Pickup replacement for Epiphone 335 Dot

[Sonne]

Hi all
I'm looking for replacement pickups for my Epiphone 335 Dot. I love this guitar except for the standard pickups - I just can't get the sound that I want. What sound do I want? Difficult to put in words, but I'll give it a try!

I play jazz (standards, fusion, bepop etc.) and I'm looking for a Jazzy dark sound - which pickup is suitable for the neck position?

I also play jazz-rock-fusion sometimes with distortion so which pickup is suitable for the bridge position.

For your info I play through a Roland JC-77 amp and for distortion I use a homebuild Fred Nachbaur "McTube". For the clean Sound I only use a little bit Reverb.

I hope somebody can help

Best regards

Sonne

[HJM]

what's wrong with your current pickups? Too bright no depth??? To loud? No dynamics?

[ssonne]

Let's start with the neck pickup:
With the standard PU my feeling is that I'm loose to much highs and get a muddy sound - even with the Tone control bypassed and the volume all the way up! So what I'm looking for is the "dark" jazzy sound without loosing the highs - I guess you can call it "more definition".

The bridge PU is another matter - The standard PU has to low output for my taste and the sound lacks body. What I'm looking for to the bridge PU replacement is higher output - distinctive highs - more midrange attack.

best regards

sonne

[Tim]

For all out clarity I make a very open Mule neck humbucker-DC7.1K which will sound great in your semi. To partner it I'd suggest  a Mule bridge DC8.4K-I'm assuming you're after covered humbuckers.
For both I'd normally suggest Alnico III for jazz but as clarity and punch are an issue, the more balanced Alnico IV will sound better, particularly in the highs. Alnico V would be too hard edged in this application.

If you wanted to go hotter, brighter and not quite so vintage then Emerald humbuckers would to the job but mt gut feeling is for The Mule set.

[Sonne]

Thanks for the input.

Next question :

do you have any suggestions to potentiometre replacements.

I think the standard pot's are 500k but I'm not absolutely sure!

reg.


Sonne

[HJM]

500k is standard for buckers, 250k will roll of some treble, 1meg give you more treble

I'd try 500k, if you want a touch warmer sound, drop to 250k.

When I'm going for a Jazz tone I usually roll the tone off just a touch and drop the volume a bit, it darkens it off just enough - something I picked up for a rather talented gent called Adrian Ingram.... And keep the amp treble up, watching how much bass your using also helps to retain definition. Also, with Jazz, what sounds good at home, ie tones of nice warm bottom, really pisses off bass players in a trio etc...!!

My Stormy sounds great, but I'm going to have to get some Mules by the sound of it....

[Tim]

Thanks for the input.

Next question :

do you have any suggestions to potentiometre replacements.

I think the standard pot's are 500k but I'm not absolutely sure!

reg.


Sonne

Another option to 500 or 250K is 300K which often creep up in gibbos from time to time. a good half way house.

[HJM]

Forgot all about those....and I use 'em....d'oh