dansan Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 (edited) Hello, I've recently bought an ES 355 Memphis 2016 and been very surprise how bright it sounds, especially the bridge pickup ... overly bright. Have some of you experienced the same and how do you explain that ? I heard that the wiring could be different on the Memphis, but would it produce more treble ??? Pickus are supposed to be Gibson PAF '57 Classics. Thanks for your help. Mickael (France) Edited October 14, 2022 by dansan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Hi Mickael, I dont have a ES 355, but I do have 57 Classics in both a ES-339 and a Les Paul. The ES 339 is Memphis a build (2015) and features a 'Memphis Tone Circuit'. Your ES 355 may have this too, but its unlikely to produce the brightness you describe. https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/gibson-memphis-tone-circuit-explained.1857307/ I am puzzled as neither of the 57 Classic guitars I have are too bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grog Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Most high end guitars built in Memphis in 2016 had their MHS random wound pickups……. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Mickael, can you not use the tone controls and EQ on your amp to get the sound that you want? I ask this because personally I'd rather have brightness than muddy because you can always turn it down. If necessary, you can always screw down the pickup pole pieces and raise the pickups, but do it one turn at a time and count how many turns you've made so that you can always reverse it if you don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 (edited) thank you for all your answers ! (I modified my post, it's bridge pup which is very bright) I'll try to record a sound or video file to show what I mean here the guitar Edited October 14, 2022 by dansan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hype Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 39 minutes ago, dansan said: thank you for all your answers ! (I modified my post, it's bridge pup which is very bright) I'll try to record a sound or video file to show what I mean here the guitar 2016, the fretboard is RichLite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmachine Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 Looks like Gibson was going for a brighter output. About your pups they say " Matched bobbin windings for classic humbucker tone with enhanced highs. Wax potted to suppress feedback. Matched bobbin windings for classic humbucker tone with enhanced highs. Wax potted to suppress feedback. The Bigsby will a small amount of brightness vs stand bridges. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 What kind of Amp are you using? I have a 2013 ES335 with 57 Classics.. Yours might need adjustment to Height & or Pole Pieces.. I do spend some time dialing in my Amps as expected. Usually starting with Volume & Tone set to 5.. All FX turned off… I also start with 3 way Switch in Middle position & the Guitars Volume & Tone knobs set at 5, then adjust for Volume & Tone. Leaving room to turn Volumes & Tones up or down on each Pickup setting as desired.. Always leaving overall room for playing Rhythm & allowing to turn up Volume for Lead solos.. If that makes sense… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted October 15, 2022 Author Share Posted October 15, 2022 9 hours ago, Wmachine said: Looks like Gibson was going for a brighter output. About your pups they say " Matched bobbin windings for classic humbucker tone with enhanced highs. Wax potted to suppress feedback. Matched bobbin windings for classic humbucker tone with enhanced highs. Wax potted to suppress feedback. The Bigsby will a small amount of brightness vs stand bridges. that's could be the reason ! Where have you found this info, maybe a link ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 I’ve owned a vintage 1959 ES345 with the Original PAF Humbuckers & it sounded glorious.. I regret selling it many years ago as I thought all Gibson Humbuckers were like them… Man, was I in for a surprise.. I have yet to play or own another Gibson with Humbuckers that sounds as good as my old ‘59… Gibson can’t or won’t reproduce those Pickups Sound.. I’ve read they were all hand wound & none were to exact Specs.. If there even was exact Specs.. Maybe they were accidentally wound? Some sounded better than others they say.. All I know is the ‘59 I had was the best sounding Humbucker Guitar I’ve ever played.. I own a few Humbucker Gibson ES & LP Guitars & no 2 Guitars sound the same.. While all claim to have those magic PAF Humbuckers.. They don’t. Some are brighter & some are warmer.. To my ear the 490R & 498T combo sound the most reminiscent.. The MHS next closest.. The 57’s are something else & definitely brighter.. All sound good though with the right Amps… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted October 15, 2022 Author Share Posted October 15, 2022 it seems the pickups are not PAF '57 Classics, but MHS (Memphis Historic Specifications) a kind of Custombuckers, with less turns, so could be a reason of my surprise I don't think it comes from the richlite fretboard material, especially on an electric guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmachine Posted October 15, 2022 Share Posted October 15, 2022 3 hours ago, dansan