Chrimbo NGD Epiphone ES-335 Now With SD Seth Lovers

[ThreeChordWonder]

Wife bought me a lovey Epiphone ES-335 for Chrimbo, and of course the pickups had to be changed.

After much cussing and a few problems along the way, its finally job done!

2022 Epi ES-335
Stock tuners
Stock bridge (for now see below)
Gotoh tailpiece (because I had one lying around)
Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups
Home made wiring loom with:
- CTS 500k 10% tolerance pots, 3/8ths diameter x 3/8ths long bushings
- Braided sheath single core wire (mostly) and mostly sheathed in clear plastic heat shrinkto avoid any unfortunate shorts, cloth covered wire for the rest
-Genuine, bloody expensive, Switchcraft toggle switch
- 0.015 uF "orange drop" tone cap on the neck, 0.022 uF on the bridge
- Wiired for independent volumes and with the tone caps on the output lugs of the volume pots, middle lugs on the tone pots.

Why I kept the Epi bridge? Sooner or later thus thing is getting a Bigsby, at which point I'll fit the Guyker roller bridge I have standing by. Until then, the Epiphone one works just fine.

What does it sound like? Forking brilliant! Much clearer, less muddy than the Epiphone pickups.




FWIW I found the same to be true with my Epi Flying V, which got Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Specials, and my Epi Les Paul, which got Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers.

 

[Mincer]

I bet Seths sound amazing in there!

 

[beaubrummels]

Nice one! Happy Christmas / Merry New Year!

 

[Wattage]

nice! I just picked up one in Vintage Sunburst. Changing the bridge is a must on these IMO. I put on a Gotoh with nylon saddles.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Nice.

I'm just finishing up a 335 with a tobacco burst over amber. Another coat or two of clear, a couple weeks of curing, then final sanding and polishing after . Then I get to do the fun and exciting electronics installation (I also anticipate a few problems and some mild cursing along the way).

Congrats on getting the nice pups and electronics in.

 

[Blille]

Grats! I’ve played a few Epi 335s and used to own one and they are great instruments. I now have Seths in my Heritage 535 and love them. I bet it’s an awesome guitar.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Nice.

I'm just finishing up a 335 with a tobacco burst over amber. Another coat or two of clear, a couple weeks of curing, then final sanding and polishing after . Then I get to do the fun and exciting electronics installation (I also anticipate a few problems and some mild cursing along the way).

Congrats on getting the nice pups and electronics in.

I've got a 335 kit on the go, but obviously now it's taking back seat to getting my SGV (SG body, Flying Vneck) finished. Painting that and the 335 kit to a decent standard with rattle cans is being a right barsteward.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Nice.

I'm just finishing up a 335 with a tobacco burst over amber. Another coat or two of clear, a couple weeks of curing, then final sanding and polishing after . Then I get to do the fun and exciting electronics installation (I also anticipate a few problems and some mild cursing along the way).

Congrats on getting the nice pups and electronics in.

I watched Colin's (the guitaristas) videos on youtube first. Sorry Col, but quite enjoyable for the wrong reasons.


I also took the precaution of heat shrinking the braided wires and just about everything else to try and avoid accidental shorts.

Be aware there are two bendy tabs, one on each side of the lower f-hole that you need to fold open to get the old pickup wires out, and which you can re-use to stop the new pickup wires flapping about.

Try to make your loom as flexible and or robust as possible. Its easy to snap a tone cap wire. I eventually grounded the caps to the tone pots themselves and used cloth covered wire for the tone wires between the pots. I made thaose over-long and loosely wrapped them around the braided wires so the braided wires took the strains.

Be careful with the sequence you feed everything into the body. Avoid tangles and be prepared to gradually move some parts a little, then others, then back to the first parts, etc. etc. until everything is in place.

My list of tools:

• Soldering iron and 63/37 solder (obviously).
• A long piece of 1/4 inch heat shrink to guide rather than pull the pots home. I buy mine at a local electrical / electronics supplier in 3 foot lengths. You can use clear plastic tube or surgical tube instead.
• Needle nose pliers (good) or forceps or long needle noses with curved ends (better).
• Long 1/4 inch tip flat bladed screwdriver.
• If you have one one of those hook things on a screwdriver type handle, if not a crochet needle or similar or just a bit of old metal coathanger with a u bent onto the end.
• A length of single core electrical wire. I used 12 gauge car accessory wire. Thread it through the output jack hole, through the output jack and tie a knot in the end. When you've got the jack in place, push the wire back through and pull it out the f hole.
• 1/2 inch socket or wrench for the pot etc. nuts (I have a 1/4 inch drive set so that was easy).
• Magnetic pick up tool for getting out the nuts and washers you'll inevitably drop through the f-holes.
• 200 Rothmans.
• Litre of Scotch.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Some good suggestions