Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

H

HeavyRevy

New member
Recently put a set of 4 wire Pearly Gates in my 2016 LP Studio with a custom 4 - push pull harness.
Absolutely blown away by how good it sounds through my twin.
Wanting to change out my harness and pickups in my 2011 - Gibson 335.
Was thinking Seth Lover neck and bridge. Have read they are airy and woody sounding.
Not looking for high output put do play some mid to heavy rock as well.

Currently running a 57 and 57 classic in the 335.
Not impressed with those! Top end is too bright and thin and bottom is mud!

Don't have any experience knowing the tonal differences between pickups in a semi hollow guitar and in a solid body.
Could anyone give me some do's and don'ts to stay away from with a semi hollow?
Couldn't be happier with my LP pickup choice. Seem to fit what I play very well.
Wasn't sure the same pickups would be a good fit in a semi hollow guitar?
Actually prefer the feel of the 335, but the plugged in sound is a turn off for me and would like to change so I feel better about playing it.
Any help would be appreciated.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

I find that 335s tend to have a touch more bass (and slightly looser bass) than a Les Paul, but they can get very bright with the tones all the way up. They certainly shouldn't sound muddy though. I've got a '59 in the neck and Seth Lover in the bridge of mine and keep the neck tone at about 9 and the bridge tone at about 6 most of the time.

Pickup adjustment matters a lot with these guitars. Some time spent turning screws and listening will really pay off.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

I've had 59s in an Epi Dot for years. I thought the stock magnets were decent, A2 magnets were pretty dang good, and A4 magnets were awesome. I also have Antiquities in my Gibson 333, and that's probably my best sounding guitar. As for Seths, I've had them in an SG and an LP, both with good results. I would assume they'd sound very nice in a 335. They seem to pretty much work well for everything.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

Seth Lovers are a great choice for any semi-hollow guitar. However, if you use a lot of volume and preamp gain, you might want to order them potted, as they could squeal. You lose some of the great tough-sensitivity with potting, but that never was a priority in heavier music, anyway.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

Yeah, the Seth I've got will squeal if you go crazy with gain.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

Seth's sound far better than '57's. One of the great PAF's made today. Most members here don't seem to have feedback issues with them at normal stage volumes, so I wouldn't get them potted, as you lose some of the airy 3D quality.

'59N's can sometimes be bassy in 335 type guitars; that can be fixed with a magnet swap or coil swap.

Highly recommended for the neck tone pot: convert it to spin-a-split, gives you as much, or as little, unbalanced coils as you want. They more unbalanced, the more high-end is added, and the more that output, mids, & bass are reduced. Very versatile, infinitely better than coil split. No parts needed, just convert the neck tone pot into a 2nd volume control, but for one coil only. Wiring diagram on this site.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

Spin a split means you can't get thick jazzy tones from the neck. :P
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

Historically, there really isn't any difference. They grabbed a couple of PAFs from the pile and put them in whatever.

In terms of propriety, I'd think lower winds would work better in a 335. But I've seen people put things like a JB/Jazz set in one too. Really, whatever works. I prefer lower winds in my Les Pauls too, and if I had to pick an SD set to go in a 335, it would likely be Antiquities or Seths. Either one will get you to AC/DC levels of gain or better in a 335 or LP. But there really aren't any rules about it. Pick what you think will sound best for what you play.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

GuitarStv said:
Spin a split means you can't get thick jazzy tones from the neck. :P
Click to expand...


No it actually doesn't. You still get to dial it up to full humbucker and all the way down to coil split, but the the most interesting are all the great tones in between the two extremes.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

I tend to like thinner sounding pickups in my semi hollows than in my LP. This may be due to the softer bass and softer attack that I hear coming from my Sheraton and my Alleykat. In the Sheraton I went with a TV Jones Magna'Tron in the neck and a TV'Tron plus in the bridge. My Alleykat sports a SM-1/Demon combo.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

I've found 335s to be a little less sharp/defined in the highs and lows than my LPs with the same pickups.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

I had a set of 59s in my 335 and the neck position was OK, while the bridge was almost painfully bright and thin. I swapped them for a WLH set, and they're amazing. The neck position is slightly less boomy, but maybe more full. It almost does the Slash thing without getting mushy the way an A2P can. The bridge position is just awesome; much more full and a bit less bright. Overall the tones remind me of Alex Lifeson circa All the World's a Stage.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

I take it you are advocating moving the bridge tone to be a global tone, then? Because without a tone control, it's tough to get those rolled off tone sounds from a pickup... Without EQing from the amp so everything is dark all the time, anyways.

[Depends on what was meant by thick jazzy -- don't hear a lot of actual jazz musicians use significantly rolled off neck tones, they are more likely to start with an amp that manages dark warmth with clarity and articulation. Was just listening to some Polytone Minibrute demos on youtube, further increased my agreement with requests for amp models of them...]
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

The "Spin -N- Split" sounds like a very cool addition. I pulled the harness from my LP that had one master tone and two volumes with a vintage / modern push button. It had a set of Fishman Fluence active pickups. I did not get along with it well at all. I would get the neck tone set and go to play lead and bridge pickup would be on "icepick through the brain" mode. I play both my own rhythm and lead and play over loops. So I go back and forth a lot! Brightening the tone for a neck pickup then having to switch to lead on the bridge was agony! Would prefer to leave separate tone controls set close to where I need them rather than having to adjust tone control every time I switch pickups. I have enough to do with starting and stopping a looper and singing to boot! A coil split to get some lightened Strat tones is not a necessity but a nice added bonus I can actually use quite a bit.
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

blueman335 said:
No it actually doesn't. You still get to dial it up to full humbucker and all the way down to coil split, but the the most interesting are all the great tones in between the two extremes.
Click to expand...

You're wiring up the other tone as a master then?
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

GuitarStv said:
You're wiring up the other tone as a master then?
Click to expand...


No. I've never in my life used a neck tone control. I like sharp, clear neck tones, hate dark & muddy sounds. Why not put the neck tone control to use?
 
Re: Pickup Differences Between a Les Paul and a 335

blueman335 said:
No. I've never in my life used a neck tone control. I like sharp, clear neck tones, hate dark & muddy sounds. Why not put the neck tone control to use?
Click to expand...

Some people use their neck tone controls quite a bit.
 
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