Gibson Murphy Lab 335 - Why Can I Not Bond With This Guitar? 

Man that guitar sounds phenomenal!!!!

It's a feeling, if you don't connect it really can't be forced. When a guitar feels right you just can't put it down.

Hey guys. Hope all is well. I got a couple things out of this one. 1. I am happy to see I am not the only one that goes through this with guitars. 2. That Cornell sounds superb!

well done guys. Your channel more than any really seems to capture the tones and characters of different guitars, pickups, gear, etc. The 335 sounded great to my ears, especially driven. Its expensive, bet it grows on you.

Sounds great to me. I definitely would not swap the pickups. Just return it if you don’t like it as is. Also, the 335 is very versatile, so you can play anything you want. Don’t worry about the style.

It’s sounds pretty dope to me.. you should give her some time ❤

I was surprised with the playability of the entry-level SGs and actually picked one for a friend. I wanted to keep it for myself.

Best sounding guitar I've heard you play on this channel in my opinion. Lovely! That SG is pretty nice too :)

I’ve been playing since the ‘70s and had all kinds of guitars over the years. I always found myself struggling to get sounds I liked from humbucker guitars, and the couple that I owned that had coil splitting pickups, I found myself always playing them split. So, by 2014 I had just given up, and only had single coil guitars over the next few years. But, two years ago, I decided to give it another shot, and bought a 335 style semi hollow. This time around, I found that if I stopped comparing it to that “ideal” guitar tone in my head and just listen to it for what it is, I found I really like it. BUT I had to just accept that it’s Not an all arounder. I hate how it sounds with fuzz. It bothers me that it doesn’t clean up gain by rolling down the guitar volume. The bridge pickup is a lot brighter than the neck (but I got around that by keeping the bridge tone control down to 5). It doesn’t have the vintage wiring mod that I’ve done to some of my other guitars, so it loses high end when you roll down the volume - but I pretty much always have the volumes rolled down to 7 because the humbuckers will drive my gear so much harder than my single coils (and I don’t want to have to adjust all my pedals and amps every time I plug in the humbuckers). But I love it for what it does well, which is smooth, almost compressed sounding clean to edge of breakup tones. When I want that smooth, 1970s Motown kind of clean, that is the guitar that gives it to me like no other guitar in my collection can. For me, it was just about accepting it for what it is and what it does well, and not expecting to be able to get Hendrix tones or anything like that from it.

I have the same guitar but in VOS. I totally understand where you're at! The price of them makes you expect something really exceptional and good just doesn't cut it. I will mention that if you lower the humbuckers down really low and slant the treble side a little higher you will get closer to that EQ that we both seem to like. Also, get some replacement metal ABR-1 saddles (philadelphia luthier tools fit perfect and help restore the treble sizzle.) I just wish mine was a a lighter shade of cherry, hopefully it fades.

I’ve never bonded with 335’s or Casinos, etc. They just don’t feel right to me. The only full hollow body guitars I have ever bonded with was a small body Gretsch, and a PRS Hollowbody 2. I think they just felt better because they were thin and smaller, so they felt more like a light Les Paul.

I just tried an R9 that hard pickups just as dark sounding as those. I sold it. Searched for one with the "sound," and I found it. Keep looking, Paul!

Yeah - Guitars are all about love... and my main squeeze is a '63 175D, but that's mostly for Jazz. But, I love blues/jazz fusion and I've had a 335 for ages and always seemed to neglect it and grab something else first for jobs or messing about. Poor thing sitting there and gathering dust, but I feel its like driving around town and picking up the kids in an old Cadillac - kinda weird, but it does have charm and vintage feel. But then I fell in love with the middle toggle, with the gain of the first pickup at about 3/4 and leave the bridge pickup on full. Then it starts to feel like a sports car. There's just such a massive array of tone available mixing less or more of that front humbucker in to brighten or darken it - it's amazing with a slight biting gain for blues and you can quickly dial in a fuller sound for ballads etc.

Just turn the treble on the amp up a bit! The guitar sounds amazing. It doesn’t need a pickup swap IMO. Custombuckers (which I assume are in it) are some of the sweetest sounding humbuckers. If there’s any doubt however… maybe it’s not the guitar for you.

