NSHGD

[Dmoney]

New Semi Hollow Guitar Day,
After looking at expensive ES-336's and ES-339's, I popped into Angel Music and Frank JPF pointed me in the direction of this thing.
It's a Gibson ES-333.
I like it a lot.

It's a full size semi hollow as opposed to the smaller 336 and 339's. It's basically a ES-335 cheapo.
The advantage is the rear access panel for the wiring.

It feels really nice. It has a switchcraft jack and toggle switch. I'm not sure if those are original. It has also had one pot changed and the split shaft from another pot is broken. I need to replace some pots, but I'll probably replace them all in one go, along with the tiny ceramic caps.

It is meant to have a 490R and 498T. 498T in the bridge. It seems really hot! I've used a 498T before, but this doesn't really clean up at all. Even with my Avenger's preamp gain on 2, I have to turn the bridge pup almost all the way down to get a clean tone.

Below are some pics.







This is also a 333...

...It has been polished and a few bits changed. knobs, maybe pickup covers, etc... It looks very much like a 60's 335! quite nice. So, this is what my Polishing thread in the tech pages has been about...



I plan on getting some new pickups for it. with aged nickel covers. maybe Emeralds.
possibly changed the knobs
get some 500K pots in there.
shine it up.
i may or may not add a scratchplate... i probably won't.
possibly change the tuners cos these feel a touch loose. not sure what to go for if i do that...

[PhilKing]

It looks very cool.  From the front it is just like a 335.  A set of Riff-Raff's might be nice in it.  I would change the knobs because I don't like black hat box knobs! 

[bucketshred]

Nice, I'd really like one of those.

Paddy

[Dmoney]

Mine has speed knobs currently.
I agree. I'm undecided on the hat knobs.

[Ted 'N' Leo]

Congrats! :)

[Philly Q]

Nice buy!  :D

And the spiffed-up one looks bloody fantastic.  You should deffo change some parts and hardware, even if you don't go for the polished finish.

[Dmoney]

I'm stuck on what to go for.

Locking Kluson?
Fake 58 aged tulip Klusons?
double ring nickel Klusons?

what knobs? I do like speed knobs but I can't help but think there might be something better.

as for how it plays and sounds so far (even it its aggressive) it feels and sounds awesome!
going to be a great tool next to my les paul for sure!

[Philly Q]

What tuners does it have now, the Kluson lookalikes with screw-in bushings?  The TonePros/Kluson TPKB3 set is a good direct replacement, and there's a locking version too.

http://www.toneproskluson.com/models.html

And reflector knobs like the ones in the picture, for sure.

[Dmoney]

The back of them does say kluson deluxe. single ring tulip pegs.
One or two just feels a touch loose.

the locking klusons look a bit brutal.

[PhilKing]

I'm a big Grover fan so I would go with them.  I also think the black reflectors would look great on it.

[gwEm]

yess!!! very nice, in fact i like the original finish and look. i like it alot - just as it is. very much my cup of tea.

i would put some obnoxious pickups (riff raffs?) in and rock out. i think aged double screw pole would be a good look in that thing.

[Dmoney]

I don't want to have extra holes of anything like that showing. I think grovers would leave those. I like Grovers too.
I'm going to get some aged nickel kluson style ones.

right now the wiring has a jumper on the toggle, with the caps wired to the back of the tone pots.
I'm going to change it to 50's style wiring and get rid of that jumper.

defo going for the reflector knobs too. you all talked me into it!


Yeah Gwem, I'm tempted by Riff Raffs, Black Dogs sparked my interest a little... I'm tempted by Emeralds too, primarily because I know I like Emeralds as I've owned them in the past. Double screw pole? interesting!

[gwEm]

Yeah Gwem, I'm tempted by Riff Raffs, Black Dogs sparked my interest a little... I'm tempted by Emeralds too, primarily because I know I like Emeralds as I've owned them in the past. Double screw pole? interesting!

they put dirty fingers in some semi acoustic models in the 80s.. now i think they would lead to too much acoustic feedback in real use, but i think it would suit the stripped down look of yours.

edit: i have to say, the stock look leaves me drooling, its by far the coolest looking semi i've ever seen.

[Dmoney]

I struck me by surprise that they would put a 498T in these. I think the DC resistance for a 498T is 13K or 14K. Not sure what the one in my guitar is but it rips the front of my amp. I don't want to mellow it out too much as it is kind of cool, though I haven't cranked it up yet to see how it handles feedback.

My les paul has cavity shielding and so on. I don't know whether to add that to the pickup cavities. I'm going to use single core braided shield throughout when I rewire it. So I guess the wiring will be shielded pretty well anyway. I read somewhere about people adding foam to pup cavities to reduce feedback. seems extreme. maybe steve vai does that.

[Philly Q]

My les paul has cavity shielding and so on. I don't know whether to add that to the pickup cavities.

Shielding a semi is a bit of a non-starter, so much of the body is hollow you really can't reach the walls of the cavities!