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Memphis "MHS" pickups Ugh..

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
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I got my brand new `63 ES-335TDC guitar on Wed. Lovely guitar and after a little tweaking and some good strings, plays and sustains like an old one. Not wild about the Nylon saddles. I swapped those out with some Brass ones=big improvement!
I find the MHS pickups to be very mushy, dark and mid-heavy. I like clarity and these don't have that. Of course I'm fairly spoilt in that all my other humbucking guitars have either vintage Gibson pickups or Thobak's. I will be swapping these out with a set of vintage Sixties T-Tops that have Throbak A-4 magnets.
The Custombucker's I've tried sound better than these. I'm fairly disappointed in these when the guitar is played clean. when I have an overdrive pedal on then they sound pretty nice, but not a good trade off in my opinion.
Anyone else experience this with these new "Memphis" pickups?
BTW, I have done all the adjusting one can do with these...
Thanks!
 

Elhorch

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Jan 15, 2002
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Well, I got a gibson memphis Rich Robinson ES-335, I'm pretty sure it has burstbuckers but I also find them to be very dark, might change them to Throbacks (have them on my R0) or OX4 pickups, see if it opens up a bit.
 

TM1

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Yeah, it has the BB's, not my fave pickups either. I was looking at the Rich Robinson guitar too. I ended up spending the extra bread for the '63 ES-335TDC. It is more of what I wanted.
Not that the Rich Robinson's a lesser guitar.. Not even! I was looking at those at NAMM last January. That model and my friend Warren Haynes' 335! nice stuff and it seems as though Gibson's finally building the Custom Shop semi's correct(finally..).
 
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Progrocker111

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They are nor mushy to me, really they arent bright or very clear, but i still like their clean tone very much. But especially with overdrive they have nice singing tone, still articulate, but warm and rich too. No complaints from my side.
 

TM1

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Overdriven they sound good, but I need clarity as well.
 

sgtJoe

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Don, I'm wanting a 63 335 also, what does the "MHS" stand for. Thx
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
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I got my brand new `63 ES-335TDC guitar on Wed. Lovely guitar and after a little tweaking and some good strings, plays and sustains like an old one. Not wild about the Nylon saddles. I swapped those out with some Brass ones=big improvement!
I find the MHS pickups to be very mushy, dark and mid-heavy. I like clarity and these don't have that. Of course I'm fairly spoilt in that all my other humbucking guitars have either vintage Gibson pickups or Thobak's. I will be swapping these out with a set of vintage Sixties T-Tops that have Throbak A-4 magnets.
The Custombucker's I've tried sound better than these. I'm fairly disappointed in these when the guitar is played clean. when I have an overdrive pedal on then they sound pretty nice, but not a good trade off in my opinion.
Anyone else experience this with these new "Memphis" pickups?
BTW, I have done all the adjusting one can do with these...
Thanks!


Don, what is the neck like on yours?
 

TM1

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The MHS stands for "Memphis Historic Series".
Neck: feels like an old one as it's wide and slightly flat on the back. It is only like 1/16" wider at the nut. But the feel is perfect. It feels a lot like some of the originals I've played over the last 48 years.
 

zombiwoof

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Feb 22, 2003
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What I've read says these are a lower-wind version of the Custom Buckers, supposedly to work better in the semi-hollow guitars, but basically the same other than that.
Al


The MHS stands for "Memphis Historic Series".
Neck: feels like an old one as it's wide and slightly flat on the back. It is only like 1/16" wider at the nut. But the feel is perfect. It feels a lot like some of the originals I've played over the last 48 years.
 

Gold Tone

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I've got Throbak SLE LTD with short A2 magnet in my block '63 335. After a few different pickups trials these were the ones that had everything that guitar needed to sing.
 

TM1

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The MHS pickups are about 7.8k bridge & 7.4k neck. Even the readings I took with my LCR meter says they should sound clear, but I have a feeling the magnets need to be different. They're A-2 bridge and A-3 neck.
I love the late Sixties T-Tops in it now. I do have a couple of sets of Throbak's I might swap out and see how those sound.
 

Elhorch

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I'm curious if you changed pots and caps on your ES... did you?

Thanks
 

sgtJoe

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Again, lay off the sherms and find another board to post on.
 

TM1

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I am playing with old 72 Hiwatt DR103, so clarity isnt my problem. :)
I hear ya on the ol' HiWatt!, But.. The difference between the MHS pickups vs. the old T-Top's is like removing a blanket from the sound.
Pots/Caps, way ahead of ya.. already done. However, Gibson does say that the new pots they use are 550K CTS with the old Centralab taper. I put in a set of Centralabs that came out of a destroyed `62 SG/LP.
 

Progrocker111

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I hear ya on the ol' HiWatt!, But.. The difference between the MHS pickups vs. the old T-Top's is like removing a blanket from the sound.

Will perhaps try it too. I like early T-Tops very much, especially cause of their articulate, clear and aggressive tone. But i would consider some Throbaks too. :hmm
 

AA00475Bassman

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Apr 26, 2016
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bumping this

anybody have any new thoughts on the MHS Pups?

Love my MHS pickup's in my 64 ES 345 would not swap these out . That old blues growl IMO , could be a little dark for some . Im playing a 18 watt head with a 2x12 slant cab & my 57 GA9 & a AC4 at the present time .
 

Standard 82

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May 23, 2017
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I have not tried or heard MHS pups in an LP but I have a new CS 355 and a 63 Historic 335 with them and they sound fantastic. Absolutely killer! Clear and sweet at lower volume and creamy when cranked , through a tube amp. I tried the 355 in the music store through a new Princeton Reverb and I was so impressed I bought the guitar on the spot.

I have owned a number of LP's and found them to be generally muddy anyway, regardless of the price point , including a Skinnerburst. The exception being my Kalamazoo 82 Standard.

I have also owned at least 7 335's and the only ones that held up to the MHS pickups were the '66 and '67 that had Pat# pickups.

Maybe they are not the best choice then for LP's but in the ES semi-acoustic models they are great.
 
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