Got the same feeling with my LP 57 Murphy Lab. For me it’s about detail in the tone and single coil guitars have that in a way a humbucker struggles with. However underwound humbuckers can go there …thinking of Lollar low wind imperials

The 335 sounds great, don’t discount adjusting the pickups (height, polepieces) as it can definitely make a difference

Well done, know I need 4 guitar, . they all sound great. ES 335 even not Murphy lab is spot on , and a must have.

Three lessons from this video: 1. That is a gorgeous looking and sounding guitar. 2. James has incredible ears. 3. Paul is very particular about pickups. We've seen it before with the strat. Nothing wrong with this outlook at all. A player likes what he or she likes. Personally, I would keep the 355 as is because it adds a wonderful flavor to Paul's guitar collection.

The concept of “bonding” and “feel” may sound BS but it is true. I played 4 same model Murphy lab guitars and one bonded with me. Feel, weight and tone. Although they were all the same specs, the one I bonded with had about 5-10% more sparkle and instantly felt right to me. I’d try as many of the same model if you have the option to.

As a long term ES335 user, my suggestion is to get low output humbuckers in that guitar rather than try and put hot or fat sounding pickups in. Lower output humbuckers open the ES335 guitar up tonally, and is you want to fatten it up, use a boost pedal.

Thank you, you just solved a mystery for me. When trying to decide which guitar to use on any given track in my recordings, I go through this same thing. Especially with my Custom Shop Larry Carlton 335. So I've known for a long time that if I change the studio monitors that I've been mixing on for years, it takes me maybe a month before my brain allows me accept the new sound. I don't know what it's called, but there's probably a medical term for that. At 12:53 in this video you said, "SO WHAT IS IT! What is going through my head?" and that's when it clicked. It's not your fingers, it's not your ears, it's that thing I just described with your brain. Thanks again! Because now that I realize what happens when I play particular guitars all the time, then I pick up a different guitar, I'll know not to beat myself up over the fact that I can't decide whether or not I like it, or if I'm not satisfied with the way it sounds. I just have to remember this. Remembering lessons learned at this stage in my life is a challenge. 😕

Some of your best tones

The 335 sounds amazing with the Cornell. Well it also needs a amazing player as well. Thanks Paul

I had an Am Pro II tele, awesome guitar. Ended up selling it, because I felt bad for having such a nice guitar that I just didn’t care for. Have the same model in a strat and I’ll never sell it, I love it. Sometimes it just doesn’t work.

I love the way this guitar sounded in your TSR amp demo. It sounds really great 👍

Hi guys - client and psychologist. That Suhr sure is immaculate, , , and the 335 cannot match, BUT ! , , it has soul. Hahe - looking forward to check what happens in the next film.

I hold on to guitars for a few years before deciding to flip. I don't "bond" as such, it's more a working relationship - does it do what I want it to do? The excitement/novelty wears off after a week or so, then we settle in. Each to their own. Thank you for sharing!

Its strange, my 335 is my only never sell guitar, I've had Les Pauls, Fender's, Rickenbacker and modern guitars like a Suhr S4 and the 335 has never found a stable mate that I've wanted to play as much as the 335. It's a feeling and you know when you know. Oh, and I do crank my 335 and that sounds brilliant

I’ve had a red dot 335 for years and always struggled with it. It sounded dull and lifeless and never felt comfortable. Almost passed it on but was persuaded to change the pickups to Lollar Low winds and had a good luthier do a full set up. He changed the angle of the break and many other little tweaks. It changed the guitars playability completely. The pick ups sound full of life, have a clearer top end and more presence. A completely different guitar now.

