luthery.
The whole package.. the age, the classic vibe, the tone, the look. This guitar is a 10. Honestly, if I spent twice as much I would have felt like I got a deal.

my dad bought me that guitar in 1967 or 1966. it was the first electric guitar i got. it is still in mint shape in the origanal case. it is starburst i think it is the gibson copy 335.i would like to know what it is worth today. it is not for sale.it has all the origanal parts on it. it was bought in mena arkansas.

I have a Univox 335 style bought in 1979 which I played for several years on the road in a gospel group. I love the sound and superb fingering.I lowered thw bridge to just above a fret rattle and used light gyuage strings. The only complaint I have ever had is the fact that if I ever use the vibrato lever, I have to retune. I have retired it and promised it to my son at my death. The finish is superb as I wiped'er down before returning it to the case.
It is the red version, all original equipment altho I had considered replacing the tailpiece.
Joe Salter jps1942@bellsouth.net

if played thru a shoddy amp, shoddy sound, a good amp, a good sound

great action and finish

purchased in 1969, believe it will be around for a while

I have retired the Univox ,now own a Takamine EG334RC which I dearly love to play. The Univox has a great deal of sentimental value as I played it for 30 years on the road.The only cvomplaint was that I had to retune if I ever used the tremolo lever. My favorite feature is the superb fingering and slim neck as well as the overall appearance and finish

I have one of the Pre-68 335/Casino-style customs. The lovely brown burst with the matched flame maple top and back. Two single coils. bigsby-style tremelo.

I daresay that most of the folks here who hate the pickups in these guitars have damaged pickups. Mine sound amazing. Absolutely awesome. No microphonics, clear, strong output (not high output, but very strong). Go from great neck-position growl to bridge position crisp bite. Love it!

For guitars that are not so very well-known, these things have AWESOME fit and finish. Mine is in awesome shape for a guitar that's several years older than I am. Stays in tune, action is awesome. I have ZERO complains here.

I gig with this guitar often. Everything is rock-solid. NO complaints.

Uhm... no such luck here. See a luthier. :)

I've been playing for around 20 years. I've had several guitars of several manufacturers and was absolutely blown away by the feel of Univox guitars in general. I currently own two Univox Customs, one 6-string and one 12. I own a Univox Les Paul copy and a Univox acoustic. All are amazing. I also have one of the early Univox tube heads (the piece that got me started on my path of Univox discovery). I generally play through the univox head or my Vox V125 stack.

If it were stolen or lost, I would definitely replace it. In fact, I'm going to be looking for the other univox variants to go along with it. :)

Made in 1968 in Japan. 2 volume, and 2 tone controls, plus a 3 way selector for the 2 weak single coil pickups. 335 style body is a beautiful sunburst finish. The bridge is a Bigsby style that I converted to a stop-tailpiece. Tuners are no name, but work well. Came in original chipboard case.

It suits blues and old garage rock well. Not particularly versatile. I have used this through a few amps including a solid-state 65 watt Crate combo, a 68 Harmony combo, and a 68 Fender Bassman. It sounds great clean, or even with a little bit of distortion, but don't even think about giving it a lot of gain. It buzzes a lot with distortion. Like I said though it sounds great clean. In my opinion, much better than an Epi dot for clean blues.

Guitar looks, and works well for its age, and obvious abuse. Pickups are terrible, and I would like to replace them with something else. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Guitar would certainly withstand live playing, but I would always bring a backup. Strap buttons appear solid, but I always use strap locks. The finish will be there forever, as will the hardware, but the electronics don't seem to be very dependable

N/A

I have been playing guitar and bass for 5 years now. I play a Fender standard tele with a Duncan hot rails in the bridge, a Gibson Les Paul SL, a Kalamazoo EBQ bass, an Ibanez AE20 acoustic, and a 65 Silvertone with lipstick pickup. I use a dunlop wah, and rotovibe through a 65 watt Crate, or a Fender Bassman. I really like the clean sounds that this thing gets. It's not versatile, but then again, it's not a Gibson. I will buy every Univox guitar I see for cheap from now on. They are a great buy.

Japanese made don't know the year. 22 frets with very dark rosewood and block inlay could be real mop. Headstock has Gibson type moustache design. Looks like solid top thin maple, can't tell as the f holes are bound as is the body and neck. Maple neck, sealed Kluson tuners, thin frets and the oh so narrow and fast fingerboard.
Two chrome humbuckers all poles have screw slots. 4 beefy chrome knurled knobs, three way switch which is ALSO knurled metal. All the electrics look stock.
Sunburst finish and done very nice. 4 ply B&W pickguard. This one has the trapeze tailpiece and the Tune-O-Matic type bridge with white plastic saddles. I love the fact that it doesn't have the tremelo or the huge whammy bar for that matter. No extras but the case which has seen a couple of wars. The overall quality is outstanding.

