Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

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Flames1950
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Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by Flames1950 » Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:23 pm

Damn have I been jonesing for an ES335. And I can't afford one. Lucky for me Gibson made the ES333 model that you can pick up for much less than 335's!!!!

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:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Plays real nice, sounds real nice, even smells like my buddy's dad's '59 inside. Had to swap out the pickups within fifteen minutes of course, and I have a pickguard on the way to give it the right look.
Even has a control cover on the back. You can almost reach the bridge pickup volume pot. ALMOST.
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by bluze81 » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:53 pm

Flames1950 wrote:Damn have I been jonesing for an ES335. And I can't afford one. Lucky for me Gibson made the ES333 model that you can pick up for much less than 335's!!!!

Image

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Plays real nice, sounds real nice, even smells like my buddy's dad's '59 inside. Had to swap out the pickups within fifteen minutes of course, and I have a pickguard on the way to give it the right look.
Even has a control cover on the back. You can almost reach the bridge pickup volume pot. ALMOST.
Wow nice Andy! I didnt know Gibson made a model like that and I thought I knew everything :shock: no really that guitar looks more vintage to me than some of the Reissue dot necks I have seen, what did you put in for pickups? and what is the list retail on that model? thanks

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Flames1950
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by Flames1950 » Sun Apr 12, 2009 10:27 pm

Pickups are the Wolfetone Marshallhead MK2 prototypes. Stock it came with uncovered 490/498's which just looked wrong, and while the 490 neck was almost passable the 498 bridge was lifeless. The Wolfetones sound really good but the stock Gibson pots/caps are holding back their snappiness so I already have an RS kit coming for it too.
The "satin" finish is more of a semi-gloss and does look surprisingly vintage, and will look even better with a pickguard. The headstock on the 333's is plain with a silkscreened logo so it needed a girlie decal to dress it up.
No idea what they used to list for, they've been discontinued it looks like. Gibson's website has absolutely nothing about them (other than the Epi Tom Delonge 333, yuckie......)
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by philmanatee » Sun Apr 12, 2009 10:43 pm

Cool guitar! I just ordered a set of wolfetone marshallhead mkII's for my tokai explorer. How are those pickups? Phil

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Flames1950
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by Flames1950 » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:07 pm

philmanatee wrote:Cool guitar! I just ordered a set of wolfetone marshallhead mkII's for my tokai explorer. How are those pickups? Phil
I thought they were pretty much pure PAF -- bright and raw but still rich harmonically, and I didn't find them piercing. In the neck slot of my Les Paul I've never heard another pickup dish out treble snap and clarity like the Wolfetone MHead MK2 -- the neck pickup grabbed notes and let them ring almost better than the bridge pickup with almost equal treble response at times.

They're "Test #2" in my Les Paul here:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=928836
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by philmanatee » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:23 pm

Those sound great! I knew I made a good choice, you just confirmed it. Wolfe just emailed me, I'll probably see him tomorrow. Phil

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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by Spodeeodee » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:16 pm

Nice. What's the deal with the honey on the headstock? Looks sweet.
Travis
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Flames1950
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by Flames1950 » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:42 pm

Spodeeodee wrote:Nice. What's the deal with the honey on the headstock? Looks sweet.
Actually, since my wife doesn't like me putting pinup girls on my guitars, I told her that she would have to be the pinup girl then. All you need is waterslide decal paper for a color laser printer to make them. And she can't bitch that I'm staring at some other chick on my guitars now. :wink: :D
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by neikeel » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:44 pm

Flames1950 wrote:
Spodeeodee wrote:Nice. What's the deal with the honey on the headstock? Looks sweet.
Actually, since my wife doesn't like me putting pinup girls on my guitars, I told her that she would have to be the pinup girl then. All you need is waterslide decal paper for a color laser printer to make them. And she can't bitch that I'm staring at some other chick on my guitars now. :wink: :D

8) :lol:
Neil

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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by thousandshirts » Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:48 pm

I tricked out a Epiphone Dot reissue for a friend. New pots, new jack, new switches. New pickups (some older Seymour Duncan PAF copies I had laying around, my friend is very "frugal" and wouldn't spring for Tom Holmes, Wolfetones, or anything like that), new bridge, new nut... Sure, it's not a 335, but it made a vast improvement. It's really a great playing guitar and has made me jones for a 335 bigtime.

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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by DanO » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:06 am

thousandshirts wrote:I tricked out a Epiphone Dot reissue for a friend. New pots, new jack, new switches. New pickups (some older Seymour Duncan PAF copies I had laying around, my friend is very "frugal" and wouldn't spring for Tom Holmes, Wolfetones, or anything like that), new bridge, new nut... Sure, it's not a 335, but it made a vast improvement. It's really a great playing guitar and has made me jones for a 335 bigtime.
I'm in the process of tricking out an Epiphone Sheraton in a similar fashion. I'm pleasantly surprised at the quality of the basic fit and finish on this guitar---beautiful natural finish, excellent binding work, decent neck and fretwork (did a light file/polish on them)---but the electronics, pickups, nut, and hardware gotta go. Don't like gold hardware anyway.

I'm not "frugal", I'm outright CHEAP. Got a pair of StewMac Golden Age HBs going in, along with quality pots, caps, switch, jack, wire, &c. Grover lockers, bone nut, Gotoh bridge and tailpiece (I do my own "TonePros" mod with a drill, tap and set screws). This should be a really nice guitar when I get done with it.

Congrats to the OP on the 333, looks real nice!

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Flames1950
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by Flames1950 » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:15 am

I've often thought of getting a Sheraton too, but fishing the crappo electronics through the f-holes stops me every time. Even with the access panel on the back of the 333 it's not really fun changing the pots out.
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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by DanO » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:12 am

Flames1950 wrote:I've often thought of getting a Sheraton too, but fishing the crappo electronics through the f-holes stops me every time. Even with the access panel on the back of the 333 it's not really fun changing the pots out.
Yeah, it's a challenge. I tie a piece of fishing line to each component before I pull it out of the hole, use it to help guide it back into place. It's still a pain in the ass, especially with the cloth-covered wire I like to use. And CTS pots BARELY fit through the f-hole.

I need more patience, and I need it RIGHT NOW :x

I think it'll be worth it when I'm done, though.

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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by thousandshirts » Sun Apr 19, 2009 2:17 pm

Flames1950 wrote:I've often thought of getting a Sheraton too, but fishing the crappo electronics through the f-holes stops me every time. Even with the access panel on the back of the 333 it's not really fun changing the pots out.
There's nothing easy about it, especially for those of us with big hands and fingers. Taking 3 foot long lengths of shrink tubing, and heating the ends of them on to each of the four pot shafts (four lengths of tubing) is a major help, though. This lets you move them about together. After you get the old ones out, keep the tubing (helps to have a different color assigned to each position, so you can keep bottom tone/upper volume in position), snip the ends, put on the new pots, shrink tube, and pull back through.

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Re: Tax time ....means new guitar!!!! Semi-hollow content......

Post by demonufo » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:51 pm

Great, you've made me really look forward to finally restoring this nasty ES-135 that I've been putting off for months now! :? What electrics! There's nothing left in this beast, and talk about dodgy routing for a neck pickup, it looks like it's been attacked with a chisel.
So I like purple, okay!!!!!!

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