Ive done the same journey with 335:s, especially Gibsons, they do sound amazing clean but driven some of them can be a little bit too mid heavy tonewise, dry and honky. Its cool but a solid body sounds better most of the time. Sometimes this can not be mitigated by swapping pickups either, its just the whole system. For lower gain or clean blues a right 335 can be superior to a les Paul, SG or HSS strat. I ended up liking a PRS DGT in the end

I had been a Telecaster player for years. Few years ago I had the chance to get a 335. Yet I carried on using the Telecaster and had the 335 as a back up guitar! In fact, to be completely honest, the 335 was my third choice as I also have a godin 5th avenue with P90s. I must point out the both the Telecaster and the godin together wouldn't match the value in money of the 335. Then something happened. During lockdown I started playing the 335 everyday and something clicked. I realised that I could establish a strong relation with that guitar. Now the 335 has been my main guitar on and off stage. I can't put it down. I think this switch might depend on: 1. Getting used to switching from single coil low output pickups to powerful hambuckers. 2. Scale, most single coil pickup guitars have either strat or tstyle inspired profiles, hence the neck and fretboard scale is a completely different world compared to the 335 scale. My advice is to keep the guitar and carrying on using it as much as possible. Even if you decided to sell it later you would still make your money back. One more thing: ultimately it depends a lot on the style and genre of music you are into, cause ultimately it's what you love hearing that inspires the vision of your guitar tone and consequently your approach. In other words, it might be possible that the guitar at the moment doesn't fit your style but maybe it might in the future according to the variations of your musical taste. Thank you for the great video. I truly enjoyed watching it as I related to this issue a lot yet that doesn't stop me from wanting to buy guitars I don't even need. 😅 Thank you! 🎸☀️❤️

Had the same problem bought a beautiful vintage burst Gibson 335 had it 6 weeks just couldn’t bond , ended up selling it and buying a Stanford CR 30 thin line with p 90s and I was delighted with the tone a feel and has the vintage used vibe .. feel your pain dude …

Paul, your preference for the Suhr Pete Thorn over the 335 -- there are a couple of other variables in play besides the pickups: (1) scale length -- Suhr is 25.5, vs 24.75 for the 335, and (2) bolt-on neck (Suhr) vs set neck (335). Both characteristics will give the Suhr a brighter tone, aligning with your preference for brighter sounding guitars. In fact, Pete designed his signature model as a marriage between classic Fender and Gibson traits, and the pickups actually lean more to the Gibson (PAF) side of that marriage. So it may well be that your preference has more to do with those other traits than the pickups.

I’ve always wanted a 335 myself, sounds great.

I had a 1968 cherry red 335 and it played for years, but I always wanted something else. The guitar had a fine tone, but it just wasn't for me. The main reason I think is because I'm 5'8", and the guitar looked enormous on me. I was much more at home using Strats, SG's, and Les Pauls.

When I can't bond with a guitar, it's invariably because I prefer one of my others more. This might be down to the sound, but could just as easily be its weight, the way it hangs, comfort, etc. I had a 335-ish Ibanez AS73, which was great in many ways, but too big and heavy. Then I thought a 339 would be better, and while that too, was a good guitar, and smaller, I still played my Telecaster far more. I'm now down to one Squier CV 50s Strat, my main Tele, and a Squier Jim Root Tele to which I fitted Tonerider Alnico humbuckers, and which still somehow manages to sound like a Telecaster. I say get rid of the 335, and if you _must_ buy something else, get some other piece of equipment, and not a guitar.

Hey Paul, I know the feeling but beware. I have custom shop Strat that one day I want to sell and next day I love it. I never used it live because I was not confident with it. However, I giiged it, bloody hell!!! In the mix and and some stage volume it totally blew me away. It’s all I use now.

Very interesting video. I recently went back and forth about selling my CS '59 335 - I even wanted to put a signed note in it's case saying "don't sell this guitar" as it was a very good one - I can sell a guitar on a whim. I've had a number of CS '59 335's and only ones which stayed with me for awhile had either Lollar's or Throbaks installed....but they eventually all went. As with my most recent one. At times it was perfect and at other times just felt off. I anguished and anguished and then decided to keep it. Someone offered me a guitar I wanted in trade after I decided. I hummed and hawed but then made the swap. I still wonder if I should have but I play the new P90 guitar almost every day, loving it, where-as the 335 got played maybe every other week or once a month. The 335 will hold it's value better but I just love my new Novo Serus J.

