tremolo arm

That's the one I got! It has a lot of mojo!

Indeed. In the end I bought an Eastman T64 and kept the 335. The Eastman has a VOS type finish which is lovely. And so resonant!

Update - I just logged on their website again and the P94 has sod out.... Bummer

Yes, I was surprised too. I have my finger hovering over the proverbial "Buy' button. The only thing stopping me is the installation headache. I am not really experienced in this field and would need to bring it to a tech but with the current Covid situation, it might be ages before I can get this done.

Thank you. I am in the UK. Can't find stock here but a German retailer stocks the neck (and only the neck) for the equivalent of $125. Might try it

Aside from the 335, I am fortunate to also own a Les Paul a couple of custom shop Strats, a Gretsch 6120 RHH and a Tele Baja. The 335 is my latest acquisition. Before I bought it I did some extensive research and decided to pull the trigger on a 2015 ES-335 63 RI VOS with factory Bigsy. I was very particular about the aesthetics, especially a really dark rosewood fretboard and block inlays. It has the "dog' ears (as opposed to mouse), and a gorgeous cherry paint job with the VOS treatment. The "Custom Made" plaque adds a nice element of authenticity. It even smells amazing. I didn't (and still don't) like light brown rosewood for the fretboard and dot inlays. I love everything about the aesthetics of the guitar - it just oozes tons of vintage mojo. However, I have now come to terms with the fact that I prefer the tone and feel of the ES-330 (the standard, short neck). Having played one, that hollow honky percussive snappiness has just stayed in my head and I miss that on the 335. What mods can I do the the 335 to make it sound more like a 330? I am fully conscious of the differences is construction (hollow vs. semi hollow) and neck joint position and I realise these are fundamental differences, but would changing the nylon saddles for example bring a bit more grunt to the tone. How about pickups? Are there any P90 style pickups that are humbucker-shaped and can be dropped in instead of the MHS pickups? What other mods can I do to make the tone 330-esque?

So far I've tried the following (all in 12 gauge): - D'Addario standard PB - can't remember the code - D'Addario NYXL - nothing spectacular, just normal - DR Sunbeams (round core) - probably the best of the lot and yes, I was aware of the need to kink at the post and waiting to snip - Currently strung with Martin 80/20 - sounded great when I put them on but very quickly lost their clarity It would seem that we have the same taste of strings as I also liked the roundcore the most. I am also considering putting a hybrid gauge on with light unwound strings and medium wound ones.

Wonderful sound. Yours definitely sounds warmer and more present than mine. What strings (brand, type and gauge) do you use? Here is mine. It is difficult to gauge the presence / tone and loudness as it was recorded with the pickup, but the lack of oomph is evident on parts like Jolene and Big Love....

Thank you for the sound advice (pun intended)

Thanks everyone for your replies... A lot of your suggest that I should persevere with my SJ-200. A friend of mine (and fellow owner of an SJ-200) also advised the same. He also theorised that there might me something not quite right with my set up though I can't see any obvious technical culprits. Furthermore his saddle, nut and pins are all bone (he has a custom J-200 with the imperial tuners) and mine are all tusq - possibly because of the LR Baggs Anthem I have on mine as stock. Unfortunately due to the lockdown we have not been able to compare instruments in the flesh, but in his opinion the materials of those three components play a big role. My SJ-200 is relatively unplayed. My friend advised that I accelerate the break-in in with a ToneRite. Going back to the rosewood vs. mahogany comparison - yes, I did watch the Policastro video and also the comparison, shown on Anderton's YouTube channel. I have to say I prefer the tone of mahogany on the Acoustic Letter video but prefer rosewood on Anderton's video. I was originally attracted to the RW model, because it looks prettier (to my eyes) and has a black (albeit re****e) fingerboard. One thing I am sure about is that I really dislike the light brown hue seen on most of the J-45 hog fingerboards (and other Gibson models, including electric - for that matter). But ultimately it is also about different specimen from the the same model. Following your advice, I think I have now come to the conclusion that I will not be buying unseen and unplayed. It's just too big a risk. Someone asked me about what's the tone in my head is. For strumming it's what I hear in Lyin' Eyes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, etc. by The Eagles. I know they mainly played Takamine and Martins - but there it is. For finger picking it's Blackbird (ironically again a Martin). I am not sure how many of you use your SJ-200 for finger picking but I just find it too quiet and uninspiring - possibly because of the big body, possibly because of maple. Speaking of Martin I have tried several - OM and Dreds - and they are just too focused and bassy for me. I'm also yet to find a Martin neck which I find comfortable, whereas the SJ-200 is just perfect.

Resurrecting an old thread I just stumbled upon... Anyone tried a ToneRite on an SJ-200?

That is very true. The question was - will I find a rosewood J-45 considerably different than the SJ-200. The idea being that if I buy (and like the J-45) I would sell the SJ-200...

