PuerAeternus Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I have a 2004 Gibson les Paul studio and a 2013 Gibson ES-335, the LP studio i think has the 498t/490r set, and my 335 has the 57 classic in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan 59 I stole from my Schecter cuz i liked the lower output clean better than the stock 57 classic. After A/Bing the two Gibsons, I found that the LP sounded more punchy and focused, the 335 warmer. I liked the LP's "fat" lead neck tone, it reminded perfectly of the Slash neck lead tone, whereas the 335 was a bit thinner, the LP neck tone was punchier. in the bridge, I found the 498t to work better with hard rock/ metal/palm mutes.... I actually found the clean tones very comparable Now are these differences more to the fact of the different woods constructions between the guitars or the PU's? I am considering a 57 classic + for my 335 to beef it up some for heavier tones. or should i just get a 498t? how different is a 57 classic from classic + in the bridge? Also does the 490r in the neck of my LP account for the thicker lead tone than the SD 59 in my 335, or is just because my LP is like 3 pounds heavier? Uploaded with ImageShack.us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 335's kind of need '57's. If you put anything else in there you'll be fighting the thing to get the right sound out of it. LP's are way more versatile as far as what pickups you can use and what you can make it sound like. A 335 is what it is and you have to take it the way Gibson makes it and kind of stick with that. You might find another sound you like in the 335, but it's not like a LP, where there's all kinds of things you can do to make it sound different. Just my 2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuerAeternus Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 so would a 57 classic + be the ticket to getting better palm mutes+higher gain sounds, but still retain a PAFish character for big open chords with distortion? i Find the 57 classic does this better than the 498t, more clarity in the 3 or more note chords with distortion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I have a Les Paul Classic Antique and a 335, both are fitted with 57 classic and classic+ at the bridge. Despite having exactly the same pickup combination (although the Les Paul's are uncovered), there is a massive difference in sound, there really is no comparison. The Les Paul is a lot more powerful and "thick" sounding and the 335 sounds, well like a 335. You would find it difficult to believe there the same pickups. Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 All things being equal, pickup wise, Semi-hollow body guitars, are just "warmer/rounder" sounding, due to their "semi-hollow" nature. They'll also tend to feed back, a lot faster, at really high gain settings, as well. Just the "nature of the beast." But, they're Awesome, at clean and with nice "tube" saturated, natural overdrive. If it were me, I'd leave the ES-335, "as is," from the factory, and "mod" to your taste, the LP instead. But, that's just Me! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I have a Les Paul Classic Antique and a 335, both are fitted with 57 classic and classic+ at the bridge. Despite having exactly the same pickup combination (although the Les Paul's are uncovered), there is a massive difference in sound, there really is no comparison. The Les Paul is a lot more powerful and "thick" sounding and the 335 sounds, well like a 335. You would find it difficult to believe there the same pickups. Ian. +++1 It's just the same when comparing '57s in SG and Les Paul guitars. The LP has the fatter tone, even when comparing my biting Traditional 2013 to SG models featuring '57s. My LP guitars with '57s, '57/'57+, Burstbuckers 1&2, and Burstbuckers Pro Neck and Bridge are much closer to each other than any of my SGs using '57s. The difference indeed seems to be rather in woods respectively Richlite on one of the SGs, design and construction than in the pickups. As Ian pointed out, "You would find it difficult to believe there the same pickups." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuerAeternus Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 +++1 It's just the same when comparing '57s in SG and Les Paul guitars. The LP has the fatter tone, even when comparing my biting Traditional 2013 to SG models featuring '57s. My LP guitars with '57s, '57/'57+, Burstbuckers 1&2, and Burstbuckers Pro Neck and Bridge are much closer to each other than any of my SGs using '57s. The difference indeed seems to be rather in woods respectively Richlite on one of the SGs, design and construction than in the pickups. As Ian pointed out, "You would find it difficult to believe there the same pickups." i made a soundclip to illustrate what i meant https://soundcloud.com/pureaeternus/335-vs-gibson-les-paul the 335 is playing chords first, than the les paul playiing chords for a little bit, than the les paul playing some van halen 1, than the 335 playing van halen I last. the difference is really prominent in chords...the 335 is airier and janglier, the Les Paul has more bark/Jimmy page live tone to it. would a 57 classic Plus make my 335 beefier enough for van halen (it does pretty well for that stuff already, but the LP has the slight upper hand) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 i made a soundclip to illustrate what i meant https://soundcloud.com/pureaeternus/335-vs-gibson-les-paul the 335 is playing chords first, than the les paul playiing chords for a little bit, than the les paul playing some van halen 1, than the 335 playing van halen I last. the difference is really prominent in chords...the 335 is airier and janglier, the Les Paul has more bark/Jimmy page live tone to it. would a 57 classic Plus make my 335 beefier enough for van halen (it does pretty well for that stuff already, but the LP has the slight upper hand) Very hard to predict... I guess the Les Paul's beefiness is determined by the wooden substance and construction. Since I don't have that much experiences with ES models, I don't dare saying anything more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 