I had a high end 335 style semi hollow. It played beautifully, looked and sounded amazing. All styles. Stellar guitar! But I sold it. For me it was about the shape of the body. I just couldn’t get comfortable with that added width either sitting or standing. And I come from a solo acoustic background. Gibson 335 is even wider. It’s a shame because they really are wonderful guitars. I’m just far more comfy with Strat and LP style bodies

5:00 DITTO. I don't like mudbuckers either. If you're not stuck on vintage-correctness, may I suggest a humbucker-sized p90. Bare Knuckle makes some great ones. I had a set of their low-output Blue Note HB-sized p90s in an SG and they were fantastic.

When I got my 335 Murphy Lab Ultra Lite Aged I ordered it "sight unseen". Because they are so expensive many music stores won't just order them with the hope of selling it - they will only come into the shop if there is a guaranteed buyer. So, I ordered it when they were first released. I waited a few months for it to arrive, I think it was the first one to come to Canada. When I got it I didn't like it. The neck felt sticky, the action was to high and it had 10's on it. I couldn't return it because it was a "special order". I put 9's on it and lowered the action. Then I took 0 Grit Steel Wool and sanded the neck till the sticky-ness was gone. It didn't effect the paint, it just looks like natural wear. Now it's probably best guitar I have ever played. I also got the '57 Gold Top Murphy Lab and did the same thing. It plays excellent as well.

I had exactly the same issue. Have played a Tele for years and couldn’t bond with anything with humbuckers. Bought an R6 and I have to say I can’t bond with it either. I persevered with a 335 and a multi-band eq and I gradually introduced myself to the new sound. Now, I absolutely love the 335 with or without eq. Notes are fatter and treble is rounder, and it has a versatility all of its own. It will never be a Tele, but @ Tele will never be a 335. To me these can cover any genre I care to play, and the 335 can play it all satisfactorily if I only have the choice of one guitar. Amps make a big difference as well. Try low wattage amps, but with additional speakers, I found this works the best for me. 🙂

There are some guitars that call for at bit more dating before, you can decide. Sometimes it just does not work, sometimes you get the best and deepest relationship. This “girl” is out of your normal zone of recognition, and I can for sure tell you: Go with it, you are about to expand your identity :-)

I think the 335 sounds fantastic. There is so much you can do with that guitar. I personally own a USA line ES-345 and it has the T-Type Humbuckers stock in it. What did I want to change? nothing it is perfect for Me in tone and what I want from it. If you want more bell-like tones in clean I would suggest you put it in the middle position and cut back on the volume a tad. I find that a lot of guitarists have everything on 10. If you want more out of your guitar play with the tone and volume. Playing my 345 today, if I had a gun to my head I would not part with it. Maybe, playing it some more you will have no doubts anymore, but each guitar is a tool in the shed for different jobs.

I have exactly the same problem - I primarily play teles and strats, I love the feel of Gibsons but not really used to the darker sound when amplified. And I've bought the same model 335 :) The only set of PAFs I really like are the T-type humbuckers, which are much brighter.

Beautiful guitar. Did you try putting a simple 10 band eq in front and boost upper mids/high and cut bass a little? This pickups have so much harmonic content just moving it around a little to better suit your ears might be the ticket. Especially if you love the ways it feels in your hands.

I just bought an ES 335 last week, and I too use mostly single coils. I find the more midrange in the 335 is more versatile than the single coils which I struggle to get a warm, woody, tone out of. The other thing is how the guitars feel when you're playing them. The 335 has a very nice feel, and no neck dive like that SG.

Yes, this guitar always keeps it's value and that is good argument why I keep it...on the other hand the most expensive guitar in my collection is not applicable on 100 % of my gigs...so it's not the most played one...reason to feel sad? Yes!

i'd also try lowering the pickups/adjusting polepieces to see where that gets you, but the inherent sound/resonance of the instrument won't really change, i'd also return it if you're not connecting with the guitar, the attack/feel is different, a lot more heft to the tone which is playing into it as well, even more so because of the price tag

You might need to try a Kauer Super Chief, it's 335 without the muddy low's and it's super light weighted.

I try to stick to 3 guitars, l.p., tele, strat, ill try others but if they are not knocking one of the '3' off of the favvo list i shift them on , youve probably got your favourite already.