Thanks for your input. For the record I do not own a Taylor. I was considering the new all Koa K26CE with the sound port. I have actually changed three set of strings on the SJ-200. First I tried D'Addario NYXL PB, then DR Sunbeams and currently it is strung with John Pearse 80/20. I like the way it sounds when strummed with the pick in the lower registers but I don't get a sense of lushness when I play songs like Drive (Incubus) for example, which is played up the neck. For guitar this big, I was expecting a bit more ring. It is also very quiet compared to other acoustics I have (including a Martin J-40, a Martin 000-42 and a Yamaha Trans Acoustic) As for the pick, I do use heavier picks. Whilst they add warmth, they do not add ring and lushness.

When you say "dry" tone, are you able to elaborate on that? I am looking for a response with is resonant and lush, with overtones

I love the looks and aura of my SJ-200 and like its tight bass, but I also find it a bit cold sterile, compared to a Taylor for example. I know a lot of it is due to the maple sides and back and the snappy, quick notes decay, so I was wondering if a rosewood J-45 would give me a more lush and deep sound, with more overtones. My style is 50% strumming with a soft pick and a 50% finger picking with bare fingers. I very rarely play lead lines in terms of flat picking. Would a J-45 be a good addition or does the SJ-200 cover those sonic bases? Unfortunately I do not have an opportunity to try one...

Just for reference - the rosewood Deluxe is a current model. The rosewood Custom is not. I also discovered there were two different types of rosewood Custom in the past 10 years - one with a floral inlay on the headstock and one without.

I am looking at a 2019 J-45 Deluxe Rosewood. I know that Gibson used to make a J-45 Custom, also with rosewood back and side. What are the main differences between these guitars? I can only see visual difference, mainly the logos on the headstock and the pick guards, but are there any technical differences? Thanks

So I just carried out my experiment of temporarily setting aside the UST strip and installing a shortened Tusq saddle directly on the bridge. I cannot say I heard or felt any difference compared to when the saddle was sitting on the UST. I do not have a dB meter to test the volume difference scientifically but I am now of the opinion that the difference is negligible when the the (my) guitar is played unplugged. Having said that, I am still curious to ascertain if my particular specimen is different to other SJ-200s. I still feel that it is somewhat quiet for a super jumbo. The tone is lovely, but it just feels like it's stuck in second gear somehow. Of course the best way to judge would be to take my guitar to a shop which has some SJ-200s for sale and compare. In the current (COVID) circumstances this is not possible, but I might do that once shops reopen to the public. But one thing is for sure - the UST is staying put.

As a way of update, I fitted a bone saddle instead of the Tusq one. Using the same strings, I was unable to hear, feel or tell any difference between the two materials (when playing unplugged). If I have to split hairs, I would venture in saying that the tone with bone saddle probably felt a bit more subdued and quiet, but it could be my imagination. I took the opportunity to take a good look at the UST strip and that looked flat and in good order. I have an old Tusq saddle laying around. I am toying with the idea to sand the bass end of that saddle (i.e. reduce the total saddle length) so that it fits in the saddle cavity with the UST carefully lifted up and pointing up (but not removed) to leave space. I don't think that will damage the UST. I can then put a shim under the truncated saddle to recreate the correct strings height. Granted that the radius of the frankestein saddle will no longer be correct, this should be irrelevant for a short sustain / volume test with and without the strip. All I am trying to ascertain is if the UST strip noticeable affects volume.

Thanks. Would you advice to put a bone nut as a way to increase volume and transfer of energy?

Thanks, I will buy a bone nut and will experiment with that. Can the UST be temporarily folded aside to do this experiment (leaving enough room for a new saddle to be dropped in), or does it need to be removed completely from the saddle cavity?

Thank you! I just put a TUSQ saddle in (as the older one was worn) at the same time when I changed the strings. In your opinion, would a bone saddle improve the energy transmission (compared to TUSQ)?

OK, this may be a topic which ahas been over debated, but I am interested to know opinions specifically regarding the combo of an SJ-200 and the LR Baggs Anthem. I recently acquired a 2016 SJ-200 Standard. Whilst I love the guitar's appearance and its tone, I can't help but notice how subdued it is in terms of projection, volume and just the physical feeling of vibration. The guitar came with a LR Baggs Anthem installed, featuring a piezo strip, which sits between the bridge and the saddle. I just installed a fresh set of DR Sunbeams 12-54 and the tone is really sweet, but once again I can't help but notice that it's just quiet (certainly much quieter compared to my Yamaha and Martins). I know the maple construction has a lot to do with harmonics and sustain, so I have factored that in. It is still a very quiet guitar for being a super Jumbo, even when strummed hard. I was wondering if removing the piezo strip would get the guitar to sound louder? Of course it's a simple test but like I said, I just installed a fresh set of round core strings, so if I slacken them, they will risk loosing their winding bond, so thought about asking the forum before I throw $15 down the drain. Thanks

🙂