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Gibson ES 335 help

mdubya

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Mar 31, 2010
Messages
1,020
I guess it is no real surprise that my ES 330 is my best sounding unplugged electric? You may want to consider one. I mean if you are buying electric guitars to play acoustically? Mine makes for a killer acoustic jazz box (too bad I am not a killer jazzer :dang ). It is fairly extraordinary plugged in, too, due to the hollow construction and P-90's.

:hank
 

Don

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Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
Unplugged, my ES-225 sounds like a little cello. Rich, warm, fat... I wish I could do something with that tone. My Les Paul is quite a bit quieter, but has a nice bassy thump that amplifies well. Unplugged, my ES-335 sounds like a transistor pocket radio. Plugged in, it sounds like a giant Telecaster. I had an Epiphone ES-335 Pro that sounded much warmer unplugged. It wasn't as good plugged in, though.

I had a 5-1/2 pound mid '60s Epiphone Olympic that had a beautiful acoustic sound. Very lively. I've played old SGs that were like it. They sounded awesome plugged it, too.
 

rafalynch

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Jun 5, 2019
Messages
96
Thank you very much for your comments and help. I have tried several bridges and tailpiece and there is no difference. The sound when playing loud is unpleasant and I do not see a solution other than to sell it and that the experience will be useful for the next one and not buy before without trying it in person. thank you very much to all
 

CAGinLA

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Jan 4, 2016
Messages
489
Acoustic tone of an electric guitars very important. Anyone thinks otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about. The wood and construction make a huge difference. If it didn't make a difference than a Les Paul would sound the same as a 335. Guess what? they don't sound the same.

LOL, you people crack me up!

I have been playing for about 35 years, have owned 80 guitars in that time, and played many hundreds more than that. There is rarely any correlation between the unplugged sound of a guitar and how it sounds running through an amp.

335s are electric guitars. They are meant to be plugged into an amplifier and not played like acoustic guitars.

Unplugged, they sound enemic and plinky (though at least you can play hard on them without bothering anybody in your home who might be sleeping!).

Plugged in, they sound full bodied with balanced highs and lows (assuming the pots/caps/pickups are of good quality and the guitar has been set up properly - same goes for the amp).
 

Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
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20,853
LOL, you people crack me up!

I have been playing for about 35 years, have owned 80 guitars in that time, and played many hundreds more than that. There is rarely any correlation between the unplugged sound of a guitar and how it sounds running through an amp.

335s are electric guitars. They are meant to be plugged into an amplifier and not played like acoustic guitars.

Unplugged, they sound enemic and plinky (though at least you can play hard on them without bothering anybody in your home who might be sleeping!).

Plugged in, they sound full bodied with balanced highs and lows (assuming the pots/caps/pickups are of good quality and the guitar has been set up properly - same goes for the amp).

Some people get it. I've been playing over 40 years. Why do you think some bursts sound great? its the wood. That can usually be heard/felt. I absolutely makes a difference. If you don't notice it, great for you. I can ID a tone turd by playing it unplugged. Pickups can always be changed, the wood is a huge part of the sound. You can't feel the difference between a 335 and Les Paul?
 

rafalynch

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Jun 5, 2019
Messages
96
It may be that you prefer pickups with a lot of ohm output and with them it sounds in the amp much like an Ephiphone that a Gibson .... in this case what sounds is the pickup. But if you try low output pickup 7.6ohm / 8.5 ohm you will check how the sound in the amplifier changes from one guitar to another with the same pickup .. with these low output pickups you can hear the "voice" of the wood and is where a good Les Paul gets very much on top of a $ 50 trash guitar
 

Billy Porter

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Mar 16, 2005
Messages
1,129
I built a kit ES335 putting it together with Seth Lovers and quality hardware and I was greatly disappointed at the acoustic sound and also when played at low volumes but...……………….boy does it come to life at larger volumes and rehearsals. So much so that I'm taking it to a gig instead of my Les Paul. It resonates with the rest of the band and feels like it's alive.


As other posters have previously stated, they're not really made for playing acoustically (I've a Tele that does that a lot better). Give it a bit of volume and appreciate what these can really do
 

brandtkronholm

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Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
Like you can talk me out of what I know? Doesn't bother me in the least, as I said, I know better.

Totally! I’m gonna drop a pair of Throbacks into my Martin D-28! That thing’ll sound SO good when I plug it in!
 

JWhite

New member
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Jun 8, 2019
Messages
1
LOL, you people crack me up!

I have been playing for about 35 years, have owned 80 guitars in that time, and played many hundreds more than that. There is rarely any correlation between the unplugged sound of a guitar and how it sounds running through an amp.

335s are electric guitars. They are meant to be plugged into an amplifier and not played like acoustic guitars.

Unplugged, they sound enemic and plinky (though at least you can play hard on them without bothering anybody in your home who might be sleeping!).

Plugged in, they sound full bodied with balanced highs and lows (assuming the pots/caps/pickups are of good quality and the guitar has been set up properly - same goes for the amp).


I had to make a account to post to respond.

You could be trolling but on the other hand you might actually believe it.