If you love the way a guitar feels & looks and you do really like it’s acoustic sound, there is a LOT you can do about the sound amplified. Adjusting Pickups (height & Polepieces) goes a very long way and is the first thing to do. I did swap the Custombuckers on my Les Pul for OX4 plus a different harness and it’s so much better. Seems to be very common for Gibson players to do so. Good luck :)

Guys that guitar sounds beautiful. Wow. Thanks.

funny thing, I felt the same about the 335. I really wanted one...wonderful tone. but I am like you where I love the feel of the vintage/worn-in/relic guitars. I bought my 175 reissue without trying it out first and it is amazing. I was looking for a 335 for a tone that would work better for classic rock stuff. tried a few and could not get into it...I think alot has to do with the neck position on the body...feels like it sticks out more and makes me play in a more un-natural position. so, I recently picked up a Fender 51 tele CS relic (mild relic) with the neck hum bucker....such an amazing instrument....I feel right at home....you should try one!

Paul and James, this is one of my fave episodes that you've done. I have a Collings i-35 LC Vintage that I've had the same feelings about that Paul is going through with this 335. My Collings is an amazing sounding and looking guitar, but I just can't bond with it. Had it for two years now. I'm really a single coil guy and that's the issue. Thanks for sharing your candid feelings...I'm going to keep the Collings for now.

The Murphy just has more low mids - but it sounds lovely.

Simple thing to try. Bang it into a parametric eq with adjustable Q and see if you can track down the "dodgy" bit. Sometimes works. My through neck single cut just wasn't sounding right in some situations when I finished making it. Using a Boss MFX for the parametric I found that the relatively cheap pups had narrow dropouts about 750Hz and one octave higher that just sounded awkward. Not bad, not with every note, just not as good as it could be. One birthday present of some Monty's slightly hot wound tele pups later I have my favourite ever guitar.

I’ve played countless 335s but i just can’t find one that’s yet going to make me put down my Tele’s or my Strats so until i find the right one a 335 that’s close isn’t the one so take it back and keep searching i have been looking for 20 plus years,when you know you know .

When moving between my Strat and my Les Paul, I dial the OCD Germanium's tone knob from 2 O'clock to full. Problem solved. Or, when clean, add a bit of treble in the EQ. But they're not meant to sound the same!

What a fantastic video have a good weekend ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

The Gretsch murdered all 3 in my lug holes 100%, the Suhr ran a very close second likely because of the pickup mods more than likely, they all sounded great but as I said no less.

I bought the same guitar earlier this year. It is indeed a beautiful thing, but initially, I found the high end a little bit ... rubbery? I tried replacing the stock nylon saddle bridge with a brass saddle Faber ABR1 and it helped open out the high end quite a bit. I'm still on the fence about the pickups in that the A3 magnets in the Custom Buckers feel a little stiff to me - I keep missing the looser feel of A2s. Only it's a total pain the arse to swap the pickups in a 335, I probably would've tried something else by now. Having said that, every time I take my 59 reissue Dot Neck 335 out of its case, I realise the 64 is inherently a much more resonant guitar with a louder, bolder voice, and the 64 has the perfect Goldilocks neck between the chunky 59 and ruler thin 61 variants.

I was like that with a PRS SC58 - Went back to my Yamaha SG.

I too have a Murphy Lab 335 and It's all the pickups for sure. I hate the ones that came with it. If the guitar is amazing without plugging in then go find that set of pickups that make it glorious and you'll love it forever!

you don't need to form an emotional attachment to it. It's not a security blanket. It's mostly a tool to create. My 335 ( '91 vintage burst, Dot) has mostly hung on a wall for the past 15 or so yrs. Enjoyed it in studio for many reasons, but at home I prefer something more compact and ergonomic, like a Strat. Doesn't mean I've given up on my 335, or never intend using it

It's been almost 4 years that I am strugling same problem with my 1990 335 ... but each time I give up idea of selling it ... thank you for sharing your toughts...So, did you sell this one and get another one?

I’m surprised at James mentioning the tone wood debate. I have never heard anyone discus or mention that any semi hollow from Gibson is from a good tone wood era. Paul you mention the 335 being lighter. This will be down to the custom shop con. The wood usually used on the centre block would be maple traditionally is maple. If you take the pick ups out you will see that the centre block is like balsa wood. Paul you strummed the guitar unplugged and you noted that was bright. In my experience a 335 is not bright when strummed it should have a more woody earthy tone. Gibson seems to have given up on birch being as the predominant wood used in the ply. In addition the number of layers in the ply has been reduced. Take it back mate & get an older model.

