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Gibson 57 classic or/ classic 57+ for the bridge!?


bluemeenie

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Hey guys, Hopefully Im going to be changing the pickups soon in my (epiphone 335 dot) with the Gibson classic 57s!..Im just not sure if i should put a 57 classic + in the (bridge) or just the normal 57 classic???.. as that's what normally comes in the gibson 335 in both positions)..Ive been thinking about this now for nearly a year and i still haven't got round to doing it ha-ha..Ive already had all the electronics done in the guitar..pots, vintage wire, caps ect,..but was just wondering if the 57 classic +/ or the normal 57 classic, would be better suited in the bridge for this guitar!???.....any info would be much appreciated...cheers![smile]

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When I modded my Sheraton II, I went with a set of classic 57 neck / 57+ (bridge) based on recommendations from many who did such an upgrade on their Dots and Sherries.

All I can tell is in my case they blend wonderfully together since usually the bridge position is a bit weaker.

However, I also upgraded the wiring with BCS VESK-1 vintage 335 and it is wired in the 50's way which also may play a huge factor.

Overall I really like that combination.

I just may add that for some people the plus sounded a bit darker than a classic 57.

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I put the 57 classics in both positions on my Epi 175 and it sounds awesome!

Hey Willsjazz, thanx for the info much appreciated..:) do they look okay with the chrome hardware on that guitar? being that the 57s are nickel plated!..it probably doesn't really matter, but i was just wondering if the nickel plated pups would look out of place with the rest of the chrome hardware on my guitar ha-ha...cheers! [biggrin]

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..can i still get controlled feedback with the 57s??..in a musical way that is ha-ha!...cheers! [smile]

 

Yes.......Gibby Classic 57s are IMHO, perfect for controlled wanted feedback, in any guitar..........Perfect.........

 

I just wish they had a little more uber high end..........

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Yes.......Gibby Classic 57s are IMHO, perfect for controlled wanted feedback, in any guitar..........Perfect.........

 

I just wish they had a little more uber high end..........

Hey Damian, thanx for the info... :) that's cool)..I just hope the nickel pups wont look out of place with the chrome hardware??... [biggrin]

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Hey Damian, thanx for the info... :) that's cool)..I just hope the nickel pups wont look out of place with the chrome hardware??... [biggrin]

 

What color Dot ??? Either way, hmmm, it might even add to the guitar's beauty in a subtle way........

 

Remember, most folks don't even know the difference between chrome and nickel.......I say shock and awe them with the unknown that they can't see......

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If you use the standard 57 at both positions the bridge will sound slightly quieter than the neck. That's the way the 1950s guitars generally were, and people put up with it. It suits jazz.

 

You can compensate to some extent by maximising the height of the bridge and lowering the neck so they balance better. To some extent Gibson tried to compensate by slightly overwinding the coils in the pickups used for the bridge position, but it was hit and miss.

 

Alternatively, you do what most modern guitars do, and have a deliberately higher output pickup at the bridge position (57+ was designed for this). That balances the output and makes a lot more sense to me. Generally, rock players want a little more output from the bridge p/up for soloing, not less.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys, Hopefully Im going to be changing the pickups soon in my (epiphone 335 dot) with the Gibson classic 57s!..Im just not sure if i should put a 57 classic + in the (bridge) or just the normal 57 classic???.. as that's what normally comes in the gibson 335 in both positions)..Ive been thinking about this now for nearly a year and i still haven't got round to doing it ha-ha..Ive already had all the electronics done in the guitar..pots, vintage wire, caps ect,..but was just wondering if the 57 classic +/ or the normal 57 classic, would be better suited in the bridge for this guitar!???.....any info would be much appreciated...cheers![smile]

SO what did you decide? Last year I put two Classic 57's in mine. Do I wish I had put the plus in the bridge? Yep, I think I do. But that doesn't mean it sounds bad. It sounds sweet but not as much crunch as the original pickups had. Those original pups were pretty crunchy. I kinda miss the high output at the bridge. But not too much.

The 57's gave the Dot more tone, I will say that. And the tone knobs seem to do more than they did before. A plus at the bridge might be a plus, (pun intended). But I will never know because I won't be buying anther set of pups for the Dot.

I just bought an ES 339, got it today. The Probuckers, (if that's what's in it), have more punch then the 57's. I got my crunch back...lol. But they don't have the same smoothness IMHO.

The 339 is a different animal than the Dot. Tho they seem the same only different sizes, I like the Ol Dot better, But now I have the best of both worlds. The Dot has some nice smooth sounds, and the 339 sounds a little more like an LP in my opinion.And is light as a feather and easier to handle.

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My preference for Gibson PU's is Burstbucker 1 & 2. The tones are better than '57's.

 

Some of the best PAF's are Duncan's Seth's, which were co-designed by Seth Lover, the guy who invented humbuckers. These are exactly like the originals.

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