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Gibson es 345 players


crowdaddy

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Hey everyone, tried to post pictures of the es 345 but I can't compress the file, and the forum won't take "big" files. Anyway, they look like the 335 only with stereo option. I soldered the stereo plug to a mono cord, and simplified my hook-up. I can't hear a difference in sound quality from the stereo hook-up to the mono hook-up. I'm using a 67 fender bfsr right now, and am planning on trying that nasty triple xxx peavy with it. It only has one in put so I have several amps to test it with.

 

Any comments about the hook-up will be appreciated. Especially about the 100ohm resistor I'm supposedly running it through by jumping the stereo plug.

It sure made life easier.

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Hey everyone, tried to post pictures of the es 345 but I can't compress the file, and the forum won't take "big" files. Anyway, they look like the 335 only with stereo option. I soldered the stereo plug to a mono cord, and simplified my hook-up. I can't hear a difference in sound quality from the stereo hook-up to the mono hook-up. I'm using a 67 fender bfsr right now, and am planning on trying that nasty triple xxx peavy with it. It only has one in put so I have several amps to test it with.

 

Any comments about the hook-up will be appreciated. Especially about the 100ohm resistor I'm supposedly running it through by jumping the stereo plug.

It sure made life easier.

 

I played numerous ES-355 stereo guitars over the years and frequently used a stereo to mono cable. It works just fine.

 

Occasionally I would set up two amps and enjoyed the stereo switching capability. Back when I used to play non-switching Fender amps I would send the neck pickup to the "Normal" channel and the bridge pickup to the "Vibrato" channel.

 

None of my current guitars has stereo, but I still have some of the conversion cables I made up.

 

Danny W.

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Hey everyone, tried to post pictures of the es 345 but I can't compress the file, and the forum won't take "big" files. Anyway, they look like the 335 only with stereo option. I soldered the stereo plug to a mono cord, and simplified my hook-up. I can't hear a difference in sound quality from the stereo hook-up to the mono hook-up. I'm using a 67 fender bfsr right now, and am planning on trying that nasty triple xxx peavy with it. It only has one in put so I have several amps to test it with.

 

Any comments about the hook-up will be appreciated. Especially about the 100ohm resistor I'm supposedly running it through by jumping the stereo plug.

It sure made life easier.

 

Hi, what year is your ES-345?

 

The reason I asking is that some older models had the two pickups "out of phase" to each other. My guess is that if you played in stereo, you can plug into one amp that has two channels (not two inputs to one channel). You would plug the neck pickup to one channel and the bridge pickup to another channel. Fender amps have the two channels that are "out of phase" to each other... like your SR and works great.

 

 

I'm just wondering; when you use a mono cable, do you loose volume when in the selector switch is in the middle (both pickups on)? If you loose volume in the middle position, the pickups are "out of phase". If the volume remains the same in the middle position then the pickups are "in phase".

 

Since I don't use two amps or two channel input amps anymore; like you, I just use a mono cable and into one amp. However in my situation, I had to rotate the magnet in one of the pickups to make them "in phase" so that the volume remained at the same level in any of the three positions. A number of ES-345 owners have rotated one of their pickup magnets to have the same volume. Others prefer the "Peter Green" sound of the "out of phase" wiring. By the way, you can get similar tone using the varitone switch.

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Danny and Kaicho, My 1973 es 345 walnut stereo was made at the Kalamazoo, Gibson factory, now Heritage guitars. I believe it may be out of phase as when I turn the volume up I notice more of a tone change toward the end of the rotating volume knob. It rolls a little of the treble off. It makes some interesting tonal changes.(It reminds me of the sweet switch on the prs standard) My super reverb will take the stereo in the channels you suggested and sounds great. An option that most guitars don't have. It sounds great imho no matter how you hook it up.

 

I like the tone of the 345, as it has a round deep voice, with the super it punches you in the gut enough that you feel the music as well as hear it. Does it get any better that this? Let me know some of your experiences with the stereo, or mono hook up. I've not spent all that much time with it. (I have a tendency to practice with the smaller guitar, sg, prs, unplugged) The bigger 345 is great electrically. I feel blessed that I have one. Happy trails, crowdaddy.

 

I love the varitone, you can quickly control the volume by backing off one or two clicks, then snap it back for some heavier rhythm.

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We have had this discussion ongoing for years, and one thing I think that I remember, is that none of it is consisent. Each owner has a different explaination of how their ES-345 works.

 

Here is mine: I have a mid-70's model, stock, purchased new, and I played it through a Fender Super Reverb, using a stereo "Y" cord, and using both seperate channels of the amp, it sounds great, similar to my ES-335. If I plugged both ends of the "Y" cable into two inputs of the same channel, I would get that "quack" or "out of phase" sound.

 

Using a stereo to mono cable, isn't a good to me, as using the "Y" into two seperate channels of an amp, or using two seperate amplifiers, preferably both the same type amp.

 

One thing nobody has talked about, is unlike a ES-335, where you have the toggle switch in the middle, and both pick-ups are turned off, if you turn on one pick-up it doesn't work until the other pick-up's volume is turned up. On a ES-345, at least mine, each pick-up is independent of the other. Not being a electrical genius, I think it is safe to say that on a standard two pick up guitar, such as a ES-330 or ES-335 (I have one of each) the pick-ups are wired to each other, on a ES-345, they are not.

 

I sold my Super Reverb, getting to big for me to haul around, and I haven't used it playing out since the 70's, I picked up a Fender Blues Jr.III, nice amp, and my ES-345, using the neck pick-up sounds pretty good through it. I don't play out my ES-345 anymore, I kind of retired it, but I will plug it in using the stereo "Y" cord into my Hot Rod Deluxe, using both inputs, and just switch back and forth between the two pick-ups. I kind of miss my Super. I know Gibson did make "stereo" amp, I think they were the Goldtone series which would probably have worked well with any ES-345 stereo guitar.

 

I admit, they are nice guitars regardless of the opinions of the Vari-tone, and stereo!

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The hot rod deluxe has fire in it, I played a friend's and I couldn't believe the grind and or clean you could get. I'm still learning about the pick-up configuration. I switch it up a lot use middle then down and later up, roll the varitone back. Today I noticed that adjusting the volumes and the varitone it sounded a little like a strat.

 

I couldn't imagine anyone not liking the varitone switch. Thank you for sharing your experience with yours. I hope my honey moon with it doesn't wear off!

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