Do You know how acoustic guitars work?
A 335 works similarly. They do have a smaller body so they don’t project as much and don’t go as deep in tone as a acoustic. There is a reason why they are called a semi acoustic.
if it sounds “dead” unplugged you’ll have to work at to make sound great through a amp.
Playing a semi unplugged is a perfect way of checking it out.

my 2cents.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
You can have it both ways.


An electric guitar that really seems to sing & be vibrant on it's own is a neat thing regardless, just tells ya the woods are workin' as a team and will have a certain voice to work with. Ones that might seem a bit dull unplugged but are boss when plugged are also cool as hell. Teles are especially great at this. I once picked up a very expensive (at the time) Custom Shop Tele that I plucked a few notes on and thought it was the deadest damn thing ever heavier than a late 70's glossier than thick rimmed glasses with uber blingy looking cuts of wood. Plugged it in and it was the twangiest mother****ing twang machine out twanging anything that'd come before or after, bach sounded like pieces written for Banjo on that thing, it could not un-twang, what a sound it had.


But, if it's legit dead sounding unplugged as in excessively poor sustain etc that's a different animal, you're not going to get something that isn't already there.
 

Don

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Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
I built a kit ES335 putting it together with Seth Lovers and quality hardware and I was greatly disappointed at the acoustic sound and also when played at low volumes but...……………….boy does it come to life at larger volumes and rehearsals. So much so that I'm taking it to a gig instead of my Les Paul. It resonates with the rest of the band and feels like it's alive.


As other posters have previously stated, they're not really made for playing acoustically (I've a Tele that does that a lot better). Give it a bit of volume and appreciate what these can really do

This is exactly how I feel about my ES-335. I seldom even use it at home, but it's great with a band.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
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1,592
Well, IMO, ES-Semi's are one of the most all-over-the-map guitars there are. Some will be very quiet unplugged but come at ya like a thick Les Paul when overdriven, on the opposite end some have a huge almost fully hollow unplugged jazz box like tone that will be sweet as molasses with a nice dual showman, oohwee.

A lot of people I think prefer the thick Les Paul thing and anything else is "garbage" but I am not one of them.
 

wmachine

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2016
Messages
303
LOL, you people crack me up!

I have been playing for about 35 years, have owned 80 guitars in that time, and played many hundreds more than that. There is rarely any correlation between the unplugged sound of a guitar and how it sounds running through an amp.

335s are electric guitars. They are meant to be plugged into an amplifier and not played like acoustic guitars.

Unplugged, they sound enemic and plinky (though at least you can play hard on them without bothering anybody in your home who might be sleeping!).

Plugged in, they sound full bodied with balanced highs and lows (assuming the pots/caps/pickups are of good quality and the guitar has been set up properly - same goes for the amp).

You make the mistake of thinking just because you can't tell, and it makes no difference to you, that there is nothing too it. That's what happens when you don't have an open mind and think the world revolves around you.
 

JPP-1

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Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Messages
1,336
The guitar itself is the voice and the pickups are the mic. Electric guitars have a tone unplugged and that’s what the pickups capture. That being said, just as some voices are photogenic or I should say audiogenic so are some guitars and may be a pleasant surprise how they sound thru an amp, The inverse is also possible. There are harmonics and overtones that are difficult to detect with an unplugged electric. So while the first thing I do when I try an electric guitar is test it acoustically I also plug it into an amp.

Another note, I think most of us equate acoustically loud with good. I know I tend to prefer an acoustically loud electric, but surprisingly some of the best sounding and most sustainy electrics I ever played were ones that weren’t particularly loud acoustically. I guess If loud always equaled better everyone would be playing 335s.



To the OP, since you already have the guitar I would plug it on and see how it sounds. Brightness is a guitar is usually never an issue. It’s the easiest thing to dial back. However muddy or particularly dark guitars can be hard to work with. Good luck
 
Last edited:

rafalynch

Member
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Jun 5, 2019
Messages
96
Thanks for your comments and advice. Today I took it to my rehearsal with my group ... I plugged it into my 1971 Marshall Jmp and I loved how it sounds ... it's like my Paul but with a more creamy and smooth sound ... very inspiring. The only thing when lowering the volume potentiometer to clean the saturated sound of the Marshall, the sound becomes very dark and muddy. Surely it is to change the potentiometers for a CTS 500k ... as you have already advised me, but I feel sorry to modify the guitar and also it does not seem easy to do it. I thought to sell it but every day I like it more. Thanks for everything
 

brandtkronholm

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Dec 3, 2006
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... I plugged it into my 1971 Marshall Jmp and I loved how it sounds ... ...very inspiring... Surely it is to change the potentiometers for a CTS 500k ...

The ‘80s ES335s are great instruments. They’ve got good bones! Changing the pots to 500K would be an improvement to the guitar. It will not affect the value of the instrument. In fact, it may add value! Go for it!
 

J.D.

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May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
Install .001uF caps across the volume pots and be done. Google "bright cap" :jim
 

brandtkronholm

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Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
The ‘80s ES335s are great instruments. They’ve got good bones! Changing the pots to 500K would be an improvement to the guitar. It will not affect the value of the instrument. In fact, it may add value! Go for it!

Yes.

Install .001uF caps across the volume pots and be done. Google "bright cap" :jim

This is also a good suggestion.

50's wiring should help.

This would be the finishing touch!
 
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