Sounded great. I understand about the single coils to humbucker difference. It goes the other way too. But it might be good to have something markedly different.

The guitar sounds fantastic, I have watched many of your demos and have heard dozens of examples of your style and lead work, which has always been impeccable. Basically, I am a Gibson humbucker fan, owning many vintage Gibson guitars, many vintage Fender Telecasters and many Stratocasters. The point being, is that all of my guitars as well as yours, are all individual instruments with unique tones and responses and are all tools to used to compliment our playing and our songs. My advice, for what it is worth...either embrace the ES 335 for what it is, how it sounds and what it can accomplish for you OR give it back. Please do not take such a beautiful instrument and destroy its authenticity by changing the pickups or modifying it. And for the record as a Studio Engineer, while I love your playing, sometimes when you are using your Teles or Strats, they have so much treble and high end on them it just about takes your head off. In the end, everything comes down to personal preference and personal opinion. Continued good luck with the Channel and with the ES 335.

There is always a mid range bump in these semi's that I just can't relate too, I like the looks and all, but it's not very practical travel wise and tonally it's the mid's that get to me, sometimes I find even the bottom too boomy.

Its the mudbuckers that gibson seemingly used here. If you buy a Custom Shop Gibson, then just ask to NOT use Gibson pickups. Gibson pickups, Mud for days from my experience. Nothing wrong with the 335 other than the mudbuckers.

For me it’s the blood red color that turned me off from all 335’s. If you want a brighter tone, please (please) try a thin .60 pick. It’s more of a strummer, but you have a good pick hand, I KNOW you can do it. The middle position is magic on a 335. It should sound like nothing else you have. You have some amazing single coils guitars, no doubt. That’s a beautiful sound, and I can see how you would fall in love with single coils. Thornbuckers are a perfect cross between single/hum. They are special pickups, wired up and voiced successfully by a guy who really knows how to voice instruments. I could never bite down on a Murphy Lab, although I would really enjoy the Watermelon 335. I think it has a lot to do with color. Doesn’t make sense, but color is very important to me.

Sounds amazing! Love my ‘63 custom shop 335, very different to strats etc but super versatile too!

If I may humbly suggest that you try cutting the pole piece screws to 1/2". I find that doing that wakes up many humbuckers, especially for the neck. 335 types are great guitars so give it some time.

On a tangent from how it sounds, does appearance make a difference to your choice, Paul? I know from personal experience that if it's the wrong shape or colour, I'm not going to be interested in picking it up, in comparison to my favourites. Which have been governed by my youth when I first started playing. Also, if you did think about changing pups, I've seen a lot of videos where Ron Ellis pickups and favoured across the board whether single coil or humbuckers. With studio phones on, I was surprised how similar the SG was, just missing some mid. Perhaps too, think about what you might use it for. Rather than just picking it up, assign a specific use for it, perhaps when playing more relaxed or ambient tracks, it has a great sustain! (Until last year, I had been playing for 53 years and have experienced many similar such things on my journey.)

Sounds great but I really don’t like the size of a 335. Way too large and uncomfortable for me.

With you on this. I’d keep the Gretsch (much more open and widescreen sound) and move on the 335!

Before you change the pickups.... I would try some 1Meg Volume pots they will open up more top end which you might like. There are no rules it's whatever works!

Give it to me, I'll bond with it!

I'd keep that 335 all day, every day. Sounds open, articulate, and NOT dark. Just as God intended. It sounded brighter than the Suhr, without question -- it might not be ice-pick tele bright, but it is, imo, sounding relatively bright. Considering the pickup selector was on the middle position. I'd wager the neck position is 'woody' and open sounding -- not wooly... and the bridge is a super charged tele sound. Am I wrong?

Keep it. You've got plenty of single coil guitars. Use a pedal for more chime when you need it. I wonder what the EHX Knockout would do for it?😮 Personally, I want a Casino Coupe but I'm into wider necks, so I need a Casino Coupe body with a bolt on neck so I can put a Warmoth Superwide on it.