The sound is very clear with no feedback. My music style is a little country rock leaning towards Santana. Sustain means alot to my playing and this Univox has it. I use a Crate Vintage tube and a Rocktron with lots of effects built in. The sound is not heavy metal but mellow with some bite.

Bought it used and it was set up very good. The frets are the thin size and will need new ones if it gets used alot but I play at home for my own pleasure so they will be fine. They were done right and very level with no fret buzz. There was a separation of the body to the side about 3 inches long with a crack in the binding when I got it. (ebay) I used clear epoxy and a clamp and matched the binding color with dental light cure material. Fixed it almost as new.

I have to say this thing has been taken care of and will last many more years considering it's age and it's a hollow body. Don't know if I got a good one or if the Univox factory always put out a great product at the time.. I have three Univox Les Paul style guitars and they are SOLID and sound very good!

NA

Been playing only a few years. I have an Ibanez AS-80 and a Hamer 335 and this has more MOJO and feels as good as the others. I would buy another but this baby would be hard to replace. The neck might be too small for some, so check them out before you buy, but I was thrilled to find a comfortable neck as I have a short thumb and fingers

No idea when it was made, but I've been playing it since 1971 - it was my best friend's and I'm pretty sure he bought it used... it's a very pretty ax and hung on the wall in the living room for years. Still plays real nicely.

It's a Gibson 335 style, double cutaway hollow body w/ f holes. It looks like it's a light mahogany laminate, but it's hard to tell 'cause the sunburst finish is so deep. Narrow rosewood neck with kind of fat frets.

It's longer than the Gibsons because of the headstock shape, so the only good case I could find for it is a Guild. It's snug, but happy.

I agree with Hewson about the pickups - both them and the controls (seperate tone & volume for both pickups and a 3-way switch) are crap. Very noisy and poor response.

The neck is bolted on, but I've never had a problem with it. I took the whammy bar and pickguard off years ago and have lost them. (If anyone has an original pick-guard, I'm interested.)

It's noisy no matter how it's set. Lots of rice krispies and prone to feedback. It's got a rough blues sound that I like, but it's hard to hear it thru the noise. An electrical upgrade is definitely in the wings.
Had a lot of fun using a Bandmaster with a flanger and an antique wahwah pedal, but just have a Fender Champ now, and it still sounds pretty good.

The guitar is beautiful - well matched wood and a deep, thick sunburst finish. Given that it can't have been an expensive guitar when new, It seems really well made. The bolted on neck allowed me to shim the heel and get a real nice, tight action.

Most of the original hardware is trash after 31+ years (wasn't that great to start with), tho the plastic nameplate on the headstock still looks great. The finish is beautiful and rock hard and the buttons are solid.

I don't play it much 'cause of the noise, but with new electrics and pegs, I think it'll be a fine guitar.

N/A Never had occasion to contact Univox.

I learned to play on this guitar and an old Fender small acoustic with an electric neck in '71-'72. I've always liked this style and had faith that someday this would be reliable player. If I had to replace it, I'd probably spring for an ES-330 or -335.

70's Japanese guitar, 22 frets, this one's shaped like an es-335 but is fully-hollow kinda like an es-330.
it has a cheap version of the bigsby vibrato tailpiece that's flaky(not as responsive as a bigsby, and goes out of tune easily).
the neck joint is bolted on, and it is not seated very well. two single coil pickups (no pole pieces), four knobs (gibson configuration) and one selector switch.

even so, it is a very pretty guitar, with nice appointments like 4 ply binding around the body, three ply binding around the neck, and three ply mounting plates for the selector switch and pickups. also it has rectangular block fretboard inlays.

The pickups that came with this guitar are pretty bad. lo output and lots of noise, squelchy and muddy at the same time (muddy bass, little midrange, lots of highs). i replaced the pickups with seymour duncan mini-humbuckers, which helps ALOT. the body itself is pretty resonant, and once you replace the pickups the guitar has a great full-bodied jangle. (less sustain than an es-335 tho').

as i mentioned before the neck seating is sloppy, but other than that, the guitar is well built. even though the stock pickups are horrible, they decided to use metal braiding to shield the wiring.

Note that stratocaster pickups won't drop right in, the mounting screws on this guitar are about 2 millimeters too far apart. in order to put in replacements, you'll have to either make minor modifications or just squeeze them in. also, the pickups will be mounted relatively far away from the strings, so either choose a tall replacement pickup or one whose pole pieces can be raised half a centimeter.

This guitar is reasonably solid, but minor things like the crummy neck seating and the cheap vibrato tailpiece will make it go out of tune if you're the type of person who bounces around alot when you play. since it's a fully-hollowbody, it will make a low howling feedback if you're at high volume.

This is one of my prettier hollowbodies and with replacement pickups, it sounds very nice, (think british invasion). i record with it, but for touring i would prefer something more solid. i guess in the end it's pretty similar to an es-330 or epiphone casino, but a little funkier looking.