Bright sounding guitar fix

[Kikbut]

I have a Gibson es 335 from 2022 that I love how it feels and plays. When I first played it I knew that I would need new pickups because the T-top remakes were very bright sounding. I thought it was the pickups so I switched the pickups to OX4 pickups recommended for semi hollow. However, the result is a clear neck pickup that is usable but not great and a still way too thin and bright bridge.

Any recommendations for a set of paf pickups that would take this apparently bright guitar to where I know it can go?

 

[Leee]

Probably won’t help you a bit, but here it comes anyway.

I discovered the magic of a 335 in 2002.
Part of that magic, I believe, is the 57 Classic pickups in it.

I’ve since got them in several other guitars.
Love them!

I tell people all the time, I’m sure there are other pickups that sound better or perform better in a semi-hollwbody, but I don’t care.

I can’t imagine ever pulling the 57s out of my beloved ES-335.

 

[Kikbut]

That’s great to know. I did like the 57s I’ve tried in the past. That would a very inexpensive way to go considering some of the others I was looking at.

 

[mdubya]

Turn the tone knobs to 5.

 

[Kikbut]

Turn the tone knobs to 5.

Yes that does work. However, when I play live I tend to forget I did that and then wonder why I’m all muddy sounding.

 

[searswashere]

Yes that does work. However, when I play live I tend to forget I did that and then wonder why I’m all muddy sounding.

So the guitar is too bright at home but fine at gigs? Just trying to follow

 

[Brazilnut]

Warmer sound can be had with lower value pots and higher value caps. I have 400K pots in my SG, and .038 caps. But rewiring a 335 is a bitch. And I agree with Leee that a good set of '57s is hard to beat. Only Gibson hum bucker that sounds as good to me is an old 490. Like a 90's era 490. Smooth!

Older Seymour Duncan SH-1's also have that sound. But they have to be old, and can be pricey.

Also, a good EQ, like a Boss, in your pedal chain can make a huge difference in your sound.

 

[Kikbut]

So the guitar is too bright at home but fine at gigs? Just trying to follow

Sorry if it sounded that way. What I mean is I tend to forget that I’ve set the tone or volume back so I can’t be one who rides those pots during a set. I’d rather have the sound right with full signal. Just my preference and in my experience usually a better sound anyways. But I’m sure it would work.

 

[Kikbut]

Warmer sound can be had with lower value pots and higher value caps. I have 400K pots in my SG, and .038 caps. But rewiring a 335 is a bitch. And I agree with Leee that a good set of '57s is hard to beat. Only Gibson hum bucker that sounds as good to me is an old 490. Like a 90's era 490. Smooth!

Older Seymour Duncan SH-1's also have that sound. But they have to be old, and can be pricey.

Also, a good EQ, like a Boss, in your pedal chain can make a huge difference in your sound.

I have thought about doing like 300K pots for sure. Maybe that’s the cheapest first option. I don’t necessarily need to go cheap but that certainly is appreciated. I can set my amp to be darker and it would probably be fine but I change between a les Paul (Murphy R8) and a Novo with p 90s. Those two match well to my settings but the 335 is so bright in contrast.

 

[mdubya]

Maybe try a set of Custombuckers similar to the R8.

I have a set of Custombuckers that I really like and they are much more sweet and warm sounding than boutique PAFs which, IME, can be bright in the extreme.

I would also consider consulting with Wolfetone.

Again, IME, his pickups are not so painfully stridently bright. Contacting him directly, he can steer you to the best choice.

OK, at this point, we need . The 335, the LP, and the Novo.

 

[Kikbut]

I really do like the custom buckers in the R8. They seem to sound just right. Maybe another set of those in the 335 will get me where I wanna go. Sounds like I either need to do a set of those or a set of Gibson 57s. I do already know that I love the custom bucker, but I was worried that they might be too bright for this guitar.

I also just may contact Wolftone to see what they recommend. The help of a professional in this regard might be just the thing I need.

Oh, and before I forget, here’s a picture of the three main guitars that I use.

 

[Brazilnut]

The Custombuckers won't sound the same in your 335.

 

[Kikbut]

The Custombuckers won't sound the same in your 335.

I’m worried about that. Might be worth a try though.

 

[Brazilnut]

You might just not be able to use it in your show. Or use only it. I only use one.

 

[Wudchuk]

As others have suggested, try the cheapest fix first. 400k or 300k pots. I think Fralin also offers a "treble" bleed setup that is intended for bright and low-output pickups. It's not a treble bleed in the sense that it maintains your highs, but sends some to ground.

 

[lily_taeko74]

Manlius Fat Diane, those alnico 4 roll off quite a bit of treble and its a very warm sound. Sounds killer in my Les Paul that I got 2 sets in another guitar. In fact the Fat Diane set was based off a 1960 335 Mick owns that he used as the basis for the Fat Diane pickups. You should send him an email asking him about it and I guarantee he'll tell ya to get em in your 335

 

[edro]

Recalling from the tao of edro:
One can attenuate the too much but cannot create the ain't there....

Just tossing that out there.... They be knobs on the amp and guitar too.... Not using them creatively, one is missing a ton of variations in tone....

Putting my slider munky cap on for a sec, a different room can make what sounded righteous in one room suck ass and blow chunks in another.... It ain't just the sound system, it can be every instrument on the stage getting janked with because of the stage and room... The room WILL affect the on-stage, just like it'll affect the sound system...floors included.... Floors can drive you nuts with some stages/rooms.... You just have to know how to hear it..... Can't buy ears.... And stages/rooms can range from sounding like a glass wall/floor/ceiling room to a room covered in memory foam....sucking up everything...

Consider a FTR with the legs back..... EQ yo stuff for a soft stage and soft room.... Next gig, hard stage and hard room..... You'll want to set it on fire it can suck so bad.... Converse is true too...

 

[edro]

Raise your hands if and of you have ever played a gig where the back of the stage are the huge front plate glass windows.... or smooth brick.... and you have an open back.... Slider munkying, I'd go ahead and get out the gaffer tape... I knew I was gonna have to tape some 'skin tags' underneath some Ziljians and at minimum bottom head of floor toms... Steal a bar towel and roll it up to lay against the kick rez head on the bottom of rim... Ain't beyond me to tape a towel on the back of a open back cab either... Hey, whatever get's it done... I've gone in the back and stolt yellow wet floor bifolds to use for traps/deflectors....

Why? Because ANYTHING can change the way ANYTHING sounds.... You might think your amp sucks or your guitar sucks or both suck or the reverse and everything changes next gig.... Hell, you can do a sound check before Joe & Jolene Popcorn show up and when they all come strolling in, you might have to toss your mondo badass EQ/mix out the back door and start over.... I already plan to be real busy for the first several minutes after go time, and familiar rooms I'd 'pre-fudge' because I knew what was gonna change...

 

[edro]

For the record, I LOVE bright Gibsons.... Lots more range of tones... I can tone it down as needed but I still have da snappy if I need it...

 

[Goodcleanfun]

Install a snubber cap. A 1nf from pickup hot to ground will do the trick. It's a well known hack for strat bridge pickups.