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Hey everyone,
I would like your input and help, please.
Recently I got a 1969 ES150DC (the deep 335), while I love the guitar's feel, neck, playability and all.
The amplified sound I am getting is clingy and bright for my taste. I have played late-60s 335s, Roberts' and most of them sounded so warm amplified. Not sure, what's the problem here, I am thinking it's the pickups.
Both of the pickups are T-Tops, to be honest I am not really familiar with their sound, but from what I have found so far they tend to be bright(?).
Basically, I got it for playing jazz, traditional and modern but I feel the pickups are not cutting it.
I was thinking swapping the neck pickup with a Manlius Fat Diane neck humbucker, but I wanted to know if there are other options there. So I can make the guitar fit more to my taste.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Mike
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02-23-2016 03:01 AM
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later I'll posr a shot of mine, the pickups had been changed, this was on 9/11. No one was online that night and the seller had a no reserve auction, got it for $700.00. At the time Duncan Antiquity pickups were the rage, it really made the guitar very flexible tonally. Now a days some Seth Lovers or maybe Lollars would really sweeten that tone right up. Got any photos to share. I Saw a most rare cherry red version recently and was considering it.
nice instruments.
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I will post some tomorrow, I just hit the bed.
I think my best bet is the Fat Diane by Manlius. Mick knows his stuff.
The guitar is really nice, I like it a lot! Just need to get the sound where I want.
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Bright? Funny, my 68/69 150 DC has (according to the original owner) the original pups and it's one of the softest, smoothest, mellowest AND "woodiest" (OK not the terms used here but are apt descriptions) sounding gits I've ever played. Not anything like bright. Very weird.
The 150 is more like a deep 330 body :-) If it were semi hollow it would weigh so much it would be like having grandpas Buick around your neck!
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Did you buy the one from Willie's listed in VGM?
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Ya know a wood bridge might warm it up some more instead of that TOM.Last edited by BigMikeinNJ; 02-23-2016 at 10:29 AM.
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If you don't like the T-Tops I'll take em of your hands
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T-Tops are pretty popular pickups, actually.
I'd go with new strings, first, before I changed pickups on your guitar. First, string _up_. Go with .12 gauge strings and get away from the twangy little things that tend to be on a guitar like the ES-150D when you acquire one. Then, consider flatwound strings. I'd recommend Thomastik-Infeld Jazz-Swing strings in the .12 gauge set. They are low tension and are really easy to fret and bend on a 24-3/4" scale guitar like the 150D
You can't really go with a wooden bridge because the TOM is set right into the top on the 150D, IIRC. I have played several--a sunburst, a natural, and two or three walnut finishes. I liked them all. Essentially, they are full-depth ES-330 guitars with humbuckers. What's not to like?
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T Top are in the same ballpark as seth lovers, burst bucker 1-2 and other low output humbuckers. They can be more lively and jangly as others, but this only adds clarity. Nothing the tone pot can't take care of. They use alnico 5 and range in the 7.5 ohms. You can get darker pickups, but those can muddy up your tone.
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T Tops peak in places a PAF/early patent number won't.
As far as options, there are maybe 100 or more PAF clones being made. Throbak's and WB's are the closest to PAFs, ime. I've owned 5 earl patent #s (same as a PAF except the sticker) and probably over a dozen sets of clones.
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Originally Posted by abelljo
If you don't like the T-Tops I'll take em of your hands
I'll go one further, I'll buy the set he wants to replace them with and take the T-tops in trade. They're not going for $175 each because people don't like them.
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Actually, you can, I have done it to many guitars. Just replace the tom with a wooden saddle. Originally Posted by Greentone
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Originally Posted by Woody Sound
Actually, you can, I have done it to many guitars. Just replace the tom with a wooden saddle.
Exactly
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New strings and new bridge never solved "clingy and bright" for me.. I like the Di Marzio 36th, Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday and SD APH-1 but the "Fat Diane" should be just as good Mike
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Jeez it stayed AS IS for nearly FIFTY years without someone dorking with it, doesn't that SAY something? Hello? Anyone out there... sound of crickets :-) Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
New strings and new bridge never solved "clingy and bright" for me.. I like the Di Marzio 36th, Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday and SD APH-1 but the "Fat Diane" should be just as good Mike
Well judging by my 150 I would say, strings, bridge AND amp... not necessarily in that order. :-)
Since the git was recently purchased, I'll bet it had lighter round wound strings, the 150 really does well with heavier strings. Mine came with .009's and its sound definitely wasn't maximized.
Without looking into the guitar further, pups are a waste of time, money, and irrevocably ruin an original git if, like most people sell the original pups because they couldn't afford to keep them in the case for the next owner... IMO.
PS, then try and sell it to someone like me... NOT!Last edited by GNAPPI; 02-23-2016 at 10:24 PM.
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I woul say otherwise, that's the point of forums.
Mike's amp is great and he already has heavy strings for sure. I have changed from TOM to wooden bridges in several guitars and noticed slightly less sustain and a more acoystic sound but never noticed any differences in the bright / dark balancd.
When I got my 65 X500 it had passed trough several owners before and none found changing the pickups relevant. I did and I am glad I did (and it implied heavy work because guild humbuckers from the 60s were smaller than regular ones).
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Guys, no need to argue! Jorge knows me quite well I have to say.
I would try a wooden bridge but I want this guitar be more on the electric side of things. I already have an archtop with enough acoustic properties I enjoy, so I got that with wooden bridges and all.
From my experience, pickups can really make a difference.
Even If I change stuff on the guitar I will keep all the original hardware, pickups etc in the case.
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No argument, if you want to trade pups, for another pair, my offer is open :-) Originally Posted by JPMike
Seriously I wish we could sit down with our two gits and play them side by side.
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Well, I try to keep everything together, so if I sell the guitar the buyer gets everything.
If you are near Boston that can be done!
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I also changed the tuners so to preserve the originals from being destroyed. Plus, the archtop I fancy these days for more acoustic stuff.
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