RetroDom Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Hey all, I've had my trusty ES-345 for 5 years now (it's a 2002 model according to the serial number) and I'm starting to feel like I could get a better level of sonic performance by changing the pick ups. I feel like the original pick ups just aren't good enough anymore and I'm looking for something with a bit more oomph. I use a very middle-y classic rock sort of sound with medium gain levels through a Vox AC30. I'm looking for something with more mid range punch and a little more power. I've used various Seymour Duncan pick ups in some of my other guitars (Quarter Pounders for Tele sound great!) but I want the best for my favourite guitar. Anyone got any good suggestions? Dom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Nahum Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Changing pickups on a 345 is BIG job. You have to pull all the electronics out through one of the pickup cutouts, make the changes and then feed it all back in again. Very fiddly. That said, you might want to speak to a pickup maker like Pete Biltoft or Lindy Fralin about what you want rather than buying an off-the-shelf set. Alternatively you could really work at getting the existing pickups to do what you want - different string types, height adjustment, different pick. The sound of my 2002 ES345 improved a lot when I swapped the zinc tailpiece for a lightweight (Gotoh) aluminium one. RN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qblue Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 I have a ES-347, with series 7 pickups aka Dirty Fingers, with gold plated covers. I once wanted to change these pickups for the '57 PAFs that are currently in your guitar. Those pickups are a gold standard in the world of PU's and every company claims to make a better one. I would recommend that you change the heights of these PU's, as I did on my guitar, and I think you'll be satisfied. The biggest reason I didn't change pu's because it would adversely affect the value of the guitar. There was another issue of a coil-tap switch, which cuts one of the coils in each humbucker for a lighter sound. I like that option; the '57 PAF's are 2-wire pickups; to coil tap you need 4- conductor leads to each pu. Besides its a complex job, and I'm no professional. My body doesn't have any access panels, and the job is a nightmare. I can't remember if the ES-345 has an access panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokestack59 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 qblue is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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