block63 Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 (edited) My Nashville Historic 63 ES 335 has Burstbucker 1,2 with Bumblebee caps and I wonder if it is worth to go with Custombuckers and Luxe Black Beauty Caps Burstbucker 1 2 vs Custombuckers? Your thoughts? Edited May 13, 2023 by block63 Additional context Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10PoundLester Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 (edited) What is it you are looking for that the BB1 and 2 doesn't deliver? IMO the "Bumblebee" and other "boutique" caps are a scam. They aren't even real unless you get NOS ones and even then I doubt there would be an audible difference. (Let the beatings begin!) Edited May 13, 2023 by 10PoundLester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 5 hours ago, 10PoundLester said: even then I doubt there would be an audible difference. I share your doubt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Make sure you keep the original parts, as you may change everything and then later want to hear how it sounded unmodded again. Ask me how I know......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10PoundLester Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 20 minutes ago, jdgm said: Make sure you keep the original parts, as you may change everything and then later want to hear how it sounded unmodded again. Ask me how I know......... By the time you get everything out of the f-hole and the new stuff back in, you might just decide that the new stuff is good enough. I have never changed out the components of a 335 type guitar. Mine sounds just fine the way it came from Memphis. I ain't goin' in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 Let me apologize first before I even get started - I am not trying to be a jerk or demean anyone. But this topic comes up all the time on this forum, "I bought a guitar and I want to change the pickups what should I get?" My question is why did you buy a guitar if you didn't like the sound of the pickups?? I think many times we buy a guitar because we want to sound like someone who plays a particular model. I want to sound like Larry Carlton so I'll buy a 335, I want to sound like Jimmy Page so I'll buy a Les Paul, I want to sound like Stevie Ray Vaughn so I'll buy a Stratocaster. But we never sound like our hero because we don't have their hands and their touch. No matter what guitar I play I pretty much just sound like me. In your case the hassle of changing out pickups and caps on an f-hole guitar is probably not worth it. If Gibson thinks the Historic '63 should have Burstbuckers that is probably what it should have and changing to Custombuckers and different caps isn't going to make a huge difference or change your touch or playing style. If you don't like the way the guitar sounds, sell it and get something you do like. On the other hand I suppose there are people that just love to tinker with their guitars, and that is their business. End of rant, I'll shut up now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10PoundLester Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 1 hour ago, Twang Gang said: In your case the hassle of changing out pickups and caps on an f-hole guitar is probably not worth it. If Gibson thinks the Historic '63 should have Burstbuckers that is probably what it should have and changing to Custombuckers and different caps isn't going to make a huge difference or change your touch or playing style. If you don't like the way the guitar sounds, sell it and get something you do like. My sentiments exactly. Gibson invented this guitar and they invented humbucking pickups. They know what they're doing here. I've gone through tons of pickups and caps in all my electric guitars and always go back to stock because I realize that 50 percent of the tone you'll get out of any guitar is in your fingers, 50 percent is in your style, and the rest is in your gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted May 16, 2023 Share Posted May 16, 2023 I've never changed pickups on a guitar, but a lot of people obviously do, but the way I see it you are spending hundreds of $'s and you have absolutely no idea what it's going to sound like when you've finished. That's a leap of faith and quite a big gamble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted May 16, 2023 Share Posted May 16, 2023 On 5/14/2023 at 9:21 PM, 10PoundLester said: that 50 percent of the tone you'll get out of any guitar is in your fingers, 50 percent is in your style, and the rest is in your gear. That's 0% for gear? In my (very minority) opinion I'd place gear at 100%, and that includes the pick also. I have changed pickups once as an experiment. I replaced Humbuckers with low output single coils in a Semi Hollow guitar. On the whole, the experiment was a failure. Its sounds slightly better & different, but not by as much as I hoped. I had another pickup that repeatedly failed. It was an intermittent fault that not even my luthier could resolve. I had to buy another. That's it. I probably wont change pickups again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 On 5/16/2023 at 3:16 AM, merciful-evans said: That's 0% for gear? In my (very minority) opinion I'd place gear at 100%, and that includes the pick also. I have changed pickups once as an experiment. I replaced Humbuckers with low output single coils in a Semi Hollow guitar. On the whole, the experiment was a failure. Its sounds slightly better & different, but not by as much as I hoped. I had another pickup that repeatedly failed. It was an intermittent fault that not even my luthier could resolve. I had to buy another. That's it. I probably wont change pickups again. The Amp you use is a huge factor in the Sound! More often you don’t need better Pickups or a better Guitar.. You need a better Amp. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG King Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Just changing guitar picks can have a significant influence on your sound... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 20 hours ago, Larsongs said: The Amp you use is a huge factor in the Sound! More often you don’t need better Pickups or a better Guitar.. You need a better Amp. Yes. However that is a given in the discussion. The amp is a constant; and needs to be when evaluating changes to the guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 8 hours ago, LG King said: Just changing guitar picks can have a significant influence on your sound... Absolutely. I've been making this point for years. Well said. I've also discovered how important strings are too. Not so much the brands, but the materials and the type (regular v flatwounds etc) I stopped using coated strings because the sound was not quite as good as regular (IMO). It was only slight difference. Then jdgm prompted me to try 'gold' strings. They make a huge difference. Unfortunately I tried them on a guitar that didn't suit them. I have another set that I will try on a hollow body at some point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 3 hours ago, merciful-evans said: Yes. However that is a given in the discussion. The amp is a constant; and needs to be when evaluating changes to the guitar. Do you have large unicorn Stores in your Area? If so, you might take your Amp & try out some 335’s with the Pickups you’re considering.. Before you make a major Mod… I understand your quest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Tone chasing can get costly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 3 hours ago, Larsongs said: Do you have large unicorn Stores in your Area? If so, you might take your Amp & try out some 335’s with the Pickups you’re considering.. Before you make a major Mod… I understand your quest! I'm not the OP guy. That's block63. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 11 hours ago, merciful-evans said: I'm not the OP guy. That's block63. Intended for OP… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 11 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Tone chasing can get costly. Believe me I know! I had 2 Guitars I never should have sold….. I’ve been chasing the Tone of my mid 50’s Gibson Les Paul for 50+ years… And the 1959 Gibson ES-345 Stereo 30+ years…. I haven’t found it yet.. I’ve accumulated quite a few really great Guitars which come close…. But, no Cigar. I’m still looking…. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG King Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 (edited) Larsongs "I'm still looking" I too grew up in the 50's-60's, in the SF Bay Area. Saw Bloomfield several times, but when I saw him with his '59, I too was hooked on that sound (and have been chasing it ever since). I had a set of PAF's in my '66 Byrdland, and I thought about putting them into my Les Paul at the time, but in my heart of hearts knew that was a bad idea to mess with an original guitar. About 2 years ago I go to see this 2013 Memphis ES-335 to maybe purchase. The guy didn't play, just had many guitars on display in his living room. Was getting old, and wanted to liquidate. I plugged it into my shitty little amp that I brought (he had no amps), and I almost dropped my guitar pick when I heard the tones. I asked him if he knew what they were, said he had no idea. Bought the guitar, took it home and pulled the pups...2013 Custom Bucker "S". Best damn pickups I have ever heard...! I think they just might take you there. For what it's worth... Edited June 23, 2023 by LG King Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 I will be going to try out some Guitars shortly & will make a point of trying some Custom Bucker S Pickups.. Thanks for the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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