You can try swapping pick ups out but you're dealing with two different animals. Just take an SG and a Les Paul - the same pick ups are going to sound quite a bit different and they're both solid bodies. I think you'd have more success with settings on your amplifier, to be honest with you. What amp are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM2112 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I have a Les Paul Classic Antique and a 335, both are fitted with 57 classic and classic+ at the bridge. Despite having exactly the same pickup combination (although the Les Paul's are uncovered), there is a massive difference in sound, there really is no comparison. The Les Paul is a lot more powerful and "thick" sounding and the 335 sounds, well like a 335. You would find it difficult to believe there the same pickups. Ian. Agreed! I don't have a 335, I have a ES359, but they both use the laminate body and are very different in tone compared to an LP. Now, my CS356 which has the routed mahogany body and a maple cap gives a tone that is so very close to an LP, and the CS356 can cover a lot more ground tone-wise compared to an LP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 My BB King which is a semi-hollow, but not a 335 sounds better than any guitar I have ever owned, and it has stock 490's in it. I have had quite a few Gibson's over the years and they may come and go, but BB, I would run back in the house for, if it was on fire, and also grab my Martin D-28. Yeah, I have one, too. It's a Great Guitar! And, without "f" holes, it's less apt to feed back, than the normal 335-45-55's do. I'd still Love to have an ES-345...I've just always wanted one. Maybe "someday?" CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantobrien Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Can't say anything about the exact nature of humbucker pickup swaps (sorry P90 guy), but really if you want to try something different, do it. You can always switch back and sell what you don't like. It could be a holy grail moment for you, but if nothing else you'll get to know the characteristics of your instrument. I'm not exactly sure how easy it is to swap pickups on a 335 though. Could be a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Charlie Brown, You'll find that the ones with the F holes don't sound or feel like the Lucille. You'd better buy one and find out for yourself, though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Charlie Brown, You'll find that the ones with the F holes don't sound or feel like the Lucille. You'd better buy one and find out for yourself, though... Uhhh, I know that, Steve...but, Thanks! I have had a Gibson "Lucille" for over 10 years, now. I also owned an ES-355TD-SV, back in 1969, that I played exclusively, at that time. So, I'm well aware of the differences. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Don't say I didn't do the right thing and try to help you spend your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I have a 2004 Gibson les Paul studio and a 2013 Gibson ES-335, the LP studio i think has the 498t/490r set, and my 335 has the 57 classic in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan 59 I stole from my Schecter cuz i liked the lower output clean better than the stock 57 classic. After A/Bing the two Gibsons, I found that the LP sounded more punchy and focused, the 335 warmer. I liked the LP's "fat" lead neck tone, it reminded perfectly of the Slash neck lead tone, whereas the 335 was a bit thinner, the LP neck tone was punchier. in the bridge, I found the 498t to work better with hard rock/ metal/palm mutes.... I actually found the clean tones very comparable Now are these differences more to the fact of the different woods constructions between the guitars or the PU's? I am considering a 57 classic + for my 335 to beef it up some for heavier tones. or should i just get a 498t? how different is a 57 classic from classic + in the bridge? Also does the 490r in the neck of my LP account for the thicker lead tone than the SD 59 in my 335, or is just because my LP is like 3 pounds heavier? Uploaded with ImageShack.us i believe each guitar is 'wired' diffferently, the lp being the nashville, modern, 60's tone circuit and the other the memphis, vintage, 50's tone circuit. correct me on these facts but that could account for the difference in tonality between the guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The differences are massive! While you can get similar tones from both, they are very different guitars in persona... ES hollow and semi-hollow models seem more brooding and darker in general give a deep richness that is hard to foster in a solid body. A Les Paul is simply classic and the Mahogany resonance and sustain with the maple top/cap adding an unmistakable snap or pop to the notes makes a simply sublime combination. As much as you can define one a certain way, there are always piquant exceptions to the rule; ie Clapton w/Cream, Alvin Lee, Buddy Guy, or Elvin Bishop with their Gibson ES tones. Heck Les Pauls have done every kind of guitar music there ever was to play, and done it well... Clapton w/BluesBreakers, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck's Oxblood '54, Peter Frampton, and all those southern rock classics including The Allman Bros. Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws, Marshall Tucker, etc., etc., etc. Too many combinations and options to nail either one of those axes down to anything particular. The possibilities are eternally infinite! Hell, throw an SG into the mix and you're really lost for definitions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old mark Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Kind of on the topic...I really like the 490's a LOT...in fact, I have a 2010 Chinese made Epiphone DOT that has a set of Gibson 490's in it...Very different sound from a stock Dot, and very different from either of my SG's with 490's, too. I think they are very versatile pickups and IMO, they are hard to beat in a Les Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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