Embrace the mother “Bucker”. Those deep tones from the humbuckers sound superb. New amp sounds lovely too 😊. Problem with 335s is their size, kind of awkward to handle

Of all the guitars demo in this video, I'll take the ES335 in a heart beat.... It sounds great to my ears...

I feel the same about my Murphy SG. It still has the tags on it! Now let’s discuss what the trade-in value of your 335 is.

the gretch sound more like a single coil. the 335 does sound kinda unique. i like it. crispier than the thornbuckers. more clarity than the sg. does it sound too good? is that the problem?

If in doubt, leave it out!

That 335 sounds freakin' amazing.

I have the same thing with Les Pauls. I want one, but, after going through over a dozen of them now, I just can’t connect. Love them when somebody else plays them, but they just don’t work for me. I think the closest I’m going to get is a Penguin or Duo Jet. BTW, get a White Falcon. All your desires will be satisfied (IMO).

Paul, I share your lack of affection for humbuckers. I have one guitar with P-90's, and an S-type with a bridge humbucker but my favorite sounds are coming from single coils. This discussion reminds me of a Mick Taylor concert I attended about 20 years ago. Of course he's a wonderful guitarist, but as a solo act it became tiresome due to non-stop soloing. As it went on, I felt like the music and sound became dark and oppressive. Then he picked up a Vigier Strat and ZING there were some sounds that I liked! Then I realized all guitars ahead of that were humbucker equipped. I can only handle so much of that heavy sound.

Going threw the same dilemma with a strat with fat 50s had it about a month and some times a really like it and sometimes I think it's dull .the ryra sorted it out really growing to like it now .was just under a grand had to buy a gig bag lol .yeh not a big humbucker fan myself ok for some silly 80s metal .cheers for the vids boys

Its important to keep I mind modern Gibson Pickups even the PAF types have alot of low end and low mid . More than vintage Gibson pickups did.

Yep. I cant get on with humbuckers. they just blow the input of the amp out. You lose the sound of the string unlike a strat or a tele where the string sound is clear as a bell. To my ears, the lower the output of the pickup the better they sound. Which why some early Squire Strats sound amazing, because what was regarded as ''cheap'' at the time (WhenDiMarzio high outputs were all the rage) actualy sounded amazing. Alan Murphy was a user of Squire Strats - say no more. It would be interesting to see what the 335 sounds like with the (guitar) volume turned down.

It is the guitar,that can play it all.....

That guitar sounds amazing. My theory is Paul can’t stand buying a guitar without changing the pickups. Strat guys.

My suggestion is you compare them all acoustically only. The timber you hear is the basis of the guitar. This will give you an idea if the sound you like or don't like is coming from the guitar or the pickups. I'm nobody, but my experience has been if I don't like the guitar acoustically it is VERY hard for me to get the tone I like by changing the pickups. I can certainly improve it but it never reaches that sweet spot. It seems to me, as tempting as it is to have a new guitar that looks and feels so cool, you should walk away. I've decided I'm just not a 335 guy. I used to have one and I kept it just so I wouldn't be tempted to buy another one. As I get older though I just realize what my ear tends to like and it isn't a 335. I currently don't have a 335. If you like more treble aggressive guitars but don't like a hum I would point you to a firebird. Find the right one and you'll be set assuming the looks and bulkiness don't turn you off. Cheers.

I have a 335 and I thought the pickups were dark. It now has Thornbuckers in it and it sounds amazing, but it still sounds like a 335.

A simple magnet swap sorted out my CS‘64 ES-335. A set of era correct “Short” Alnico 5’s from ReWind or ThroBak should liven up the stock Custombuckers. Should increase the highs/lows enough to even out mids. The Custombuckers are really good pickups, I just don’t get why they went with the most wet sponge sounding magnets. Alnico 3 is terrrrrrrrible in humbuckers to my ear. Sounds just fine in Fender style single coils though.

Perhaps try a set of Monty’s underspun PAFs for something a little different? Your 335 definitely has some sweetness in the top end.

For players of the Larry Carlton type or Clapton’s farewell Cream sound.

The SG specials with p90’s are the best live work guitar going around. The mid sixty models are awesome if you have that budget.