glider Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Hey i recently acquired a 1994 Es 335 flamed sunburst that is beautiful. absolutely love the way the guitar feels and looks. I am typically a single coil guy (tele and jazzmaster) but the es 335 has always been a guitar i loved. Long story short i am having a difficult time dialing in a tone i like. I play mostly rock/indie type of music and i am finding that the guitar often is a bit muddy, dark and overly bassy. I play out of a fender deluxe reverb reissue and was looking for some suggestings in dialing in a nice articulate balanced tone prior to pedals. i guess once i get the clean tone dialed in i can begin to play with od and distortion, delay, fuzz stuff. any suggestions welcome.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 I would try lowering the left side of the pick ups a little bit and see how that works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 The 335 is a pretty "dark" sounding guitar compared to single coil guitars. It doesn't have the spank of a Tele or Strat. To get any edge, you have to keep the guitar controls turned all the way up and use the amp master volume to turn down. 335's also like to be played loud to get the instrument really singing. Imagine that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Welcome to the world of humbuckers. I assume you've got 57 classics. They are actually cleaner than many, if not most, Gibson humbuckers, and IMO, those are Gibson's best. I like the idea of lowering the left sides, but your best bet is going to be to play in the center and bridge positions and doodle with your amp. You'll only be able to do so much. I have a 335 and I left the 57 classics in, but I bought a Dot and put P-92s in to clean it up. I love both guitars, but I play my Dot much more. If you want clean, articulated humbuckers, you're probably going to have to get away from Gibsons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoonful Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 I like a little chime with my clean sound. Try the middle position on the pickup selector, then turn the volume down a little lower on the neck pickup. I've also found with humbucker guitars and Fender amps, its best to set the bass on the amp below 3. tone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Yes agreed on all points so far... I have had similar disappointment with ES335 tones at times... A look/listen to Eric Clapton and his rig can give some pointers to achieving a workable tone with a 335 The ES330 for some would 'bridge' the gap between Strat/Tele sounds and 335 H/B's Gretsch's with their S/C Dynasonics are an alternative approach V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I love Dynasonics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qblue Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I play both Gibsons and Fenders thru my Fender amps. I usually play the Fenders more than the Gibsons. The one thing I find that I must do is decrease the amount of midrange I use on my Fender single coils before using any Gibson Humbucker or even the P90s I have on my LP Studio '60s Tribute. I have decided the Fender single coils need a lot of midrange to fatten the sound coming from them. The Gibsons are so focused on the midrange region, they sound thick and 'muddy' on the same settings. Try this and let us know what you think. I have an ES-347 (see my avatar) and this allows for a shimmery nuanced sound, almost as nice as the Fender SC sound. One of my amps doesn't have a midrange control on the clean channel. What I do for this is to decrease the bass, in relation to the treble and it helps when I'm using a Gibson; I might increase the treble, too, but usually the bass reduction works. I have the Bass up for the Fender SC, as it sounds fuller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I like a little chime with my clean sound. Try the middle position on the pickup selector, then turn the volume down a little lower on the neck pickup. I've also found with humbucker guitars and Fender amps, its best to set the bass on the amp below 3. tone Yes, follow the link that Spoonful provided, and set it up as you would a Les Paul. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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