Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

[BlueMoose]

I'm playing a '77 Gretsch 7609, which is basically a 335-style guitar with full-size humbuckers. Pickups are cheapo Japanese models.

Current neck PU is muddy with a very loose bottom. Any advice on a neck pickup that will give it more bite and tighten up the bottom end? I mostly play retro-rock, blues and rockabilly.

I'm soooooo tempteted to go with a set of Phat Cats for the P90 sound but would like advice on a standard full-size humbucker first.

Thanks.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

I'm a bluesman & really like a pair of '59's for that PAF sound in mahogany or semi-hollows. For a bridge with more muscle, I like a C5 or a C8. They sound nice clean, and will push into overdrive easily for Chicago blues.

In their stock configuration, in 335's Phat Cats are dark in the neck, & weak and thin in the bridge (those darn twin A2's). You can greatly improve the sound with an A5/A4 pair in the neck, which opens up those open, single coil tones (an A5/A3 gives a brighter, clean, chimey tone). For the bridge, I like an A8/A4, which gives more output & mids. Of course, all of these swaps apply to any P-90 or HB-sized single coil (P-94) etc.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

I think you are better off with a set of P-Rails. They are mix of P90 with a humbucker option. Much brighter and more open than the Phat Cats. Just search for them in this forum!

 

[BlueMoose]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

Thanks for the input, guys. Lots of interesting options I wasn't aware of.

Blueman: When you recommend the '59s, are you referring to the SH-1?

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

Blueman: When you recommend the '59s, are you referring to the SH-1?

Yep, they were renamed in 2001 from '59 Model to SH-1

 

[BlueMoose]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

Decision made. The SH-1s should be the ticket for this guitar. Will make sure the pots are 500K while I'm at it. This is one of the Arkansas models so there's no telling what's in there. Thanks again for the input.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

what kinda caps you puttin' in there?

 

[BlueMoose]

Re: Help with a muddy Gretsch (335-style)

Rad: Whatever my guitar tech tells me to. But I'd love any input. Prior to researching on this forum, I thought it was as simple as slapping in a new PU (which may explain why some of my earlier PU mods didn't quite live up to expectations).