Replacement PUPs for 65 ES335 ?

I have Tom Holmes PAF's in my '66 335 and they are well, perfect.

You can thank me later.

 

I would bring the guitar to a good tech, have him disassemble the guitar with you there present. Look and see what you already have in there for pups before you think about changing them out. They might be great pups and your problem lies elsewhere. Sounds like you've already uncovered an issue with pots and possible caps. If you don't know of R S Guitar Works, google them, get their phone number and call them. Ask for Rusty. He'll talk you through what you should do. He's a real pro and he will not steer you wrong. You just might want to consider a total restoration to that ES335. If it's truly a 1965 and there wasn't too much alteration done to it, that might be worth doing. Maybe list here for us exactly what is NOT original about it?

 

I have been messing with 335's all my life. To me , I think it comes down to two or three main sounds. Fat and juicy, classic PAF (bright humbuck sound, ) and or somewhere in between. I usually end up with fat and juicy baby ! Another thought, most of the boutique pickup winders who are going for old school PAF wind some very bright and articulate sounding PU's. I just put a set of WCR Darkburst in one of mine, very nice match. Classic and warm with a little bite....Others I use with great results are Scatterbrane, Guitarforce, Duncan's, Bare Knuckles, you can't go wrong with any of these names. There are many others too, and most seem very available to answer questions to help you make the right choice. Good luck !

 

Pop the pickups out and have a look. You don't know which direction to go until you know where you are.
'65 is the changeover from nickel to chrome. Chrome covered pickups would keep a new "look" much more so than nickel.

 

I think you need to sort out your wiring harness first.
That said, some pickups I've had that worked great in a 335: WCR Crossroads, Darkbursts, Seth Lovers, 57 Classics. The wood makes a big difference though.

 

Next string change, remove the four screws that hold the pickup ring down, pull the pickup out, take a close-up photo of the back side, then post here and you'll get wisdom from lots of experts. Or just have your tech do it.

 

For 1965, it would not be too unusual for them to be some left over patent number pups . . . in which case, you'll see a decal with a long number on it. If they're a little later, they could be T tops . . but, I don't think you would know that without taking the chrome cover off. Don't do that!!Either way, patent number or T tops, they're great and expensive pups. That's why I recommended that you are present when a guitar tech disassembles your guitar. Most techs are honset and trust worthy. However, if your tech is of questionable character and he sees patent number pups, he could quickly and easily replace them with a more current and less expensive pup and swipe yours. Patent number pups could sell for as high as $800 each! I've seen them offerd for as high as $1,500 each.

 

1965 is actually early in the patent number timeline. If the pickups are original I would expect them to be patent number stickered but probably not T-tops. The patent number sticker lasts into the 1970s

 

Never really be a fan of the '57 Classics but I have to say I've never heard a 335 that they didn't sound good in for some reason. In Lesters, not so much. I have a '64 335 that sounds amazing. A couple of yrs ago I got a '68 345 carcass with restoring it in mind. When I finally got down to pickups I went with www.doctorvintage.com. Rick is a great guy to deal with and he knows tone. He winds pups esp. for 3X5 guitars (as well as others). When I finally got the 345 together it easily sounded as good (some of my buddies say better) than my '64. Rick knows what he's doin' and is worth talkin' to about your guitar. I also agree with the other posters concerning gettin' your wiring harness straightened out. Pots and caps make a big difference IMO.

 

Thanks for the clarification Sweetfinger.

 

Maybe someone already suggested it but have you tried changing only the caps to get a bit brighter tone?

 

Race:

Dull it should not be. Maybe a little less loud than some modern HBs, but dull is not right. I own a '66 ES-335 with stock everything, have played several others from that year, also a beautiful '67 locally, and the '67 a friend just bought. There are some variations, but all sound to me like essentially the same pickup. Which I'm guessing is the post PAF, pre-T top patent sticker.

When this pickup sounds right (as it does in mine for sure and that local '67 335), there are no words. These are the pickups that made me fall in love with HBs and finally shut up about single coils only. They're my reference tone for humbuckers. Some I've heard seem weaker or duller than others ....

I have not sampled extensively, but can tell you that Ian Anderson's p/us are in this class. Got a set recently for a MIJ Epiphone LQ Les Paul. Tonally, same ballpark as the pickups in my 335. That is, in terms of liveliness, openness of sound, quality of edge and drive sounds as the volumes go up. Ian's pickups are louder I think. The neck in his set is just a touch cleaner than the old Gibson pi/s, the bridge has a different kind of twang. What's the same is that smooth warmth and depth.

It's hard to reason across guitar types like that ... all I can say is the Anderson p/us would be my first choice if anything happened to my 335.
MD