Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

[angus99]

(Posted these questions on a couple other forums and then just learned about this one. Sorry if you've seen this elsewhere, but I'm still looking for opinions. Thanks.)

I'm looking at a 1982 ES 335 Dot Reissue with a set of Rio Grande Texas/BBQ Buckers in it. (Got it on loan for 2 weeks to evaluate.) I have zero experience with semi-hollowbodies--or any pickups other than the lace sensors on my Strat--so I don't really know how this rig compares with the stock '57 humbuckers. My initial impression, based on very limited time to experiment, is they seem a bit dark and easily overdriven, even on supposedly clean settings.

Anyone using this set in a 335 or familiar with them enough to render an opinion? I'm mostly into various kinds of blues and classic rock.

Second question: any good background literature on 335s available online? Most of my hits are taking me to ebay.

Thanks.

Angus

 

[ES350]

Re: Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

IMHO, 335's really don't need overwound HB's---they end up sounding like bad LP's. They kinda lose all the spank and character of a 335.
I ended up with a old '59 in the bridge and a t-top in the neck---sounds great. Plenty of info out there on vintage (read: 50's-60's) 335's out there, not much on later stuff.

 

[BigDaddy]

Re: Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

Bad choice for that guitar. I have used ES-335's and ES-345's since the early 70's and have owned a lot of them from a 60' 45 to a 2000 35. I never played one I didn't like.

A standard PAF type pup is the way to go. I really liked the 2000 and 1999 one's I had with Tom Holmes pups.

The Rio Grande are good pups for a dark biting sound and all wrong for a 335.

Get a pair of pure PAF copies from one of the many really good winders or a set of Duncan Antiquitys. Lollar, Wolfe, Florance and a few others have really good versions of an original PAF. Lindy Fralin uses Alnico 4 magnets and his PAF's don't sound right to me. They need 2's or 5's to sound correct. An A2 in the neck at about 7.75K and an A5 in the bridge at about 8.25K is the way to go in my book.

I tried 59's and they were too dark and too hot for that guitar.

 

[angus99]

Re: Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

Thanks.

I've asked the same questions on a couple other forums and this is the best advice I've gotten by far. I do appreciate it.

Really hate to show my ignorance, but I'm starting to look around for some basic "theory" on pickups--what makes a pickup "hot" or not, differences in magnets and the difference between 7.75k and 8.25k. I just need a better basic understanding of how pups affect tone before I start shopping around.

If anyone has a link to a basic, authoritative source, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks again.

Angus

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

I'll try to give you a *very*basic rundown on what makes a pickup sound the way it does.


You'll notice that a lot of web sites deal with the pickup's resistance readings. If all things are equal, the pickup with the higher DC resistance will be louder, darker, and have more mids than a pickup with a lower DC resistance reading.

As far as magnets go, Seymour Duncan usually makes pickups with alnico II, V, or ceramic magnets.

Alnico II magnets have the lowest strength 9generally speaking). the next step up is alnico V, and finally, the strongest mag is ceramic.

The magnet grade has a large impact in the sound of a pickup. All things being equal, a pickup with an alnico II mag will have sweet highs, a thick midrange, and a somewhat loose, rolled back bass response. An alnico V pickup will have strong highs, neutral mids, and a warm, muscular low end. A ceramic loaded pickup will have bright, somewhat grainy highs, full mids 9though not as full as alnico II) and tight, percussive lows. These of course, are all generalizations. The way a pickup is wound also has a big effect on the overall sound of a pickup.

As to what makes a pickup hot or not, it's a somwhat complex issue with many variables. To "bench race" two pickups though, it's probably safe to say that the pickup with the stronger magnet and higher DC resistance will most likely be hotter than a pickup with less windings and /or a weaker magnet.

 

[angus99]

Re: Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

Exactly what I needed, Benjy. Hugely appreciated!

The Rio BBQ/Texas set seem like nice pups but they're in the 9 to 13 range with Alnico Vs and just seem a bit edgy to me. (wouldn't mind having them in my Strat sometimes.)

Think I'll check out the Custom Custom/Lover setup and the Lollars to start with.

Really glad I found this forum.

Thnx

Angus

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Texas/BBQ Buckers in a 335?

You're welcome.


The Seth/CC combo should work well for rock and blues in a 335. I've been meaning to try it in my Sheraton, but I haven't gotten around to it.

My fave combos in my Sheraton up until now have been the Phat Cat set, which is like a modded P-90 set, and a pair of Pearly Gates + pickups for a thicker, early '60s 335 tone.