Es-339 modding questions?

[Riverstyx]

Hey guys

 

I love my 339, but i find the tone to be thin on my bridge and muddy on the neck. I've been doing tons of research on improving tone and i have a few solutions.

A. Change wiring on the inside with a wiring kit

B.Change the pickups(WCR, WB, Bareknuckle, Fralin)

 

Ive done tons of research but im totally stumped on what to do. A or B or both?

 

What are some good brands for wiring kits?

 

Cheers

[G McBride]

I think you need to invest in an amp. This is a great guitar with tons of tone. What are you using for your amp?

[clayville]

I'd exhaust the possibilities of it like it is before modding it.

 

FWIW, with my CS-356 (similar geometry if different construction method) I've found it to be extraordinarily responsive to small pickup adjustments: overall height, polepiece height, relative heights between the neck and bridge pickups, the interaction and angles between the stoptail and the bridge -- fiddling with all that has changed the overall tone quite a bit without "radical" surgery or changing-out parts.

 

In my case, I "topwrap" the strings coming over the stoptail (inserting the strings from the neck side and then coming over the top back towards the bridge) which has allowed me to lower the tailpiece without the strings hitting the back of the bridge. it sounds and feels different doing that. I can say too that I used to run the pickups much higher than they are now because I loved how the neck pickup sounded where it was, but in balancing the volume relative to the bridge pickup, I had the bridge pickup too high and it sounded thin in comparison. With both pickups lower than they were, I like the overall sound better and the bridge pickup sound is more full. Still, it throws off a brighter sound than many Gibsons, almost a Tele-like twang with low gain.

 

Yours has the "Memphis Tone Circuit", I believe, which shapes your guitar's overall sound differently even though it uses the same (wonderful) pickups... but the first thing I'd do is spend an hour with a small screwdriver, listening carefully to the way things change with small (or even large) adjustments to the heights. I good small metal ruler and making notes on measurements can help you keep track of where you started should you want to get back to it, but mainly: let your ears be your guide. I'm betting you can improve the sound more to your liking with what you have already.

 

Good luck.

[Riverstyx]

I think you need to invest in an amp. This is a great guitar with tons of tone. What are you using for your amp?

 

I have a 1959 fender Bassman RI that i just purchased..LOVE IT!

[Riverstyx]

I'd exhaust the possibilities of it like it is before modding it.

 

FWIW, with my CS-356 (similar geometry if different construction method) I've found it to be extraordinarily responsive to small pickup adjustments: overall height, polepiece height, relative heights between the neck and bridge pickups, the interaction and angles between the stoptail and the bridge -- fiddling with all that has changed the overall tone quite a bit without "radical" surgery or changing-out parts.

 

In my case, I "topwrap" the strings coming over the stoptail (inserting the strings from the neck side and then coming over the top back towards the bridge) which has allowed me to lower the tailpiece without the strings hitting the back of the bridge. it sounds and feels different doing that. I can say too that I used to run the pickups much higher than they are now because I loved how the neck pickup sounded where it was, but in balancing the volume relative to the bridge pickup, I had the bridge pickup too high and it sounded thin in comparison. With both pickups lower than they were, I like the overall sound better and the bridge pickup sound is more full. Still, it throws off a brighter sound than many Gibsons, almost a Tele-like twang with low gain.

 

Yours has the "Memphis Tone Circuit", I believe, which shapes your guitar's overall sound differently even though it uses the same (wonderful) pickups... but the first thing I'd do is spend an hour with a small screwdriver, listening carefully to the way things change with small (or even large) adjustments to the heights. I good small metal ruler and making notes on measurements can help you keep track of where you started should you want to get back to it, but mainly: let your ears be your guide. I'm betting you can improve the sound more to your liking with what you have already.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Thanks allot for your help!! I Hope this works!

Would it be worth changing out the volume pots?

[badbluesplayer]

Yeah - The 339 is sensitive to changing the pickup heights. You might want to back the neck pickup down a little to make it less muddy.