Gibson ES 165 Herb Ellis

Dutchbopper · 01-19-2022, 11:22 AM

A quick take to show the sound of my latest acquisition, a 1991 Gibson ES 165 Herb Ellis. I have had it for a month or so now. I ran it through my Mambo 10 amp. EQ all flat, both on the guitar and the amp. The blues ...

DB

**MarkRhodes** · 01-19-2022, 11:39 AM

"Doxy" is such a fun tune. Sounding great, DB.

**kris** · 01-19-2022, 12:08 PM

Great jazz playing with great blues feel.
I like the sound very much!
Best
Kris

**guitarcarver** · 01-19-2022, 12:23 PM

I love the sound. Does it still have the Gibson 490 pickup?

Dutchbopper · 01-19-2022, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Lobomov

Slightly more to the point and less airy than the Tal, no?

I don't know how prone it is to feedback .. but from this one listen I do like it a lot ... Perfect for the blues

Need to post a ballad too ... But for this kind of playing I like it a lot!

Yes, it's more airy I think. It's a much more resonant instrument than my 175 or Tal so yes, more prone to feedback. I'll post a ballad later ...

DB

Dutchbopper · 01-19-2022, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by guitarcarver

I love the sound. Does it still have the Gibson 490 pickup?

Yes, it's all original. I wonder what it would sound like with a classic 57. Somebody here said the 490R and the PAF are more or less the same sounding, the only difference being that the 490R is hotter.

Anyone any experience with a Classic 57 on a herb Ellis?

DB

Dutchbopper · 01-19-2022, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Lobomov

When playing it and being near it's acoustic tone I'm sure .... But what I meant by "less airy" is just that it amplified seems a harder attack than the Tal .. Something along those line ... Never mind ... It's just words and not all that important .. The music is great and sound is spot on for a tune like that. A big congrats!

Thanks Lobo. Yes. The single pup makes it so much more resonant ... It has a decent acoustic sound. Very nice on the couch. I like this guitar a lot. It's a quality instrument. On a par with my other guitars.

DB

**Stringswinger** · 01-19-2022, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

Yes, it's all original. I wonder what it would sound like with a classic 57. Somebody here said the 490R and the PAF are more or less the same sounding, the only difference being that the 490R is hotter.

Anyone any experience with a Classic 57 on a herb Ellis?

DB

I have played Les Pauls with a 57 classic and also Les Pauls with a 490R and I cannot hear a difference. Some claim that the difference is only in the output wire, but Gibson claims that the 490R is voiced with more mids. Perhaps the difference is so subtle that only canines can hear a difference? I think they are both great pickups and frankly am of the belief that we guitarists obsess over things that are really not audible when actually playing a tune on an electric guitar.

**lawson-stone** · 01-19-2022, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

Yes, it's all original. I wonder what it would sound like with a classic 57. Somebody here said the 490R and the PAF are more or less the same sounding, the only difference being that the 490R is hotter.

Anyone any experience with a Classic 57 on a herb Ellis?

DB

My ES165 has the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover, which is pretty close (??) I really liked the guitar with the 490R, but with the SDSL it just has a little more sweetness. I like it better, but maybe if I hadn't already had the SDSL, I'd have stayed quite happy with the 490R. Not worth buying a new pickup, but if you have a C57 or the like lying around, you might enjoy whatever little benefit it brought. I think the 490R differs from the C57 by being potted? I don't recall clearly at the moment. I'll hunt to see if I have a clip using the SDSL on this guitar. I'll post if I do.

But my playing sure won't sound like yours!

**lawson-stone** · 01-19-2022, 02:18 PM

Okay so here's a bit on my ES165 after putting in the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover. Apologies for the playing, but as you can see, it has a different sound but not terribly different. Surely not worth buying a new pickup, possibly not worth doing the operation if you have one. I just had a lot of curiosity and the Seth Lover sitting in a drawer...

Here's another, a little longer. Again, not posted for the playing...

**Stringswinger** · 01-19-2022, 02:48 PM

Both the 490R and the 57 Classic are wax potted.

**guitarcarver** · 01-19-2022, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

Yes, it's all original. I wonder what it would sound like with a classic 57. Somebody here said the 490R and the PAF are more or less the same sounding, the only difference being that the 490R is hotter.

Anyone any experience with a Classic 57 on a herb Ellis?

DB

The 490 is supposed to have slightly more pronounced mids. I've not heard a 57 classic in a Herb Ellis or es175. I owned an early es165 and got the best recorded archtop sound with the 490.

**grahambop** · 01-19-2022, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

The single pup makes it so much more resonant ... It has a decent acoustic sound. Very nice on the couch. I like this guitar a lot. It's a quality instrument. On a par with my other guitars.

DB

But does it make a good bongo sound? That’s what really matters.

Dutchbopper · 01-19-2022, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Okay so here's a bit on my ES165 after putting in the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover. Apologies for the playing, but as you can see, it has a different sound but not terribly different. Surely not worth buying a new pickup, possibly not worth doing the operation if you have one. I just had a lot of curiosity and the Seth Lover sitting in a drawer...

Here's another, a little longer. Again, not posted for the playing...

Indeed, there is not much difference Lawson. Thanks for posting.

DB

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