said: it seems the pickups are not PAF '57 Classics, but MHS (Memphis Historic Specifications) a kind of Custombuckers, with less turns, so could be a reason of my surprise I don't think it comes from the richlite fretboard material, especially on an electric guitar The original MHS pups are considered to be a bit darker, but more historically accurate. So I would expect '57 Classics to be brighter. Yes, it should be Ricklite. Here is the link to Gibson specs on it. Gibson ES 355 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted October 16, 2022 Share Posted October 16, 2022 Like my Memphis ES335 with 57’s, I don’t see anything that refers them to being PAF Spec.. Which surprised me.. But, trust me, they don’t sound like original late 50’s Gibson PAF Humbuckers. As I mentioned I owned a 59 ES345 that had them & they were the best sounding Pickups I’ve ever heard or played.. The ‘57’s sound good, as do the MHS just not like the Originals… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted October 16, 2022 Author Share Posted October 16, 2022 17 hours ago, Larsongs said: ..... Some are brighter & some are warmer.. To my ear the 490R & 498T combo sound the most reminiscent.. The MHS next closest.. The 57’s are something else & definitely brighter.. All sound good though with the right Amps… you don't mention the Custombuckers, so not so good that we could expect ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted October 16, 2022 Share Posted October 16, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, dansan said: you don't mention the Custombuckers, so not so good that we could expect ? I’m not too familiar with them so I can’t really comment about them.. But, I played a Black 355 like yours at NAMM a few years ago & loved it! I would have no problem trading up for one eventually.. Can’t right now as I just bought a Gretsch White Falcon.. Edited October 16, 2022 by Larsongs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted October 17, 2022 Author Share Posted October 17, 2022 On 10/15/2022 at 5:56 AM, Larsongs said: What kind of Amp are you using? I use a vox ac30, which seems to be uncommon with an ES guitar, but this my amp, so I've to deal with it 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 45 minutes ago, dansan said: I use a vox ac30, which seems to be uncommon with an ES guitar, but this my amp, so I've to deal with it 🙂 AC30’s are great Amps! Powerful! Heavy! But awesome aamps! I use an AC10 (modded Tubes & Special Weber Spkr) & an AC15 with UK Celestion Alnico Blue.. I use them & they sound good but I also use a 65 PRRI & a 65 DRRI.. I sorta prefer the Fenders with Humbuckers but the Vox Amps sound cool too.. My White Falcon has TV Jones Classic Filtertron Humbuckers & they sound good with Vox Amps.. And Fenders too… Your 355 would sound great through a 65 PRRI.. Great all around sounding & versatile small Combo Amps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted October 20, 2022 Author Share Posted October 20, 2022 Thanks for your comments. I'm not familiar with Gibson and been extremely surprised how bright and honky was the tone, compared to my japanese ES type, which is more balanced in tone, probably because of a maple neck. So after one week inquiring, I'm happy that there's nothing wrong with my ES355, just a different world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansan Posted November 26, 2022 Author Share Posted November 26, 2022 after one month of test and inquiring, here is what I've found the Classic 57 in my ES355 Memphis were overly bright and very close to an Alnico5 pickups type, so maybe they've mixed A2 and A5 magnets at the factory or maybe produce a batch of A2 magnets with a very high Gauss magnetic field I've replaced the pickups with a set of S-Duncan Antiquity, which were better sounding, but got even a better result with a set of Alnico4 humbuckers, which is perfectly balance in this guitar hope this could help people with same issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 On 11/26/2022 at 5:32 PM, dansan said: after one month of test and inquiring, here is what I've found the Classic 57 in my ES355 Memphis were overly bright and very close to an Alnico5 pickups type, so maybe they've mixed A2 and A5 magnets at the factory or maybe produce a batch of A2 magnets with a very high Gauss magnetic field I've replaced the pickups with a set of S-Duncan Antiquity, which were better sounding, but got even a better result with a set of Alnico4 humbuckers, which is perfectly balance in this guitar hope this could help people with same issue Good to know you solved the issue and have a sound you enjoy now. I've been very puzzled here about the comparisons between PUs. I have 2 guitars with 490s and 2 with 57 Classics. I find the 490s massively brighter than the 57 Classics in both instances. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wmachine Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 6 hours ago, merciful-evans said: Good to know you solved the issue and have a sound you enjoy now. I've been very puzzled here about the comparisons between PUs. I have 2 guitars with 490s and 2 with 57 Classics. I find the 490s massively brighter than the 57 Classics in both instances. That's what I would expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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